Hunting and Conservation Go Together Like Fireworks and the 4th of July
By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications
Washington, D.C – -(AmmoLand.com)-Sportsmen understand that hunting is not just a tradition that is passed along from generation to generation, but is also the cornerstone for wildlife conservation programs throughout the nation. They compliment and thrive because of each other.
This thought came to me as I read an excellent blog post from a good friend of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, Tammy Sapp, editor of The Women’s Wire, explaining that hunting is also essential for wildlife conservation around the world. Her “Wire” is one of three that we always read from Jim Shepard, the other two being The Tactical Wire and Outdoor Wire.
In that post she interviewed Peggy Vallery, president of the National Wild Turkey Federation. Peggy has hunted around the world from Africa to New Zealand and from Bulgaria to China. As an accomplished hunter, she has seemingly seen it all and has been able to observe that hunting provides innumerable conservation benefits everywhere. As in America, hunting abroad spurs management of wildlife populations, but it also does something else that a lot of people might miss.
It helps to increase the worth of game animals. Often, big game in other countries are seen as dangerous to local communities, especially those cultures that are dependent day by day on what they farm. Historically, many locals felt compelled to kill majestic animals like elephants and rhinos due to fears over crop destruction. Animals would also fall prey to poachers who were looking to make an extra buck regardless of the consequence to the animal population.
But with several generations of hunters having traveled abroad, a transformation has taken place. Hunting brings much money into the local economies in communities around the globe. That simply has made animals worth more to locals thus reducing poaching. Additionally, the locals understand that the animals are not their enemy, but a major part of their future well being.
So understand that this “fireworks and the 4th of July” relationship can be seen not just in Pennsylvania, Texas and California, but in Ethiopia, Botswana, and numerous other places too.
Make sure to check out this and other blogs from Tammy. Feel free to leave comments and send us your thoughts at info@ussportsmen.org.
About:
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) and the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (USSAF) work nationwide, representing over 1.5 million sportsmen through member clubs and individual constituents. The organizations provide legislative, legal defense and public education services to defend and advance sportsmen’s rights in Washington, D.C. and in all 50 states. Visit: www.ussportsmen.org