Great editorial on the future of hunting

[guppie9]

This was a great article in the Sep 1 Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. It was an editorial piece about our responsibilities as sportsmen and I couldn't agree more.

With dawn today came the opening shots of most moose and waterfowl seasons in the Interior, and so it’s a fitting time to consider the status of hunting, hunters and the tradition they follow.
As Alaskans dug out their gear and tuned up their boats and airplanes and four-wheelers a couple weeks ago, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued results of its study that said, nationally, hunting and fishing numbers are declining.
Then, earlier this week, President George Bush issued an executive order promoting expansion and enhancement of hunting opportunities and habitat management.
This percentage decline of the hunting and fishing population is no surprise with the urbanization of our country and culture, but hunters should not cower at the thought of becoming some kind of tiny minority.
Hunting is a grand tradition that millions of Americans enjoy. The amount of tax money that comes from hunting purchases and is used in wildlife conservation programs steadily increases year to year. The proliferation of hunting and fishing shows on cable TV is common evidence of the popularity of these activities. Hunting and fishing specialty retailers like Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops are expanding, building their adventure-store outlets all over the United States. These are not signs of a dying tradition.
What is changing, and what is obvious to hunters in the field, is that the cost of hunting is increasing and it is ever more difficult to find a place to hunt where there isn’t a crowd — unless you’ve paid a guide, a transporter or have leased a private parcel. Hunting is hard work. It takes commitment, acceptance of responsibility, and it takes money.
Hunting requires something else that all hunters should consider upon returning from these early-season outings before they go afield again. Hunting requires mentors and it requires generosity.
Gone are the days of large rural families who relied on hunting and shared traditions generation to generation. Now many of us enjoy hunting as a solitary activity to escape our busy lives, or we share the activity only with our closest friends. It’s not easy to accept a new hunting partner.
But if hunting is to continue to be a vibrant part of our national culture, the next generations will require help to get started.
Hunters have long embraced the responsibility that comes along with their activity. Now it’s time to embrace a responsibility for the activity itself. Many programs encourage mentoring and hunter education, and there are fantastic opportunities to volunteer.
But what will have an even greater impact is personal acceptance among thousands of individual hunters to embrace the responsibility, and the honor, of passing along a great cultural tradition. It all starts with personal responsibility and one-on-one connections.

 

[Tom]

That's great, right on it seems too.

 

[cjcj]

That is a Good Read... very true....Trouble is those groups that want to ban hunting no matter how well we represent ourselves...

 

[Moosie]

What is changing, and what is obvious to hunters in the field, is that the cost of hunting is increasing and it is ever more difficult to find a place to hunt where there isn’t a crowd —

Never truer words spoken. I was looking through Cabelas and started adding up what it would cost if some joe shmo jsut started hunting and wanted to buy all the Latests and greatest gear and Gadgets... WTF ? I'm guessing if you break out the MTO JAckets and rain pants, the Sentlock gear, socks even @ $15/pr, Boots, Belt, Backpack, Camleback water, GPS, Gun, Bullets, Hat, Under Armour, Optics, Knife, Etc.... WOW!!!