Staying Relevant

Certainly it is true that hunters, through license sales and tax levies, do fund an incredible array of conservation programs, supporting game and non-game species management and research, and purchasing extensive amounts of habitat for biodiversity in general. However, considerable public funding from general revenues is also applied to wildlife conservation in North America, often far more than hunters are aware of or will acknowledge. Yet, there can be no doubt that, per capita, hunters pay the greatest freight and this fact we emphasize too little. It leaves us in desperate need of a more fundamental debate and dialogue on the issues of why we hunt and the relevance of hunting in modern times. In support of hunting, we need strong, clear arguments, based on real evidence and delivered with enlightened passion.