The Role of Hunters In Conservation in the 21st Century (Part 1)

Look for a new installment every week!

I am writing from the perspective of a hunter and a wildlife conservationist with a deep and abiding passion for wild things and wild places. I will make an assumption that you may share this passion whether or not you choose to hunt. I think too often, we – hunters and anglers and people who love wildlife - lose sight of our own history. Sometimes, we are just plain ignorant of it. Other times, we get so caught up in how good we’ve had it that we forget how close we came to losing it. Or how close we could be right now…

We live in wonderful times for hunters and anglers. It was not always like this in Wyoming. The history of wildlife conservation in Wyoming dates back to our territorial years. A number of attempts, mostly ineffective, were made to stem the tide of market hunting and unregulated exploitation of fish and wildlife. The last wild bison in Wyoming Territory was killed in 1889. In the 1890s, elk had been driven from lower elevations in the western part of the state to the more remote areas of Jackson Hole and the upper reaches of the Green and Gros Ventre Rivers. Antelope were all but gone. Fish were being netted, speared, poisoned and dynamited without regard for the future. Obviously, this could not continue…

And thank God, it did not. Hunters and anglers in Wyoming, indeed all over America, had seen enough. The conservationists of the early 1900s created the North American model of wildlife conservation, based on two elemental principles:

-Fish and wildlife are reserved for the non-commercial use of individual hunters and anglers; and
-Fish and wildlife are to be managed so that their populations will be sustained forever.

What’s more they created, refined and modified over time what my old friend Valerius Geist, professor emeritus of environmental science at the University of Calgary calls the Seven Sisters – the pillars of wildlife conservation in North America:

-Wildlife belongs to us all, not just a privileged minority;
-Wildlife should not be bought and sold;
-Allocation by law;
-All law abiding people should be able to hunt;
-Wildlife should be killed only for legitimate purposes;
-Wild animals cross political boundaries, and should be managed with this in mind; and
-Wildlife conservation works best when it’s based on science.

It’s hard to overstate the success of this model. With some steps to set aside vast public tracts of land and some basic game laws, miracles began to happen. Beaver returned, after near-extirpation from the streams of the west. Antelope, rare to my own grandfather in SW Wyoming in 1915, returned by the thousands. Elk were restored to levels not seen since European people came to the west. The list goes on and on: Grizzly bears, wolves, wild turkeys, Canada geese, Bonneville cutthroats, Colorado River cutthroats, sage grouse, and sharp-tailed grouse…literally hundreds of species. And let us not be deceived. This was not and is not simply about creating more targets for the gun.

Walt Gasson
Executive Director, Wyoming Wildlife Federation

2010 WWF Dream Hunt Sweepstakes

"I felt very fortunate and grateful for the beautiful country and wildlife I had seen, knowing that organizations like the WWF can make a wish come true by providing my hunt and hunts to others past and present while fighting to protect our lands..."
-Scott Lujan, 2009 Buddy Hunt Winner-

Dear Wildlife Enthusiast,

Here at Wyoming Wildlife Federation (WWF), we spend a lot of time thinking about hunting. We even dream about hunting. As 2009 winner Scott Lujan would agree, this is your opportunity to "make a wish come true". Thanks to the generosity of Wyoming Game and Fish Commissioners Ed Mignery and Cliff Kirk, the WWF was again fortunate to receive 100% fully transferable Commissioners licenses. These tags are valid in any Wyoming hunt area, for elk, deer, or antelope.

Have you ever dreamed about a spectacular big game hunt in one of Wyoming's most coveted hunt areas with your best hunting buddy? Or maybe having the opportunity to harvest TWO species of Wyoming's legendary elk, deer, or antelope yourself? Dream no more!

The winner will receive TWO Commissioner's tags, valid in any hunt area in Wyoming. You can include your father, mother, son, daughter, spouse, or best friend in your dream hunt, or like Scott, you can use both tags yourself to hunt two species for the combination hunt of a lifetime. In addition, you'll receive $1,000.00 in cash to help with expenses.

And to make our Dream Hunt even better, this year we will draw again to award this beautiful Marlin Model 1895GS! This is the famous stainless Guide Gun in .45/70 caliber - the ultimate timber rifle. Your entry into the Hunt Sweeps automatically qualifies you for this great opportunity!

DRAWING DETAILS:
1 ticket - $30.00
3 tickets - $80.00
5 tickets - $125.00


The drawings for the Dream Hunt and Consolation Prize will be held August 6, 2010. All proceeds from this event will go toward our mission of protecting and enhancing wildlife habitat, perpetuating quality hunting and fishing, protecting access to public lands and waters, and promoting ethical hunting and fishing.

*Winners will be notified by mail and telephone following the drawing. You do not have to be present to win. Void where prohibited by law.

To enter the 2010 WWF Buddy Hunt Sweepstakes, click here! You may also enter by calling 307-637-5433 or toll free at 1-800-786-5434.

I hope you will contribute toward our efforts to keep Wyoming a great place to hunt, fish, and recreate. Your support is invaluable.

Thank you for your support and good luck!

Walt Gasson
Executive Director

Secretary Salazar

Here is a letter that we sent to Secretary Salazar along with a fantastic banner:

On behalf of Wyoming Wildlife Federation, Wyoming’s oldest and largest sportsmen’s conservation organization, let me thank you for your thoughtful stewardship of our nation’s public lands. Your recent decisions on oil shale development and natural gas drilling have been simply outstanding.

As a native westerner and a member of one of Colorado’s oldest ranching families, I know you understand the importance of what Wallace Stegner called “a sense of place” – a specific geography, shared values and shared memories. Like yours, my family came to the west several generations ago to make a living on the land. Thousands of Wyoming families came to make a living, but stayed to make a life. And no small part of that life was hunting and fishing and camping in places within our public lands. Wyoming families cherish these places and pass them down from generation to generation like family treasures.

Across Wyoming, the last decade of rampant energy development without regard for wildlife and wildlife habitat has robbed many of these families of these places – their “home places.” We see the policies of the Department of Interior under your leadership now bringing some common sense into public lands management. We appreciate that effort, and congratulate you for your leadership.

Please accept, with our compliments, a display that we have prepared as a token of our gratitude. It’s a free-standing display, suitable for exhibit in an office or at a meeting. It will arrive by separate package. On it are reproductions of photographs we have collected from sportsmen who support your common sense policies for energy development on our public lands. You will be hearing from many of these sportsmen by letter.

We would appreciate the opportunity to come to Washington, DC and present it to you in person, if possible. I sincerely hope we can do so.

Walt Gasson
Executive Director