Where Have All the Hunters Gone?

(The following Editorial appears in the January 2009 issue of COONHOUND BLOODLINES.)

The November 24, 2008 issue of Sports Illustrated Magazine featured an interesting article, the contents of which most likely hold no surprises for the readers of COONHOUND BLOODLINES (A More Dangerous Game, by Matthew Teague). The essence of the article is that the increasing presence of wildlife in “civilized” areas has been fueled ever more by the decline in hunting in the U.S.

The author does an excellent job explaining, with the help of experts, how two separate, but related, forces have come together to create a situation that isn’t going to go away soon and, in fact, will probably get much worse. First, we encroached on the habitat of wildlife by reaching farther and farther out from metropolitan centers to build our homes, malls, etc. But the wildlife didn’t leave, they adapted. Not only did they remain in the areas where they had existed for decades, because of the availability of food, their populations increased. Today, the presence of whitetail deer are no longer a novelty, and in most places are a nuisance. The increase of herbivores generated a similar population growth in carnivores, notably black bears and coyotes.
Hunting in this country did not begin as a recreational pastime; it was a necessary part of survival. As the country developed and processed food became readily available, hunting took on a different aspect, but the tradition was still passed on from generation to generation. Then, about 30 to 40 years ago, things began to change radically. A new breed of American evolved – one more dependent on technology than they had ever been. And a disturbing social change began to grow – a movement that we all live with – animal rights activism, as well as the anthropomorphism of pets and wildlife.

All is not lost, however. Several states are attempting to lure hunters and fishermen back. There are a growing number of sporting organizations that have started youth programs to educate kids about the heritage and values of hunting and the right to bear arms in a responsible manner.

I encourage all of you to read this article in its entirety by following this link: http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/cover/toc/11032/index.htm. (To view the article, scroll down to the article and click on it.) Print it out and put copies in your clubhouse. Most importantly, discuss this with your kids.

I cannot end this without making note of how proud we should all be of the young people who have embraced the sport and who will carry the heavy burden of carrying it on. Without people like Laura Bell, a regular CB columnist, who is only 19 years old, and the diligent work done by our Next Generation News contributors, there is hope. Make sure you tell them how proud you are of them the next time you see them at a hunt.