Hunting has always been an important part of our society. From the hunter-gatherers of the past to the professional hunters of today, hunting has withstood the test of time. It’s part of our heritage; it’s part of how we came to be. This is a hot topic for some people who feel as though hunting is unethical, inhumane, and maybe even unimportant. However, this is far from the truth. Most hunters are stewards of the land. They wish to sustain its resources and have them available for generations to come.
As a student of the College of Natural Resources majoring in wildlife ecology: research and management, it’s obvious that I have a passion for the outdoors. I see myself as a hunter, trapper, and fisherman: an outdoorsman. My fire for this obsession was fueled at a very young age. My father introduced me to the outdoors before I could even walk. Those moments, those memories ignited my passion for the outdoors that continues to burn bright today and will without a doubt continue to for the rest of my life. My experiences in the field have influenced my whole life which is evident as I pursue a career as a wildlife biologist. I feel as though my introduction to hunting and the outdoors in general as a young child is the reason I feel so strongly about this topic. It’s the reason I am who I am.
Through early introduction to hunting and other outdoor activities, my life was changed forever. I was instantly hooked. That’s why I believe it’s so important to introduce new people to hunting, young and old. This will give them the chance to enjoy the great outdoors, to enjoy our heritage. The more people that participate in these activities, the more people will become aware of their importance. These crucial values will become instilled in them. This will ensure that our heritage will live on and others will have the opportunities to experience the great outdoors as they should.
I feel it’s imperative for people to understand how much of an impact outdoorsmen have on our natural resources. We manage, sustain, control, and utilize these resources to the best of our abilities. As stewards of the land, we as outdoorsmen want the best for these resources in order for us to enjoy the activities we love to do. From personal experiences, I know how bringing someone with you out in the woods can impact their life; I’m living proof of the effects. All I ask is to bring some hunting, fishing or doing anything in the great outdoors. You never know how it will influence them and their decisions later in life. These people are the future stewards of the land; they just don’t know it yet.
2 comments:
I completely agree with this post. Outdoors people have been shown to be the best stewards for the land and have the most knowledge about natural resources issues. There are always a few "bad apples" out there that can ruin it for everyone else, but that goes for anything. Being outdoors is a way to get people connected with the environment and give them reason to care about natural resources issues. A point that I would like to make is that people today are so disconnected with their food and where it came from. People just think beef, chicken, and other animal products come from the grocery store and they take little time to think about how they got there. In my opinion it is so much more ethical to naturally hunt or catch your food that to buy it from the grocery store. How ethical is it to have large factory farms with chickens and cattle spending their entire lives in a cage? Animals would much rather live in the wild where they can interact with the environment. Hunting does involve killing an animal but the suffering that the animal receives is much less than what would occur naturally do to starvation or predation. Hunting is just part of the natural way of life.
I agree with your train of thought that hunting has just as an important role today in our modern society than it did when only hunter-gather cultures existed. I agree we are disconnected with our natural environment and as already mentioned that especially becomes apparrent in our eating habits. Bringing others outdoors does seem like a good tool to make others aware of their environment, and if they become engaged in activities that harvest "the fruit from the Earth" such as hunting and fishing, they may be more likely to become stewards of that Earth
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