The Role of Hunters in the Conservation of Wildlife

Hunting traditions are perceived to be highly threatened by a number of factors including the animal rights movement, general cultural change, increased urbanization, and habitat and wildlife depletion. Surprisingly relatively few studies have, even with this imminent threat, investigated the cultural importance and conservation achievements of hunting. As a result even wildlife agencies and professionals are rarely able to articulately describe the value, merits and overall importance of hunting to present societies. Because of the role hunters play in the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, it is arguable that a loss of hunting in all its real and symbolic manifestations will have consequences. It seems, therefore, that those in the wildlife conservation and management profession ought to improve their understanding of the enormous contributions hunters have made in the preservation and protection of wildlife.