The History of Hunters as Conservationists

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It is a well-debated topic for hunters as conservationists. How can a population both protect and harvest the same species. Without getting into the morality of hunting for harvest, it can be agreed upon by all sides that humans not engaging in predatory hunting is a new role. Hunting from a survivalist perspective has been firmly planted throughout history, regardless of geographic location, gender, or race. One of the seven constitutes of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, a doctrine that they teach in hunter’s education follows wildlife must be harvested for a legitimate purpose, through fair chase, and taken as ethically as possible.

For many hunters who opt to engage in the sport for harvest, not flair, stand by this rule. They see and support the claim that hunters are conservationists.

What is conservation?

  • Conservation is a way to manage population within the bounds of their available resources.
  • “The excellent people who protest against all hunting, and consider sportsmen as enemies of wildlife, are ignorant of the fact that in reality the genuine sportsman is by all odds the most important factor in keeping the larger and more valuable wild creatures from total extermination.” – U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

How is conservation supported?

There are three main ways to protect and support conservation efforts:

  1. Protect and flourish the available natural resources
  2. Avoid overpopulation through harvest and monitoring birth rates. Overpopulation leads to disease and conflict with surrounding species
  3. Support underpopulation by protecting against unfair chase tactics

Importance of Pittman-Robertson Act

In the 19th century, there was no regulation on managing wildlife population and as a result, species were hunted throughout limits and sold commercially throughout the American east and overseas. This rampant oversaturation of commercial hunting almost lead to the complete extinction of the American bison. In the late 19th century, Bison headcount got down to <1,000 in 1900 – compared to 40-60 million in the early 1800’s. The near extinction of the American Bison is commonly known as the worst animal genocide in American history. As of 2017, The National Bison Association and the United States Department of Agriculture is for the American Bison place the herd size at 362K within North America. When President Theodore Roosevelt came into his presidency in 1901 and saw the grave impact of the decimated American Bison across the great plains, he set off a flurry of federal regulations to help replenish the Bison herd and protect future species.

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Throughout his presidency, he used this authority to establish 150 national forests, 51 federal bird reserves, four national game preserves, five national parks and 18 national monuments on over 230 million acres of public land (Source: U.S. Department of the Interior). Just a few years after his death, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the Wildlife Restoration Act – also well-known as the Pittman-Robertson Act of 1937. This law ensures that a small proportion of funds received from the sales of firearms and ammunition are passed back to the states for education and conservation efforts. Today, we get the luxury to experience conservation efforts made in the 1900’s every time we explore public land.

Funding from the Pittman-Robertson Act

How Revenue Moves

  1. Firearm and ammo manufacturers pay a federal tax for guns and ammo
  2. Hunters and shooters purchase goods (guns, ammo, hunting licenses, bows & arrows)
  3. Federal aid to Wildlife Restoration Fund
  4. Revenue made is distributed to state wildlife agencies
    1. Restoration
    2. Hunter education and safety
    3. Development of shooting ranges
    4. Conservation grants
  5. Unused funds from each state pass those revenue $$ to the Migratory Bird Conservation Act
wildlife-restoration-revenue

Contribution of Funds by Hunters

Since 1937, there has been more than $16 billion in funds received. Because of the structure of the act and the goods taxed, roughly 60% of the funds for state fish and wildlife agencies are paid for by sportsmen and sportswomen. Source: Wildlife Restoration and Hunter Education Apportionments

What can you do to support conservation?

  • Participate: Play an active role in the sport knowing your spent dollars help fund conservation efforts.
  • Volunteer: There are a variety of federally funded programs that help encourage volunteers to get involved, inform others, and protect the public land access for future generations:
  • Educate: Many states of pursuing the use of Pittman-Robertson funds to further support other related programs that fall in the realm of firearm-related counseling. Though, some of this legislation does not directly work to prevent firearm-related incidents. The best thing is to learn, assess, and apply what you’ve learned as you share with others. This recent article from Jordan Sillars of MeatEater does a great job covering recent legislation getting pushed through California.
    • In a recent June 2023 article, “Americans Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping” by Responsive Management, the survey showed results across U.S. attitudes towards hunting. In the most recent report, positive sentiment towards legal hunting actually declined from 81% in 2021 to 77% in 2023. Interestingly though, roughly 40% of survey responders said they’ve eaten wild game meat (deer, elk, turkey, etc.). Studies like this help showcase the importance of taking advantage of the moments to educate others and show the investment and value of harvesting your own game meat.
  • Attend: classes and workshops offered by the state – State funded classes are often free to attend and give new beginners a space to learn, ask questions, and apply their tactical skillsets. Many classes cover turkey hunting 101, how to cast a fly rod, introduction to hunting, and more.
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