Right now , you ’ re witnessing one of the greatest snow jobs in the history of animal-rights extremism and every critter , big , small , furred or feathered , is fair game to advance an agenda that extends well beyond proclaimed intentions . If sportsmen aren ’ t diligent , the use of politicized words will continue to infiltrate and further erode wildlife management , ending those hunting practices already facing grave threats and encompassing seemingly safe activities , like small-game hunting and even fishing .
We ’ ve all seen it . Every article covering nature or hunting , especially any piece discussing “ controversial ” practices like predator management , includes the words biodiversity and climate change . Usually , these phrases are woven into a diatribe by the author or a source lamenting the literal end of the world if these opinions and policies aren ’ t adopted by all .
THE UNDOCUMENTED JUSTIFICATIONS OF BIODIVERSITY , CLIMATE CHANGE , ECOSYSTEM- WIDE HEALTH AND OTHER BUZZWORDS TO END SPECIFIC HUNTING PRACTICES ARE REPEATED IN MAINSTREAM MEDIA .
To be certain , these issues aren ’ t pure political theater — biodiversity and habitat loss are real issues , as are many other cited topics , but they ’ re being abusively conflated and leveraged to end hunting practices wholly unrelated to the true issues at hand . What ’ s more , the justification of such actions doesn ’ t solve the actual issue and only serves to advance the policies and ideals of those opposed to hunting .
Even more egregious , if we accept these false equivalencies now , we will lose more practices later under the same mantras and intentional conflation of words and actions .
Is hunting to blame for climate change and biodiversity loss ? Anti-hunters paint it as a culprit in a distorted picture of global conditions .
GLOBAL THEMES AND LOADED WORDS Biodiversity and climate change are just the beginning when it comes to the global themes and the loaded verbiage in use today . Others that litter any discussion of nature , conservation , hunting or wildlife management , in general , include : keystone species , ecosystems , habitat loss , threatened or endangered species and intrinsic value .
These words are used to connect literally anything to a larger , unrelated issue . By grabbing the coattails of biodiversity loss , climate change , ecosystems and other keywords , animal extremists can position themselves as doing the right thing by protecting any given species — regardless of its population , range and biological or legal standing .
By using ambiguous language as justification , and with no real applicable science , to end some hunts , then it can be used to end any hunt , at any time , anywhere .
Obviously , we ’ ve seen this in Washington state with the cancellation of the spring bear hunt that ’ s now morphed into unnecessary , and unsupported , regulations of the fall
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