SWThomas
01-08-2009, 10:29 PM
I'm not a college kid or an English major, so please don't slay me if my grammar isn't up to your standards. I wrote this the other day when I was bored at work. My step mother is anti-hunting and I wanted to write something to help convince her that it's not what she thinks it is. I know when some people have their minds made up there's no convincing them, but it's worth a shot.
Do you support hunting? If you donÔÇÖt, maybe you should.
By: SWThomas
Do you support hunting? Do you know anyone who hunts or have you even hunted yourself? IÔÇÖm writing this not to take a poke at anti-hunters or to try and enrage animal lovers who view hunting as merely ÔÇ£murdering animalsÔÇØ. IÔÇÖm simply writing this to bring awareness to the cold, hard facts about hunting that cannot be disputed. If you can bring yourself to finish reading this, I think you may find a different view on hunting and all the benefits it offers.
Ive been an enthusiast of outdoor activities all my life. I love camping, fishing, shooting, hiking, and pretty much anything that involves the outdoors. Some of my fondest memories are of fishing and camping with my father and brothers. Now that Im a father I can use hunting and other outdoor activities as bonding experiences for my daughter and I to share. It certainly beats sitting on the couch watching television or playing video games. Previously I had only dabbled in hunting and it was fun at the time. But back then I wasnt aware of all the benefits and services it provides not only to me, but to everyone else as well whether they know it or not I only recently became seriously involved in hunting and I must admit, Ive found something new to enjoy and be passionate about. Not only is the experience of being in the woods and enjoying mother nature a true privilege, but theres a certain primal sense of accomplishment in harvesting your own food. Besides, I think venison and wild pork tastes better than store bought meat. That is the kind of hunter I am. I appreciate and respect nature and all it has to offer. I only harvest an animal if I fully intend to make good use of all its meat. Personally, I frown upon people who only shoot an animal for a wall mount, or just take the back straps and leave the rest for the scavengers. Im sure they have friends who would love the other parts of that animal, but laziness prevents these people from taking the time and exerting the effort to harvest it. But thats just my thinking and to each their own. Dont get me wrong, I fully intend to have a mount made of my trophy when I actually harvest that big buck, elk, or caribou so that I will have a memento to remind me of that great experience. But you better believe that Im going to take full advantage of the rest of that animal and none of it will go to waste. Realistically, its no different than someone eating a hamburger or some chicken nuggets, except they dont have to get their hands dirty to enjoy it.
To be fair I must acknowledge some of the common reasons IÔÇÖve experienced as to why some people are against hunting. IÔÇÖve spoken with numerous people who are against hunting and pretty much all of their views are the same. TheyÔÇÖve experienced the ÔÇ£dark sideÔÇØ of what some people refer to as hunting and it left a bitter taste in their mouths about the sport and the sportsmen who participate in it. Things like finding a deer in the woods with only its head removed or not being able to drive to the store without seeing numerous animal carcasses rotting on the side of the road during hunting season. Or even that they just donÔÇÖt feel the taking of a wild animalÔÇÖs life is justified. But apparently itÔÇÖs fine to take the life of a domesticated animal for some reason. But I understand their feelings and there will always be those bad apples that lack ethics when they hunt. All we can do as hunters is try to be as ethical as possible when we hunt. It can be as simple as donating your kill to a homeless shelter or butcher if all you want is a head for your wall. Or taking the animal carcass to the woods or burying it after youÔÇÖve harvested the meat. ThereÔÇÖs no reason other than laziness that someone would pull over and dump the remains of their kill on the side of the road, especially when most of these roads are just a few steps away from the woods.
Now that Ive mentioned a few examples of poor hunting practices, I will list the many benefits hunters offer to this great nation. Ill first start with the fact that catches most people off guard. The immense amount of money that hunters and sportsmen contribute to wildlife conservation. Each day, sportsmen contribute more than $3 million to wildlife conservation efforts. This amounts to more than $1 billion per year. To date, hunters and fishermen have contributed a total of $17 billion for wildlife conservation. Hunters alone contribute over $14 billion to the U.S. economy each year, supporting more than 380,000 jobs. For every 50 hunters, enough economic activity is generated to create one job. Through over 10,000 private groups and organizations (such as Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation), sportsmen contribute an additional $300 million each year to wildlife conservation activities. For every tax payer dollar invested in wildlife conservation, sportsmen contribute nine dollars. A simple Google search will prove that these statistics are FACTS. Pretty mind boggling isnt it? If youre questioning just how hunters contribute all this money, here are a few examples
LICENSE REVENUES provide more than half the income, on average, for the state fish and wildlife agencies. The money supports wildlife management and restoration programs, habitat improvement and general conservation efforts.
