30 million Reasons Why Hunters Are Needed

31 Jul
2008

Increasing deer populations have raised the question of hunting as a viable solutions to overpopulation

Increasing deer populations have raised the question of hunting as a viable solution to overpopulation

Yesterday, ABC ran a story about the increasing problem of deer overpopulation in urban areas and the means that communities are taking to deal with this. According to this report the number of deer in America has grown from 300,000 in 1930 to over 30 million deer today. This drastic rise in population has led to a large number of problems in communities today, such as increased car-deer accidents and property damage. Although promoting safe and ethical hunting in these areas seems to be the obvious solution, anti-hunters have used this as another chance to spread their fallacious propaganda to the American people.

This quote from the “The Price Is Right” host and anti-hunting activist, Bob Barker, really gets me. If we allow hunts in urban areas he claims that, “the children will be catatonic, the neighbors will be up in arms and the does will be dead — All for the sake of a few flowers.”

This quote bothers me on a number of levels, but first I think it is important for all of us hunters to remind ourselves of the responsibility we each have to stand up against these types of attacks on our right to participate in this great tradition. Groups such as The Humane Society and PETA invest a tremendous amount of time and money every day into their attacks against hunters and gun owners. We in turn must be just as diligent and passionate in protecting our sport and our rights as American’s. Always try to be a good ambassador for our sport and don’t give these critics any more fuel for their arguments.

We also need to invest more time and money into our younger generation of hunters. It is my generation and the next that will determine the future of hunting as a great tradition in America. Unfortunately, there are many more distractions and hobbies for kids today, as video games, TV and computers have stolen the hearts and minds of today’s youth. To Bob Barker I would say that there is a much greater danger of our children being catatonic from watching “The Price Is Right” or playing their XBOX’s all day!

All hunters, young and old, need to do everything we can to invite others into our amazing sport and encourage our youth to get involved. Fred Bear really speaks to all forms of hunting when he said that “If some of our teenage thrill seekers really want to go out and get a thrill, let them go into the Northwest and tangle with the Grizzly Bear, the Polar Bear, and the Brown Bear. They will get their kicks and it will cleanse their souls.”

The next generation of hunters will determine the future of hunting, so lets do our best to get them off of the couch and into the wild. These days, kid’s shouldn’t have to go too far, as there’s likely to be one of those 300 million deer right in the backyard!

Needless to say, with the gross overpopulation of deer in urban areas today, hunters are needed more than ever. So lets continue to enjoy the great American pastime of hunting, while standing up for our rights and sharing our passion with others.

To check out the article on ABC about deer overpopulation , visit this link.

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