New faces of conservation?

[mike rossi]

Is this the new face of conservation? Is this a sincere promotion of the federal migratory bird hunting and conservation stamp? Are they mocking hunters who 1) boast about paying for conservation / being conservationists? 2) take pictures of themselves posing with harvested game? This was in Western New York, by the way and is a movement not an isolated incident... The money and the volunteer hours they are donating is no small piddly amount either...  On a related note the University of California and other colleges have acknowledged that most wildlife biology graduates have no experience with hunting which is different than in the past and quote: "People without any exposure to hunting will soon be managing hunters"

 

[jjb4900]

maybe it's a sign of hunter's not choosing work fields related to hunting and conservation.............someone has to do it, so who's to blame?

[growalot]

You certainly are assuming a lot from that picture...I read the article next to it....what makes you think that none of those ppl are or have been hunters? Also in the question and answer part the person that posted it clearly states the duck stamps are for migatory bird conservation and hunting..2x's I believe....

[mike rossi]

You certainly are assuming a lot from that picture...I read the article next to it....what makes you think that none of those ppl are or have been hunters? Also in the question and answer part the person that posted it clearly states the duck stamps are for migatory bird conservation and hunting..2x's I believe....

True, my questions were pointed, but that is what it takes to get some peoples attention... Nevertheless, I would hedge my bet none of the people  in that photo have ever hunted. That doesn't mean they necessarily oppose hunting, though some of them might. Duck stamp sales are being promoted to non hunters and it has caught on with the public at large. Duck stamps are also used as an entrance pass to the National Wildlife Refuge System which gets millions of visits per year.  Both the US Fish and Wildlife Service and state wildlife agencies have been actively and aggressively engaging the non hunting public majority in conservation. More wildlife staff do not hunt than in the past and universities have identified this trend for some time. All of the above is not a "terminal prognosis" but hunters should be aware of this shift and they are not. Conservation revenue from the public at large is increasing while revenue from hunters is on a long term decline. One reason for less revenue from sportsmen is less people are hunting. Another reason is because of the choice of a few to lower sporting license fees, divert revenue, or object to fee increases. The volunteer base, which is also worth millions of dollars annually, has also shifted and is mostly non hunters. Most of these non shooting conservationists also contribute to NGOs such as Audubon. Hunters generally support second amendment groups such as the NRA and their county federation, but only a small percentage are involved with true conservation organizations. While it is accurate that sportsmen are the conservation leaders, the non hunting public has followed the sportsmen's lead and are now engaged in conservation and out number and out spend us.  Taking complete credit and not acknowledging others (who happen to be doing more) will be looked upon as arrogant. Those who oppose hunting will use it as ammunition setting us up for a public opinion battle and the next question will be if the revenue from hunting and ecological services derived from hunting are still needed... Sportsmen like to show the future the past but need to begin to pay attention to what is going on in real time because that determines the future more precisely...

[mike rossi]

By the way, the references to migratory bird hunting and conservation are regarding the official name of the "duck stamp".

 

Duck Stamp = Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp