Hunting is an activity that was originally intended for people to feed themselves. Early humans ate on plants they could gather and small animals they could chase and catch as they wandered the plains.

Setting traps is also one of the hunting methods. People trap wild animals for their meat and fur, sometimes to prevent them from harming them or for scientific research.

There are many types of traps. Steel traps are used to catch furry animals without damaging their fur. Such traps, which do not kill the animal immediately and make the hunt suffer until it is killed by the hunter, are banned in many countries of the world. The mousetrap as we know it is one such trap, powered by a steel spring.

Another variant of the trap consists of a loop with a bow. A flexible branch can act as a spring. The loop is made of wire and the branch is tied down by a rope that will act as a trigger. When the prey gnaws at the rope covered with salt, the bow springs when the rope breaks. The loop surrounding the prey tightens and lifts the animal into the air.

Gradually narrowing net tunnels are also used to catch birds. Birds are driven into the wide mouth of the net or are attracted by bait and caught in the narrow mouth.