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Hunting is the practice of pursuing wild animals with firearms for food, sport, or environmental reasons.  The hunted wildlife is called "game", usually referring to mammals or game birds. Popular animals to hunt in North America include grouse, pheasant, rabbits, and deer.

While the hunting is generally done for recreational purposes, it is also used to curb overpopulation of wildlife. Overpopulation of a species can lead to disease or food shortage. The deer, in particular, is one animal hunted in part due to overpopulation in many areas of the United States. Hunting advocates often point out that the practice is a necessity for modern wildlife management

Dogs have become a popular hunting companion over time. Today dogs are used to find, chase, retrieve game, and sometimes kill game. Hunting dogs allow humans to pursue prey that would otherwise be very difficult or dangerous to hunt.

Hunting laws are mostly regulated by individual states in the U.S., though federal environmental law regulate many migratory birds and endangered species. Like most state laws, hunting regulations vary widely from state to state. Time periods, techniques and methods by which specific game animals may be hunted is all spelled out in individual state laws. Hunters cannot pursue protected species without a hunting license in all states, which often requires the completion of a hunting safety course.

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