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| Photo by Bob Chochola |
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BENEFACTORBy Bob Chochola
Hunting & Fishing have saved wildlife from extinction.
But can wildlife return the favor?
Animal rights activists have got it all wrong. Wildlife isn't threatened by the dutiful acts of conscientious (and properly licensed) hunters and anglers, but instead has survived because the passion and financial support of this group of people, year-in-and-year-out, fuels the industry and helps preserve and/or save many species within our ever-changing environment.
As a member of MUSKIES Inc., I know that my favorite species of fish is native to a very small area, but because (there's that word again) of this organization, our beloved species is thriving and growing in both quantity and quality (physical size, numbers, health, etc.). Not only that, muskies can now be found in much of Eastern Canada and the United States - as far South as Dale Hollow in Tennessee and Quincy Reservoir in Colorado. Efforts are now in place to bring the Mighty Muskie to New Mexico and Texas. Not too long ago, muskies barely reached beyond the St. Lawrence River.
The hunting and fishing industry is the only resource our American wildlife draws money from. Without sportsmen, wildlife in America would have been devastated long ago - certainly before the current generation was born. In 2007 alone, 6.6 billion dollars was generated by hunters and anglers from the State of Texas (the nation's #1 hunting & fishing-crazy state). In second place, Florida anglers spent an incredible 4.4 billion dollars the same year (three times the annual receipts from the Sunshine State's orange crops).* Every penny of that money went to preserving American wildlife.
Wow!!! Let's see PETA (or ANY other animal rights activist group) match that kind of cash. The reality is, however, very little money comes from activist groups, if any at all. They are usually a cover for a fraudulent political agenda, like PETA and The Sierra Club, or they are sincere and simply cannot make a dent in the monetary need.
While states like Texas and Florida (and many more) contribute a ton of money and consistent qualified special interest forces to preserve our environment and represent wildlife with a voice in Washington DC, these other factors do just as much (if not more) harm.
Groups like PETA and PCRM have put wildlife at the mercy of our ever-changing world. They merely serve as a political tool to accomplish a much different hidden agenda. These groups spread more bull-cookies than a Texas longhorn after the San Antonio chili cook-off.
Pressure from a population that is constantly growing and in need of more-and-more land development every day, poaching, activist groups, the frenzy over computer video games, and the infatuation with the Internet's virtual world, have all taken a toll on outdoor activities and what is left of our real "natural" world. Children are in danger of growing up without knowing the joys their parents experienced in the great outdoors.
Can the hunting and fishing industry continue to nurture the environment against all odds, or will future generations never realize the joy of catching a fish, spending a night in the woods, or the thrill of the hunt? Will extremist groups and politicians destroy our ability to enjoy natural beauty in our own country? They have already stopped us from harvesting our own natural resources with offshore oil drilling bans. For decades they prevented the Army Corps of Engineers from building better and stronger levy system on Lake Pontchartrain placing New Orleans in peril during hurricane Katrina. And they will cut-off the billions of dollars used to preserve and protect wildlife in America if they can get away with it.
Don't let it happen. Join the fight now!
*Figure from Outdoors Unlimited (OWAA), February 2008.
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