North American Conservation Definition?

[ccoffey]

Maybe I’m paying too much attention to the whiners out there but there seems to be a lot of them surrounding tags and opportunity to hunt.

My definition of conservation of big game in North America is that by management methods including hunting we place a value on those animals which requires us as the people to ensure that the animals continue to be here on the landscape as a revenue source to continue to preserve that species and others as well as preserve that opportunity for others to hunt and harvest their own animals.

Interest in hunting big game has gone up. I see more people in hard to reach places and more trucks at the trailhead.

Here’s my question:

If I’m truly a fan of conservation and how we do it in the good ole USA, am I supposed to be pissed off when I see more people or tags are harder to get (assuming the tags are harder to get due to increased interest)?Because right now if I’m a fan of conservation based on my definition, business is booming and that’s good for conservation.

Am I missing something here? Is my definition wrong? I’m really curious due to the amount of shade that’s getting thrown all over the place in the hunting world.

 

[UPThunderbolt]

Aldo Leopold, who developed the Nation’s first Wildlife Biology program at the University of Wisconsin (1933), wrote many foundational essays on principles of conservation. I would suggest, for starters, you pick up a copy of The Sand County Almanac and Round River essays. (I really like the Wildlife in American Culture essay). That may get you thinking about conservation in a much more holistic way.

As an avid small game/large game hunter, I can also get frustrated over the competition for the resource. It is at those times that I remind myself that, under the North American model, I am fortunate to be able to partake in the process. The animals belong to all the people and many parts of the US have publicly accessible lands upon which to pursue game species. Under the European model, by-and-large, the animals belong to the landowners and the hunt is restricted to the fortunate few who have access to huntable lands.