A bounty hunter is a person who tracks down, to capture or kill, a person or animal for the promise of pay.
Historically, hiring a bounty hunter was a viable law enforcement tactic in remote jurisdictions or where law enforcement resources were scarce. However, the contemporary practice of engaging a bounty hunter is controversial.
Many law enforcement agencies seek help from the public in apprehending suspects of serious crimes or in hunting animals considered especially dangerous by offering reward money to bounty hunters.
Bail bond companies also employ bounty hunters who track down criminal defendants who forfeit their bail money when they miss court or break their conditions of release.
Because of the dangerous nature of bounty hunting and to prevent vigilante justice, in most jurisdictions, a professional bounty hunter must acquire the proper license to work.