In our age of green environmentalism , no program , private or government , has saved as many animals , preserved as much habitat or perpetuated as much overall environmental goodness as the North American Wildlife Conservation Model ( NAWCM ). And hunters have been an integral part of it .
Today ' s newly baptized , empathetic " environmentalists " snort , curse or sneer when they hear this , but it ' s true . In the mid-19th century , pioneering " sport hunters " began sounding the alarm as populations of native game from passenger pigeons to whitetails dwindled rapidly under intense exploitation and unregulated commercial harvest . It was a classic example of the tragedy of the commons . Since everyone owned natural resources collectively , human greed inspired many to take more than their fair share . Equally significant was rampant destruction of pristine wildlife habitat .
Hunter conservation efforts have greatly benefitted wood duck numbers .
ADOBE STOCK ( 2 )
Nearly extinct in most parts of the U . S . in the early 1900s due to market hunting , elk have rebounded under regulated seasons called for by sport hunters .
By the early 20th century , much of our native grasslands had been plowed into history . Thousands of wetlands were drained and rivers polluted . Several North American species had gone extinct ( Carolina parakeet , great auk , heath hen , sea mink ) and many more were expected to follow including bison , elk , turkeys , giant Canada geese , beavers and wood ducks , to name just a few . Yet today , wood ducks are the most abundant duck in the eastern half of the country . Canada geese are pests in parks around the country . Turkeys strut across 49 states . Elk thrive throughout the West and again in many Eastern states . As many whitetail deer roam the country now as when Columbus landed despite annual hunting seasons in which " sport hunters " stalk , shoot and eat about 2 million of them .
The NAWCM is our heritage and our responsibility . Thanks to the men and women hunter-conservationists who plowed , seeded and nurtured this innovative system of wildlife and wildlands management , we enjoy the wildlife viewing , photography and hunting we have today . It is our responsibility to continue this work . But we can do more than just buy our licenses . We should stay abreast of wildlife issues , keep tabs on our state fish and game departments and commissions , confront
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