EXCISE TAXES on sporting equipment (such as firearms, ammunition and fishing tackle) provide over one fifth of the income for state fish and wildlife agencies. The funds are used to acquire, maintain and improve wildlife habitat and to make the nation's lands and waters more accessible and enjoyable to all its citizens.
OTHER INCOME SOURCES include special taxes and receipts from the sale of "Duck Stamps" (required of all waterfowl hunters), income tax check offs and interest collected on license fees. Duck stamp proceeds are used by the government to buy or lease wetland habitat for duck, geese and hundreds of non-game birds and animals. This money comes from the states overall budgets, supported by taxes paid by everyone (including sportsmen).
SUMMARY: Hunters and fishermen provide more than 75% of the annual income of the 50 state conservation agencies. Sportsmen are clearly the largest contributors to conservation - paying for programs that benefit all Americans and all wildlife.
Not only do hunters and other sportsmen contribute more money to conservation than anyone else, we also provide an extremely valuable service to the hard working farmers of this great nation. I will use Wisconsin and Pennsylvania as just two example of the nationwide damage deer alone cause to the crops that every American consumes and enjoys. In Wisconsin, a 1984 survey of farmers suggested minimum statewide deer damage of $36.7 million annually. A similar study in Pennsylvania estimates the annual crop loss at $16 to $30 million. That was over twenty years ago and due to stricter regulations the deer population has exploded since then. A study conducted by Conover in 2002 estimated the wildlife related economic losses to agricultural producers (farmers and ranchers) in the United States exceed $4.5 billion annually. As long as adequate food resources are available, deer populations can double in size every 2-3 years. One of the reasons these farmers suffer such high losses is neighboring property owners who prohibit hunting on their land. It has been proven that deer will seek refuge on these lands during the day when it is legal to hunt them and then make their way over to the farmers land to gorge themselves at night when it is not legal to hunt them. Think deer arenÔÇÖt that smart?... You better think again. And those are just two examples of the damage deer cause. Wild hogs cause a huge amount of crop damage as well but arenÔÇÖt as wide spread throughout the U.S. So they mostly affect the southern states where their population density is extremely high. Surveys conducted in other agricultural states have produced similar numbers. So next time you and your family enjoy fruit or vegetable products, think about how much it would cost if there werenÔÇÖt hunters out there doing their part to keep crop loss down.
Do you support hunting? If you donÔÇÖt, maybe you should.
By: SWThomas
Do you support hunting? Do you know anyone who hunts or have you even hunted yourself? IÔÇÖm writing this not to take a poke at anti-hunters or to try and enrage animal lovers who view hunting as merely ÔÇ£murdering animalsÔÇØ. IÔÇÖm simply writing this to bring awareness to the cold, hard facts about hunting that cannot be disputed. If you can bring yourself to finish reading this, I think you may find a different view on hunting and all the benefits it offers.
Ive been an enthusiast of outdoor activities all my life. I love camping, fishing, shooting, hiking, and pretty much anything that involves the outdoors. Some of my fondest memories are of fishing and camping with my father and brothers. Now that Im a father I can use hunting and other outdoor activities as bonding experiences for my daughter and I to share. It certainly beats sitting on the couch watching television or playing video games. Previously I had only dabbled in hunting and it was fun at the time. But back then I wasnt aware of all the benefits and services it provides not only to me, but to everyone else as well whether they know it or not I only recently became seriously involved in hunting and I must admit, Ive found something new to enjoy and be passionate about. Not only is the experience of being in the woods and enjoying mother nature a true privilege, but theres a certain primal sense of accomplishment in harvesting your own food. Besides, I think venison and wild pork tastes better than store bought meat. That is the kind of hunter I am. I appreciate and respect nature and all it has to offer. I only harvest an animal if I fully intend to make good use of all its meat. Personally, I frown upon people who only shoot an animal for a wall mount, or just take the back straps and leave the rest for the scavengers. Im sure they have friends who would love the other parts of that animal, but laziness prevents these people from taking the time and exerting the effort to harvest it. But thats just my thinking and to each their own. Dont get me wrong, I fully intend to have a mount made of my trophy when I actually harvest that big buck, elk, or caribou so that I will have a memento to remind me of that great experience. But you better believe that Im going to take full advantage of the rest of that animal and none of it will go to waste. Realistically, its no different than someone eating a hamburger or some chicken nuggets, except they dont have to get their hands dirty to enjoy it.
