The Hunter’s Story

As hunting seasons draw to a close across North America, it’s an appropriate time to reflect on the conservation contributions made by hunters, including many BAC members. Hunters are the heroes of an epic story that has made this continent the envy of sportsmen around the world.

Early historical records are filled with accounts of incredible wildlife abundance: skies filled with passenger pigeons, prairies brimming with buffalo, and rivers bursting with runs of shad and salmon.

It wasn’t long, however, before European settlers exploited the supply of fish and game, first for sustenance and survival, then for profit. In the decades and centuries that followed, some species became extinct and others, such as the buffalo and elk, teetered on the brink.

Today, some point an accusing finger at hunters for the steady erosion of certain wildlife and fish populations. But those responsible were not sportsmen-hunters; they were market-hunters driven by personal gain and profit.

After the Civil War, many sport-hunters began calling for the adoption of a “Sportsman’s Code” of ethics and new laws such as bag limits, closed seasons, and an end to unlimited wildlife by market-hunters and commercial interests.

At about this time, young Theodore Roosevelt founded the Boone & Crockett Club and helped establish the concept and practice of “Fair Chase.” After becoming the 26th president of the United States, Roosevelt went on to establish hundreds of millions of acres of public lands for, in his own words, “the hunter whether he be a man of means or not.”

But even T.R. could not have envisioned the wildlife recovery that was yet to come. That recovery would be fueled by the passage of the Pittman-Robertson Act, which collects an excise tax on the purchase of hunting and shooting equipment. Since 1937, its revenues have helped fund wildlife restoration and recovery in the United States. Today, it remains one of wildlife’s best friends, generating $3 million per day, through taxes on hunting equipment.

Not content to stop there, hunters began establishing a variety of non-profit organizations that allowed them to make additional voluntary-based contributions. Groups such as Ducks Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Pheasants Forever, and Whitetails Unlimited have joined in efforts to secure habitat not only for specific game species, but for all those fish and wildlife species associated with habitats where favorite game animals live.

Hunters should be proud of the role they have played in recovering and maintaining healthy populations of wildlife, including elk, deer, ducks,
and turkeys. If you’re interested in preserving wildlife habitats and
want to help carry on the legacy of T.R., join the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership today. It’s free – just log on to www.trcp.org or call toll free 1-877-770-8722.