As hunters, it’s our responsibility to take care of the critters we hunt, as well as those we don’t. We have to obey the game laws. Police ourselves to be sure others respect the wildlife. And even offer suggestions to the Game and Fish Commission when we think there are better ways to ensure that the land and the animals will be there for future generations.
Conservation has become a dirty word to some hunters. Say “conservation,” and a lot of people immediately envision some weirdo chaining himself to a tree or standing outside a fast-food restaurant wearing a chicken suit. But if we want to continue hunting, we have to embrace conservation. We’ve got to be hunter conservationists.
The best way to do that is to hold ourselves to high ethical standards, and make sure everyone we hunt with does the same. And we have to give more to the resource than we are required to. By that I mean give more than just our license fees and Pitman-Robertson Act taxes. If the money is tight, donate time and sweat to on-the-ground habitat improvement projects.
You can do both if you join one of the many conservation groups out there. Muley Fanatics, Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and Pheasants Forever are just a few. It seems that if there’s a critter out there to be hunted, there’s a group that supports it.
But those groups don’t focus completely on their namesake animal. For instance, Muley Fanatics was the group that got funding secured for the highway overpasses for wildlife. That helps much more than just mule deer – and it also helps protect people driving our highways.
But we have to get involved. If we don’t, the anti-hunting groups will have louder voices, and hunting will disappear. With it will go the wildlife. There’s just no way the anti-hunting groups alone will be able to pony up the dough hunters do.
So join an organization. Join several. Keep our traditions going strong.
