trophy hunt meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

trophy hunt

noun

Etymology From trophy + hunt.

An instance of trophy hunting.

Americans are by far the most keen to spend around $60,000 on trophy hunts in Africa, but British and German hunters drive demand too.2009 September 11, Felicity Carus, “Trophy hunting in Africa: 'Hunt operators are conservationists first, and hunters second'”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 07 Sep 2013:
Conservationists say that lion hunting is one of the most lucrative trophy hunts, with each outing bringing in up to $71,000 on average, which includes the trophy fee, a professional guide, transportation and lodging.2015 August 10, “The Big Five: Africa's Most Sought-After Trophy Animals”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 14 Aug 2015:

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By contrast, South Africa, which has a big trophy hunting industry popular with Americans, has about 9,000 lions, nearly a third of the global total, and the Professional Hunters' Assn. of South Africa says that trophy hunts contribute about $90 million to the economy.2015 August 22, Robyn Dixon, “The hidden consequences of hunting Africa's lions”, in Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 22 Aug 2015:
It took place against the backdrop of a declining lion population, and it was a trophy hunt for which [Walter] Palmer had paid $50,000.2016 May 4, Karin Brulliard, “You remember Cecil the lion. But will you recall Scarface, the slain grizzly?”, in The Washington Post, Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 06 May 2016:

verb

Etymology Back-formation from trophy hunting.

To engage in trophy hunting.

Hunters never say “we want to trophy hunt because we want to mount the head,” [Wayne] Pacelle said. “They always apply something to it. They could just give the money for conservation. But they want something out of it.”2017 November 20, Darryl Fears, “Hunters are livid over Trump’s elephant trophy decision”, in The Washington Post, Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 21 Nov 2017:
A father has been branded 'disgusting' over footage of him teaching his six-year-old son to trophy hunt by dressing up as a deer so he can shoot him with a toy crossbow.2020 November 24, Emily Webber, “‘Disgusting’ North Carolina dad criticised for teaching his six-year-old to trophy hunt – by dressing up as a deer so he can shoot him with a toy crossbow and pose proudly with the fallen ‘animal’”, in Daily Mail, London: DMG Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 24 Nov 2020:

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This historic cattle and big-game hunting ranch offers a huge, 21,000-acre hunk of Colorado countryside (108,277 acres, including those leased and deeded) ideal for anyone looking to trophy hunt — or try finding the bones of reptiles that have been dead since before the birth of humankind.2022 October 6, Hannah Frishberg, “Dinosaurs once roamed this Colorado property now listed for $15.5M”, in New York Post, New York, N.Y.: News Corp, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 06 Oct 2022:

To hunt (an animal) as part of a trophy hunt.

In South Africa, it’s still legal to “trophy hunt” the white rhino, which [Anna] Merz and others find reprehensible.1992 December 17, Michael Granberry, “Vanishing Act: Animals: A world without the homely rhino? […]”, in Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 20 Jul 2025:
In other socially complex animals, including humans and killer whales, post-reproductive individuals help younger generations thrive by providing wisdom and care. This phenomenon, called the grandmother hypothesis, should be tested in giraffes, Dr. Muller said. If it’s true, this would have conservation implications, as older giraffes are often culled or trophy hunted.2021 August 7, Cara Giaimo, “We’ve Underestimated the Social Lives of Giraffes”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 07 Aug 2021:

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As many as 50,000 black bears are trophy hunted every year across America, and the UK is implicated because we still allow trophy imports of many of these species.2020 December 26, Jane Dalton, quoting Haley Stewart, “How we continued destroying the natural world in 2020”, in The Independent, London: Independent News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 08 Apr 2025: