By
Dave Henderson
The “natural order of
things” is actually a situation of constant turmoil. Nature’s balance is in
a continual state of upheaval and it’s always been that way.
We
know that even in the dimness of pre-history various species came and went
routinely with the ever-changing environment. When a species no longer
contributes or can’t adapt, Mother Nature simply trims the roster. Survival of
the fittest is just that; a species either shapes up or gets shipped out.
Where
climatic and geological disturbances effected the survival and evolution of
specific species in past eons, today man is the determining factor.
Until
late in the 19th century animals and birds were killed in prodigious
numbers for meat, skins and feathers. Habitat was disturbed and destroyed to
make room for man and his accoutrements with little or no concern for the
original inhabitants.
We’re
currently destroying thousands of acres of wildlife habitat each day. Wetlands
become shopping plazas, drive-in movies and trailer parks; woodlots and brushy
hedgerows are cleared for housing projects, highways and fast-food outlets.
Fields and rivers that escape physical destruction are ruined by the dumping of
man’s waste.
The
large predators that once ruled over nature’s delicate system of checks and
balances with cruel efficiency were tantalized by the easy pickings posed by
settlers’ livestock and pets. To protect his interests, man eliminated the
threat. And, by doing so, he assumed the responsibility as the ultimate predator
– a vital cog nature’s great machine.
Man’s
ever-active sledgehammer has undeniably knocked nature’s system out of whack.
And today there are those who would enthusiastically add sport hunting to the
factors contributing to this gross injustice to wildlife.
The
sport hunter is, however, the savior rather than the scourge of American
wildlife. He has funded the incredible success story. Money obtained through the
sale of hunting and fishing licenses and taxes on outdoor equipment provides an
average of 77 percent of each state'’ wildlife agency funding, according to
figures from the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Consider
that from 1885 to 1910 America’s big game populations dropped 80 percent. By
1897 there were virtually no white-tailed deer in Pennsylvania and less than a
half million nationally. U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Sporting
Fishing and Hunting show today’s population at about 23,000,000, with close to
one million living in the Keystone State.
The
wild turkey was virtually extinct in its eastern range by the 1880s. Today there
are huntable populations of turkeys in 49 states – including seven states in
which the bird was not indigenous.
Similar
stories involve Rocky Mountain elk (40,000 in 1900, about 600,000 today), the
pronghorn antelope (12,000 in 1930 and 1,000,000 today), the Canada goose (from
600,000 to 2.6 million in 50 years), the ringnecked pheasant, the woodduck and
native brook trout.
Endangered
or threatened species, pushed to the brink of extinction by humanity per se –
not by sport hunters – are being protected and rejuvenated by sportsmen’s
dollars across the country.
Whether
wildlife species are being saved for posterity or for sport, out of guilt or
genuine concern, are polemic issues that will never be answered to the
satisfaction of either side.
The
fact is, however, that they thrive today because of programs funded almost
entirely by hunters and fisherman.
Federal
programs established under the Pittman-Robertson Act of 1937, the Dingell-Johnson
Act of 1950 and the Wallop-Breaux Amendment of 1984 provide nearly $400 million
for state fish and wildlife restoration each year.
Add
to that the $500 million hunters and fishermen pay annually for state licenses,
permits, tags and stamps, plus untold millions from the federal waterfowl stamp
program and the tireless efforts of conservation groups such as Ducks Unlimited,
Trout Unlimited, The National Wild Turkey Federation, the Ruffed Grouse Society,
Pheasants Forever, etc.
The
spin-off to non-game species is inevitable. Trees felled to improve turkey and
deer habitat also benefit innumerable songbirds, small animals and insects.
Habitat improved for waterfowl harbors countless species of birds, mammals,
fish, mollusks and positively affects water quality, flood control, storm damage
and recreational opportunities. There are 1,150 species of vetebrates in North
America and all benefit from sportmen’s input – not just the less than 140
that are hunted.
When
man assumed the role as the ultimate predator it was the sportsman who
shouldered the subsequent responsibilities, ever-changing environment.