Imagine running for public office in a distract where 19 out of 20 people belonged to the other party. Your chances of having your agenda heard would be slim, and you’d be destined to have your ideas ignored or squashed. Only five to seven percent of American citizens are hunters, and we are soundly in that minority situation, making it mandatory that we stick together and help support the sport we so fervently enjoy. This article from the National Deer Alliance shows why hunters are at risk, and how each of us can help preserve hunting for future generations.
“I don’t trap. Why should I care about a potential trapping ban in Montana?” I received that question from a new member and visitor to our website. It wasn’t asked in a malicious way, rather, the person simply wanted to understand better why we wrote about it in a recent article.
You may not be aware that of the country’s approximate 14 million hunters, about 83% identify themselves as deer hunters. Talk about strength in numbers! Or is it? While deer hunters far outnumber the number of hunters who primarily hunt other game, you might be surprised to learn that less than 1% join national organizations like Mule Deer Foundation, Quality Deer Management Association, and Whitetails Unlimited. I call that untapped potential.
While you don’t see it in the headlines, the future of deer hunting is being threatened and it’s not a privilege we can take for granted anymore. Whether it be through stopping our ability to hunt or trap predators, eliminating the use of lead ammunition, or lobbying local governments to not allow hunters to help with urban deer control, to name a few, anti-hunting organizations are slowly trying to squeeze hunters out of the conservation equation. Yes, even deer hunters… [continued]
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