Hunters spend over $3 billion a year for conservation, and head out on public lands to help increase wild animal populations.
Exactly How Hunters Conserve Elk
Before Europeans settled in America, 10 million elk lived here, however agriculture, uncontrolled hunting, environmental conditions, dramatically lowered their population. In 1914, there were just 41,000 elk left, which were clustered in small pockets in the West. A hunter, William Hornaday along with Teddy Roosevelt set out to save our wild animals by developing what’s come to be known as the North American Wildlife Preservation Society. This organization funds habitat conservation, scientific studies, and wildlife administration. Whenever a hunter acquisitions a box of bullets, a brand-new bow, or other sporting equipment, an additional 11 percent tax is added, which is dispersed to state fish and wildlife divisions, to use towards conservation initiatives. Thanks to these efforts, the amount raised annually in the United States presently stands at more than $3 billion.
Hunters also head out and execute the hard work of managing animal populations. Prey animals like elk or deer are designed by evolution to replicate in numbers that are unsustainable in their present environment. Considering that we’ve basically gotten rid of killers from our wilderness areas, target numbers can get out of hand, and there’s fewer amounts of land to sustain them. Hunting is our most effective device for lowering regional population surpluses. Land managers determine the exact amount that hunters can eliminate annually by researching population numbers in detail. The goal is managing the animal population, not species devastation and it works. Since this conservation model was established, elk now number greater than 1 million nationwide.
Other animals have experienced rebounds in population due to conservation efforts too. Wild turkeys dropped from a precolonization high of around 10 million birds to just 200,000 in 1940. Today, the nationwide turkey populace numbers are 6 million. Only half a million deer were in the United States in the early 1900s, but today there are 25 – 30 million. In the early 1900s, the black bear practically vanished east of the Mississippi River, however today there are 300,000 in the United States, recovering much of their historical numbers. In 1950, there were only 12,000 pronghorn antelope in the wild. Today there are more than 1 million.
How We Can Repair This
If you’re thinking about how to help grow the populations of wild animals, you need to check out environment security and reconstruction. Numerous organizations focus on shielding land for certain types of animals. Ducks Unlimited is a group of waterfowl hunters that have conserved nearly 14 million acres of marshes in this country and are presently raising $2 billion for more purchases. If you appreciate elk, then join the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation that since 1984, have protected and enhanced 7 million acres of elk lands. By shielding and managing habitat for game animals, these organizations are protecting the overall environment as well.
You can help America’s wildlife by establishing a favorable opinion of hunters. The sporting activity is too often viewed in an adverse light and endures an unflattering portrayal in the media. The next time you see a hunter, don’t see a savage redneck. See a person who’s passionate enough regarding animal preservation that they’re dedicating tons of money and time to it. The next time you see a hunter, see somebody that’s devoted to saving our wild animals.