What Is The Hunter's Role in Wildlife Conservation

Conservation VS Preservation: What’s the difference?
Before we discuss how hunting helps conservation, we should first understand how conservation is applied and what are its differences from preservation. Many people still think that conservation and preservation are interchangeable terms, when in fact, they are not.Conservation essentially promotes the sustainable use of natural resources so that all species from an ecosystem can benefit from such resources for a long time. For example, conservation policies aim to regulate the frequency of hunting so that wildlife will have time to repopulate. Preservation, on the other hand, protects nature from any human influence. For example, land rights for national landmarks are off-limits to real estate companies, unless the government changes authorizes it.

These two terms are constantly being used by wildlife advocates to highlight the importance of a “give-and-take” relationship when it comes to hunting and other recreational activities done outdoors. Such activities cannot be prohibited, but it can be regulated with the help of policy makers who make use of concepts such as conservation and preservation.

How Did Professional Hunters Help The US Conservation Movement?
Before the wildlife conservation movement, hunting was considered as a lifestyle and as a source of income for many Americans. Animal products such as meat and pelt were sold at a decent price, but as many merchants took notice of the high profitability of these products, prices soon went up. The surge of prices among the animal products has motivated other hunters to abuse their hunting grounds. This has resulted in species such as carrier pigeons and bison to be hunted near extinction.So how does hunting support conservation efforts? The answer is simple: it raised awareness on the threat of abusive profiteering from animal products produced from hunting.

Professional hunters, anglers, and many citizens who enjoyed the outdoors saw this as a threat to wildlife. These groups of people teamed up with foresters and scientists to push policy makers for hunting regulations, and other policies that would benefit American wildlife. Roosevelt was among the early advocates who have contributed to the creation of policies and regulations to combat excessive hunting that can be destructive to wildlife species. These advocates paved the way for the U.S. conservation movement which helped the survival of many native wildlife in the U.S.A.Eventually, the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation was established which outlines the right of Americans to hunt for recreation, or for meat. The limitations of that right is also defined as well as the eligibility to avail of that right.

What Is The Current State of Hunting And Conservation?
With the rise of social media, hunting has been heavily criticized and seen as “disruptive” to conservation efforts. In reality, modern U.S. hunters are members of conservation movements across different states. Hunters directly contribute to conservation by helping reduce the risk of overgrazing and overpopulation of wild animals. Deer, which are the most popular hunting targets, are also threats to native plant species and reforestation projects. Hunters combat this threat by responsibly and legally keeping the deer population in control.

Modern hunters have also resorted to using sustainable technology such as an electric hunting bike instead of using a diesel-powered 4x4 to navigate through their hunting grounds. These off-road electric bikes are similar to pedal bicycles, and they do not emit smoke nor destroy the terrain of hunting grounds. Some states also require an ebike license for hunters who wish to avail of an electric hunting bike. An ebike license allows the state to hold the bike owners accountable for any violations of their local hunting policies. In some states, the guidelines for using off-road electric bikes are also given when any one applies for an ebike license.

Aside from using sustainable technology that can help in conservation efforts, hunters have also been recognized as contributors to wildlife conservation by local and federal institutions. For example, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Pacific Region or USFWS, have cited hunters as contributors to the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and other conservation policies.Financial support has also been given to conservation efforts by many hunter advocates which eventually paved the way for acts such as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, and the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act of 1934. Also, according to the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, donations from hunters account for more than half of the local wildlife’s agency budget.

Apart from the voluntary contributions of hunters, the Pittman-Robertson Act has required taxations on hunting supplies such as guns and ammunition to provide funds for federal and state wildlife conservation agencies. This act has generated more than 10 billion dollars for the funding of fish and wildlife conservation agencies. These taxes collected from hunters also contributed to the repopulation of previously endangered American wildlife species such as wood duck, wild turkey, and white-tailed deer.

All of these reflect the current state of hunting and conservation efforts, which most media fail to portray to the public. But despite the stigma surrounding hunters, many federal agencies encourage Americans to pursue a career in hunting regardless if it is for recreational purposes or for competitive sports. Many institutions also promote hunting as a helpful factor for conservation, such institutions are the Sportsmen’s Alliance and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation which garnered hundreds of members to support their conservation-centric agendas. These two institutions constantly communicate the importance of conservation in all hunting activities, while also promoting hunting as a worthwhile endeavor for Americans.

Educational initiatives are also launched by hunters for those who aspire to become one. Organizations such as the Boone and Crockett Club, the Safari Club International, and the National Rifle Association frequently conduct seminars on proper firearm usage for hunting, and steps on how to become a responsible hunter. These initiatives aim to increase awareness that hunting is beneficial to wildlife conservation. It has also generated revenues from membership fees which were then donated to local agencies for better implementation of responsible hunting and various wildlife conservation policies.

Outside the U.S.A, there are also many hunting organizations that contribute to conservation efforts of their local government. These efforts ensure that both hunters, and many wildlife species would equally benefit from each other. Globally, hunting organizations have raised over 20 billion dollars to be used for habitat preservation which paves the way for a promising future in the hunting industry.

The North American Wildlife Conservation Model
This model has been the basis for many state laws and policies aimed to conserve wildlife, while still making hunting available as a recreational activity or a sport for many Americans. The model serves as a guideline for local agencies before they implement or enforce any hunting regulations. This model generally highlights 7 principles:

Wildlife as a Public Trust
In the U.S.A, ownership of wildlife on any territory cannot be assumed by a single entity. The public has the ownership of it. Like any public possession, everyone should be allowed to benefit from it, and not just an exclusive group of people.The local and federal governments are entrusted with the management and the proper allocation of the resources derived from wildlife and their habitat, even if this habitat falls under the territory of a certain land-owner. Simply put, even if the land is owned by a private entity, they do not have the authority to manage the wildlife living in it.

You Can’t Sell Native Animals
Sale of native North American wildlife is prohibited so that there will be no market that will be created for such products. This prohibition includes the sale of meat, pelt, skin, horns or other body parts collected from native animals. This means that it is illegal for hunters to promote the sale of native animals, or any products derived from them. In case you were curious about it, this principle is what keeps hunters from selling deer meat or any deer products that they have collected from hunting because many deer species are considered native in the U.S.A

Allocation of Wildlife By Law / not Free Market
Wildlife species also have rights protected by federal laws. These rights are not affected by market concepts or elitist agendas. For example, hunting of native animals for meat amidst a meat shortage would still be prohibited. Other examples of laws that protect wildlife’s rights include the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the 1973 Endangered Species Protection Act, both of which seek to protect the population of several species that are nearing extinction.

Hunting Opportunity for All
All American citizens are to be given the opportunity to hunt and fish legally, in United States territory. This is basically their birthright. Exclusive hunting privileges for certain groups of people are prohibited and should not be tolerated by any governing body. This principle is applied in the sale of hunting tags. Most of which are offered at a cheap price for Americans.

Wildlife Use Must Have Purpose
Killing wildlife on a whim is also prohibited. This includes trophy hunting for just the horns, skins, or other specific body parts of an animal. Hunting should come with a legal reason and any carcass you collect out of hunting should be used as food or for fur.

International Resources
Wildlife such as birds and other game have migratory behavior and they often cross international borders. In light of this, many different international agreements have been put in place so that migratory wildlife would be classified as international resources. Management of these resources should be done as a coordinated effort between management agencies of affected countries. Of course, this coordination should be adhered to the relevant international treaty.