Curbing pollution, picking up litter, wilderness conservation and generally caring for our planet aren’t reserved to just one day a year, but Earth Day serves as an opportunity to increase awareness, celebrate our progress and double down our daily efforts to protect the outdoors. Hunters positively impact the environment by supporting conservation efforts, facilitating population control and creating a sustainable and organic diet … but they need your help.
Hunters were the driving force behind early hunting regulations and the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. They played a huge role in the birth of conservation; Theodore Roosevelt himself was a hunter. Over the years, hunters of all motivations continue to champion habitat preservation and have even brought species back from the brink of extinction. Hunting license fees and self-imposed excise taxes on hunting and fishing equipment (including guns) are the largest source of funding for wildlife agencies. Hunters are so integral to the financing of wildlife management that the recent decrease in hunters is taking a toll on conservation efforts.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is elevating their efforts to recruit new hunters. Organizations like Hunt Like a Girl, Field to Fork and the NRA are working extremely hard to attract new hunters to the sport in order to combat the waning funds for wildlife management and share this exciting hobby, honored tradition and tranquil escape with others! If you’d like to learn more about the truths of modern hunting, read Busting the “Endangered” Myth.
While donating to state conservation programs is a noble action, nothing can replace actual hunters going afield. They help plant life thrive by keeping deer populations in check and maintain a balance of predators to prey in the wild. Controlling populations also mitigates the spread of disease. When a species is overpopulated, food becomes scarce, causing more animals to get sick and pass illnesses on to other creatures.
Another reason hunters are some the greenest people you’ll meet, and a great reason to start hunting yourself, is the delicious, organically sourced meat! Venison, wild turkey, duck and quail are just the start of wild game dinners awaiting you afield. So, if you’re an animal lover, nature lover or meat lover, celebrate Earth Day this year by buying a hunting license! All of the introductory material you need is right here on NRA Women: 8 Things I Learned On My First Treestand Hunt, 6 Great First-Time Hunts, 3 Things That Will Surprise You If You Try Hunting.
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