Hunting and gathering has already been taking place for generations and hopefully it can continue that way as we look into the future. It is just a part of who we are and the way we like to enjoy the outdoors as a part of recreation. With more people getting involved we can try and sustain the resources for our future outdoorsmen.
As a Wildlife Ecology major I clearly see myself as being an avid outdoorsman. Other things have a role on me liking the outdoors besides my wildlife major. Growing up out in a rural area surrounded by nothing but woods and farm fields it is pretty much a tradition to either hunt, fish, or just be out in the woods for recreation time. My grandpa and father are the ones to thank for getting me hooked on these traditions. Memories or times spent with people like them will always be cherished and hopefully someday my children will feel the same way as I do. All these experiences that I had throughout my life in the woods led me to the path of choosing my Wildlife Ecology: Research and Management major. It is my way of giving back to what I have learned.
It would be nice to see more people get involved in hunting, fishing, and many other outdoor activities that are out there. That is like with the new hunting age of 10 the children get their experience two year’s sooner than when I was that age. Also would be nice to see older people get out and enjoy it all as well. By getting them hooked or letting them just enjoy the outdoor activities will let them see how fun or important it is to keep these activities going into the future by showing others.
As taking part in the outdoors like hunting, fishing, and trapping we can play a role in managing, controlling, and also utilizing the natural resources that surround us. The most important thing though is to enjoy the activities that we take part in and have the ability to want what’s best for the natural resources that are in the surrounding environments. By getting more people involved or just to enjoy the outdoors we can keep hunting, fishing, and the other outdoor activities live on into future generations to come. What we do now always impacts the future generations that is why we need to instill how important this all is.
3 comments:
Like you, I too grew up in a rural farming community with the endless possibilities to actively get myself into the outdoors whether it is hunting, fishing, and trapping. And I would have to agree that it seems as though it is a tradition that if you were of age to hunt, you were on stand, and if it was a nice day to fish you were on the local lake casting away. However, most recently even in my hometown the younger generation coming up isn’t taking advantage of these resources. It isn’t that their parents are against these activities is the lack of interest and plain laziness on their part. These younger people would much rather sit on the couch watch TV, play video games, or sleep in. Is it that we are not doing enough at a younger age to get them involved or is it that our society is changing to more technological based and don’t care about the natural environment. I know even with the age being dropped to ten years old for hunting under the mentoring program not all youth are taking advantage. I know in my case it was the involvement in the outdoors at a young age sparked an interest and I have yet to lose that interest and drive to spend as much time in the outdoors.
I firmly believe that the most successful way to accomplish resource protection and management is by enabling individuals to make a personal connection to the land and wildlife. There is no better way of fulfilling this than through outdoor recreation, and particularly through hunting and fishing.
Most people don't realize that outdoorsmen and women are the main conservationists of the land. These days there are more and more naturalists and "tree huggers" who don't really understand the ecological processes that have been occurring for centuries. Its good that these people want to save the earth, but they are targeting the wrong people when placing the blame. They think hunters and fishers and just out there for sport and the thrill of killing animals. We outdoorsmen and women know that, although we do hunt and fish for sport, there are many other reasons that suggest that we a critical to the conservation and preservation of all things wild. I agree that we must do all we can to introduce people young and old to the outdoors, but I strongly believe that allowing 10 year olds to hunt is a very bad idea. I agree with taking them along hunting but they should be allowed to mature a little bit before they have the opportunity to harvest an animal. Many 10 year olds wouldn't be able to fully appreciate or grasp the concept of shooting a deer.
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