Our Hunting Heritage

To the Editor:

As the community debates strategies for dealing with overpopulation of white-tailed deer, the value and tradition of hunting should not be lost in the discussion.

Hunting is an essential component of the North America Model for Wildlife Conservation, a system that has restored abundant populations of once-endangered game species such as the wild turkey, Rocky Mountain elk, and white-tailed deer, and, as a result of its success, has been adopted by countries worldwide. While “hunting” and “conservation” may seem at odds at first glance, they are not when you consider that wildlife biologists manage populations of species, not individual animals.

As our culture has migrated away from its rural roots, there is less awareness of how this wildlife conservation system functions and the role hunting plays in it. Children, increasingly, grow up with no knowledge of it, even though they care a great deal about wildlife. Hence, some facts about hunting …

Approximately 20 million Americans hunt.

Research shows that eight in ten individuals support hunting.

License fees and excise taxes on hunting equipment support wildlife conservation and habitat preservation for game and nongame species.

Excise taxes alone have contributed more than $5.6 billion to the federal Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund — money that benefits each state’s wildlife agency.

Game meat is healthful, low in fat, nutritious, locally acquired, and renewable.

Venison donated by hunters helps feed the less fortunate at food pantries across the country.

The success story of wildlife conservation dates back to individuals such as Teddy Roosevelt and Aldo Leopold, and organizations such as the Boone & Crockett Club and Ducks Unlimited. Our organization makes videos and brochures available free of charge to schools and the public to tell this great American story.

Sincerely,

Stephen L. Sanetti

President

National Shooting Sports Foundation

11 Mile Hill Road, Newtown                                  December 10, 2008