Hunting for meat is supported by 84 percent of the public , according to data from a study by Responsive Management . Ensuring that meat is cared for properly in the field is the responsibility of every hunter .
ADAM HEGGENSTALLER ( 2 ) overpopulation issues ( starvation and disease ) and food . My anecdotal experiences mesh closely with research conducted on the topic . All this is to say , if you want to help change the perception of hunting , find common ground with that non-hunting person you ’ re having a conversation with while gently dispelling any misconceptions he might harbor ( see graphic , page 25 ).
According to research by both the federal government and the outdoor industry , the most supported reasons for hunting by the general public include food , wildlife management issues and human safety . Wildlife management issues , such as overpopulation , and human safety matters , while highly accepted , pull in many variables including habitat loss , suburban sprawl , trash removal and many other topics that can lead you down a rabbit hole of larger issues and points of contention with people whose background , experience and perception of hunting vary greatly from your own . As with most arguments in this country right now , perspective and perception muddle the conversation .
However , food is a universal topic that we all use as a center point when gathering with family , friends and community during the holidays , birthdays and nightly in our own homes — it ’ s a universal tradition we all understand . And , it is the easiest place to begin to find common ground with a non-hunter , build rapport and open the conversation to other points pertaining to hunting , including funding mechanisms and benefits , impact to our economy , international and endangered species funding , habitat work of conservation organizations and , if the conversation is going well , the least supported reasons for hunting .
In 2019 , Responsive Management , an internationally recognized survey research firm specializing in attitudes toward natural resources and outdoor recreation issues , found that 84 percent of the public supports hunting for meat ( 61 percent strongly approve ). Likewise , 2017 research from the National Institutes of Health bumps that number even higher , finding that 87 percent of the public supports hunting when it ’ s done for food .
The Research Management survey shows strongest support for game animals traditionally thought of as food sources : deer ( 78 percent approval ), wild turkey ( 78 percent ), duck ( 74 percent ), rabbit ( 72 percent ), elk ( 66 percent ) and squirrel ( 65 percent ).
Those species with the least hunting support were predators and African game that many people don ’ t see as a food source : black bear ( 44 percent approval ), grizzly bear ( 40 percent ), wolf ( 39 percent ), mountain lion ( 38 percent ), African lion ( 14 percent ) and African elephant ( 7 percent ).
The National Institutes of Health survey found a strong correlation between people who knew hunters or had participated in hunting-related activities with having a more favorable opinion on hunting or hunters . In fact , it found that acceptance for hunting to obtain food jumped to 91 percent approval if the person just knew a hunter and rose even higher to 95 percent approval if the person had eaten wild game meat obtained through hunting .
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