Only hunters are able to save hunting

By Jim Casada - Special to The Herald

Today's hunters are under assault as never before. Urbanization, mushrooming human populations, diminishing public hunting lands, political pressure from various quarters, and other factors make the sportsman's life difficult. Yet these issues pale by comparison with the concerted efforts of animal activists.

Well financed, beneficiaries of free legal assistance, and masters of emotional rhetoric, groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and others are attacking the institution of hunting on multiple fronts. Animal rights spokesman Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the HSUS, has bluntly stated: “If we could shut down all sporting hunting in a moment, we would.” Slick and articulate, Pacelle poses the single greatest threat to hunting in the United States. Where PETA's excesses, such as attacks on research labs using animals and misguided “jail breaks” freeing minks have brought enough negative publicity to offset their successes, Pacelle can be persuasive and is a tested debater.

For the most part the hunting community has been reactive, as opposed to proactive, in dealing with antis like Pacelle. We need to convince the vast majority of Americans who neither hunt nor support animal activists of hunting's merits. The best way to accomplish this is to perform deeds associated with “good guys.” What follows are several suggestions of how committed, ethical sportsman can do their part in that regard.

Strive to have a good image. Too often the image of hunters which springs to the non-hunter's mind is one of a slovenly poacher who trespasses with abandon, ignores game laws, and generally behaves in an unacceptable fashion. This can be countered through respect for property and game, always leaving a clean campsite, asking permission to hunt, and fully utilizing one's kill.

Join conservation groups. There are dozens of wildlife conservation groups, from one-species organizations such as the National Wild Turkey Federation and Ducks Unlimited to general groups such as the Izaak Walton League, which function as focal points for activism. Increasingly, these organizations recognize the truth of the adage about there being safety in numbers, and along with safety comes strength.

Present a united front. Too often sportsmen tend to bicker among themselves rather than joining hands in common cause.

Be active in the community. There are literally scores of ways, from adopting a section of highway to keep clean to organizing a “Hunters for the Hungry” project or a soup kitchen, in which hunters can make positive contributions to the well-being of the area where they live.

Promote pro-hunting views and keep abreast of anti-hunting activities. Check with your state wildlife department regarding educational programs. They might have offerings for local schools, seminars for teachers, educational summer camps for youngsters and the like.

Mention of youth and education brings to the forefront a key aspect of promoting hunting. Today's children are tomorrow's hunters, and to say the least, the rising average age of hunters is a disturbing trend. Every parent, grandparent, neighbor or friend can perform the ultimate service for the perpetuation of hunting's precious heritage through fostering and forming the development of youth. One of the South's great writers, Archibald Rutledge, put it well when he wrote: “I have found that hunting inculcates patience, demands discipline and iron nerve, and develops a serenity of spirit that makes for long life and long love of life.” You could scarcely ask for a more gracious gift or a finer legacy.

Support women hunters. Women, after all, add to the total number of hunters, and they can be of inestimable value in bringing more children to the sport. Also, many astute observers feel that women have a real knack for raising the ethical standards of hunting, and any move in that direction is a positive one.