demographics and a public that is more susceptible to emotional appeals than ever before . These two realities are creating a deadly cocktail that we must account for in our ongoing fight to defend hunting for future generations .
Urbanization and Manipulation
On demographics , the principle shift that looms large in our defense of hunting with dogs is that we , as a nation , are becoming more and more urbanized over time . Urbanization is not necessarily a bad thing , but for this discussion , this shift means that an increasing number of elected officials are coming from more urban environments . As an example , it ’ s common sense that a given legislature would have a certain percentage of representatives from city districts , a certain percentage from rural districts and a certain percentage from suburban districts . The ideal legislature would therefore have a myriad of diverse voices on issues of concern , and for hunting-related issues , those rural voices are a very important piece of the puzzle .
Increasing urbanization , however , means that the rural voice in legislatures ( and at the ballot box ) is being reduced over time . And where are those rural votes going ? Well , to the suburbs , and you can see where I ’ m headed here . Suburban voices are especially loud when it comes to preventing “ animal cruelty ,” and on hunting with dogs , representatives from such areas are less likely than their rural counterparts to have any experience , or understanding , of dog issues from the sportsman ’ s perspective .
For the same reasons , suburban districts are ripe for emotional manipulation by animal extremists , and this is where their tried-and-true playbook comes back into play . Nobody representing a suburban district wants to be labeled in favor of “ animal cruelty ,” so bills are introduced , ordinances proposed and ballot measures discussed , all in the name of preventing abuse . These measures become a shiny object that garner emotional momentum simply in the name of “ doing something ,” and often take on a life of their own .
A dog ' s tolerance to weather is often misunderstood by non-hunters . Extremists seek to end all hunting , even waterfowling with retrievers .
SHERIDAN MYER ( LEFT ), CHRIS BOWERS ( RIGHT ), SPORTSMEN ' S ALLIANCE DOG PHOTO CONTEST
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