Category: Conservation & Economics

Hunting has contributed significantly to conservation in the United States. Through the support of legislation such as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and advocacy for self-imposed excise taxes, hunters and anglers helped end market hunting and created the largest sustainable funding source for habitat and game conservation. These efforts have propelled the increase in game […]

In Pennsylvania, as well as most other states in the country, decreased revenues from hunting licenses and equipment are creating funding shortages for conservation efforts. The needs are becoming more urgent as development eats into habitat and as baby boomers age out of hunting. With hunters being the primary funding source for conservation of the […]

National Wildlife Refugees in the United States were established to protect wildlife populations that were in peril due to over-exploitation, and hunters have been the greatest single source of funding for them since their inception. To honor this tradition and encourage its increase and continuation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife has proposed a plan to open […]

Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation are the three Rs to initiatives by state conservation agencies and non-profits to increase engagement in hunting. Efforts are focused on adults in general, females as a subgroup, and food. Through programs such as Women Afield through Colorado Parks & Wildlife, Women in the Woods hosted by Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, […]

The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, popularized by Teddy Roosevelt in the early 1900s, is the idea that the best way to create a substantial funding source for conservation is to tax hunters and anglers. Sales of hunting and fishing licenses, as well as excise taxes on weapons, ammunition, and angling equipment, are the […]

From wolves and mountain lions to grizzly and black bears, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department has their hands full with navigating concern from the public. Making science-based and data-driven decisions about conservation hunting levels is consistently a challenge, especially considering the deep roots of the issue. In the western United States, the pendulum has […]

An excellent essay from Madison’s ex-mayor that inspects the dark ironies facing the managers of Wisconsin’s public recreational lands. Traditionally, hunters and fishers have paid the way via license fees, while non-consumptive users (day hikers, for instance) benefit free of cost. How do we fund state-wide land management as the numbers of hunters plummet over […]

Throughout the 19th century, voices in support of nature were rising, and a pivotal supreme court case settled wildlife and fish as a public resource for all citizens. At the turn of the 20th century, wildlife populations of all stripes were in steep decline, including many game species that are now abundant today. In response, […]

Are hunting and non-hunting conservation organizations not aligning for a more powerful collaboration because they are afraid of less individual prominence resulting or because they have misconceptions about the divergence of their historic roots? A shared interest in the welfare of wildlife populations and the protection of wild places should motivate both sides to unite. […]