To be fair I must acknowledge some of the common reasons IÔÇÖve experienced as to why some people are against hunting. IÔÇÖve spoken with numerous people who are against hunting and pretty much all of their views are the same. TheyÔÇÖve experienced the ÔÇ£dark sideÔÇØ of what some people refer to as hunting and it left a bitter taste in their mouths about the sport and the sportsmen who participate in it. Things like finding a deer in the woods with only its head removed or not being able to drive to the store without seeing numerous animal carcasses rotting on the side of the road during hunting season. Or even that they just donÔÇÖt feel the taking of a wild animalÔÇÖs life is justified. But apparently itÔÇÖs fine to take the life of a domesticated animal for some reason. But I understand their feelings and there will always be those bad apples that lack ethics when they hunt. All we can do as hunters is try to be as ethical as possible when we hunt. It can be as simple as donating your kill to a homeless shelter or butcher if all you want is a head for your wall. Or taking the animal carcass to the woods or burying it after youÔÇÖve harvested the meat. ThereÔÇÖs no reason other than laziness that someone would pull over and dump the remains of their kill on the side of the road, especially when most of these roads are just a few steps away from the woods.
Now that Ive mentioned a few examples of poor hunting practices, I will list the many benefits hunters offer to this great nation. Ill first start with the fact that catches most people off guard. The immense amount of money that hunters and sportsmen contribute to wildlife conservation. Each day, sportsmen contribute more than $3 million to wildlife conservation efforts. This amounts to more than $1 billion per year. To date, hunters and fishermen have contributed a total of $17 billion for wildlife conservation. Hunters alone contribute over $14 billion to the U.S. economy each year, supporting more than 380,000 jobs. For every 50 hunters, enough economic activity is generated to create one job. Through over 10,000 private groups and organizations (such as Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation), sportsmen contribute an additional $300 million each year to wildlife conservation activities. For every tax payer dollar invested in wildlife conservation, sportsmen contribute nine dollars. A simple Google search will prove that these statistics are FACTS. Pretty mind boggling isnt it? If youre questioning just how hunters contribute all this money, here are a few examples
LICENSE REVENUES provide more than half the income, on average, for the state fish and wildlife agencies. The money supports wildlife management and restoration programs, habitat improvement and general conservation efforts.
EXCISE TAXES on sporting equipment (such as firearms, ammunition and fishing tackle) provide over one fifth of the income for state fish and wildlife agencies. The funds are used to acquire, maintain and improve wildlife habitat and to make the nation's lands and waters more accessible and enjoyable to all its citizens.
OTHER INCOME SOURCES include special taxes and receipts from the sale of "Duck Stamps" (required of all waterfowl hunters), income tax check offs and interest collected on license fees. Duck stamp proceeds are used by the government to buy or lease wetland habitat for duck, geese and hundreds of non-game birds and animals. This money comes from the states overall budgets, supported by taxes paid by everyone (including sportsmen).
SUMMARY: Hunters and fishermen provide more than 75% of the annual income of the 50 state conservation agencies. Sportsmen are clearly the largest contributors to conservation - paying for programs that benefit all Americans and all wildlife.
Not only do hunters and other sportsmen contribute more money to conservation than anyone else, we also provide an extremely valuable service to the hard working farmers of this great nation. I will use Wisconsin and Pennsylvania as just two example of the nationwide damage deer alone cause to the crops that every American consumes and enjoys. In Wisconsin, a 1984 survey of farmers suggested minimum statewide deer damage of $36.7 million annually. A similar study in Pennsylvania estimates the annual crop loss at $16 to $30 million. That was over twenty years ago and due to stricter regulations the deer population has exploded since then. A study conducted by Conover in 2002 estimated the wildlife related economic losses to agricultural producers (farmers and ranchers) in the United States exceed $4.5 billion annually. As long as adequate food resources are available, deer populations can double in size every 2-3 years. One of the reasons these farmers suffer such high losses is neighboring property owners who prohibit hunting on their land. It has been proven that deer will seek refuge on these lands during the day when it is legal to hunt them and then make their way over to the farmers land to gorge themselves at night when it is not legal to hunt them. Think deer arenÔÇÖt that smart?... You better think again. And those are just two examples of the damage deer cause. Wild hogs cause a huge amount of crop damage as well but arenÔÇÖt as wide spread throughout the U.S. So they mostly affect the southern states where their population density is extremely high. Surveys conducted in other agricultural states have produced similar numbers. So next time you and your family enjoy fruit or vegetable products, think about how much it would cost if there werenÔÇÖt hunters out there doing their part to keep crop loss down.