Originally Posted by
BarnesX.308
Don't get too complacent. There's a booming eco-tourism industry. It may take a while, but we should never let our guards down.
I went to a meeting the DOW put on in my area. It was about all the deer we have in town that are destructive. Of course dummies feed them, so they have a reason to hang out in town. Some of them are almost pets.
So spokesman for the DOW told us that the best way to control the deer was to start a doe season since the majority of the deer in town were does. A woman stands up in a huff, and says she didn't want the deer killed. She was obviously a PETA member in good standing, and was determined to have the deer removed with harming them. She knew I was a hunter, and gave me a look that would melt ice while she was talking. I just smiled at her.
Finally, the officer had enough of her, and said to her that hunters are how herds are controlled. He went on the explain to her that without hunters the towns would be flooded with deer, elk, and bears. He went on the explain when herds get too big they suffer, and some die from starvation. Others are run over by cars. He continued to explain why keeping herds in control is so important. When he was done she was as quiet as a mouse. The last thing he said to her was that if she really cared about the animals she should thank every hunter she sees.
When the meeting ended, and we were all walking out of the building she stopped me. She thanked me, and said she was sorry for thinking as she did. I told her it's fine, and that we weren't the killers that non hunters thought we were. I went on to tell her i'm not a trophy hunter, but hunt for food, and for conservation. She seemed pleased, and said she would be telling her friends what she found out.
That was 3 years ago, and we've had a doe season since then with no complaints. Hunting won't go away if the public understands why it's necessary, and the consequences if it's stopped.