As poaching becomes ever more widespread and organized in Africa, professional hunters who spend a great deal of time in remote areas are often the ones who are in a position to put a stop to it - at great risk to their own safety.
In this third and final essay in his series on the importance of public dialogue, Shane Mahoney suggests that a powerful wind of change is sweeping across the conservation landscape. He argues that for the 21st century, building a formidable inclusive coalition is the only way to conserve wildlife and to maintain hunting as a vital force in our society. Building such a coalition will require bold new leadership that engages with the general public and reaches across the conservation aisle.
Conservation is not free. Someone must pay the bills.
Game Trails
Author(s):
Shane Mahoney
"Unless we practice conservation, those who come after us will have to pay the price of misery, degradation, and failure for the progress and prosperity of our day." - Gifford Pinchot, Cheif of US Forest Service, and 28th Fovernor of Pennsylvania
Private land issues and the privatization of wildlife have become major debates with conservation circles. In a series of articles, Shane Mahoney examines this controversy and comments on what has become a divisive issue not only between hunters and non-hunters, but among hunters themselves.
Hunters know it, but now the rest of society is starting to understand that eating meat from wild animals in a healthy, safe, and environmentally friendly choice.
The most recent surverys of public attitudes toward regulated hunting in the US indicate that more than 75% of those responding support this activity. This is a phenomenal statistic given the controversy that has surrounded hunting over the last thirty years and more. As hunters, we may take solace in the fact that a very significant majority of people recognize the legitimacy of hunting despite the fact that over 90% of the populace does not participate, and has no intention of ever participating, in the acitivity.
