To the editor:
I’ve been reading Brandon Butler’s eloquent outdoor column since he started writing for the Daily Journal. He offers good advice and recommends places to go, but it’s barely more than a hunting column. He gives a token appreciation to the wider world of outdoor recreation, because like many sportsmen, he believes that hunters are the front of conservation.
I would like to say, most public lands in our country were not purchased with hunting dollars, and those that were, only marginally. It may surprise some folks, but even our Fish and Wildlife Areas (state hunting properties) were purchased with 25 percent hunting licenses. When you buy a license, it’s used to pay salaries and enforce regulations. Hunting is privately profitable, but most of that money never makes it to the ground.
So, who pays for wildlife in the U.S.? The general public would be my answer. The Great American Outdoor Act is a good example. The Pittman Robertson Act has been touted as an excise tax on hunting gear, but in truth, it’s largely for gear that is not used for hunting. And Ironically, with 1.5 million deer collisions every year, anyone who pays for those auto repairs or comprehensive insurance is supporting the high deer population that sportsmen enjoy.
To be fair, there is no denying that organizations such as Ducks Unlimited have purchased, cared for and donated vast amounts of wetland in North America. However, you can’t be a conservationist without recognizing the other half of the system. Environmental organizations, such as The Nature Conservancy, are worthy counterparts of any hunting group.
I’d like to see more inclusion in outdoor writing. The majority of wildlife and public land users are not interested in hunting or fishing. They pay admissions, camping fees and taxes like anyone else. If our legislature would enact policies to include excise taxes on RV’s, tents, trekking poles, bikes, bird food and binoculars, it could do a lot of good for a lot of people. There is more than one way to pay and play, and it wouldn’t be out of pocket.
Something else to consider is that hunting has been declining for decades. Politicians claim they are opening more land to hunting, but most of those lands were already open.
Plus, it’s controversial. Hunters and anglers aren’t always ethically managing wildlife and feeding their families. An article from Outdoor Bozeman in Montana explains how 1 million trout are killed from catch-photo-release every year in their state. And why doesn’t Indiana require the Bowhunter Education course now? We should all want to think well of sportsmen.
Allan Shuffield
Franklin
