I suppose hunting IS conservation. But remember, the country was 'bout hunted out at one point, before modern management. Even more recently, some states had no huntable populations for some species. Now they're doing better because of reintroduction. I haven't seen much posted about some of the other activities ya'll mention. Ya know, urban sprawl is gonna do us in eventually. I went back to where I lived as a boy. Nothin' but subdivisions and shopping centers. There's one or two farms left on the old road, but for how long? No real woods left. Seems that hunters are turning a blind eye to this stuff, an' don't like to think 'bout what it really means. I've brung it up a time or two, an' a argument usually comes about. I've actually read posts where fellers say they quit the RMEF cause the magazine is too touchy feely with all its conservation articles an such. I don't know, jus' seems to me that with as many hunters as there is, as much land being gobbled up by growth and ruined by overuse, there outta be some talk 'bout conservation on these boards. Myself, I'm fond of the Land Trusts we got here. They buy up development rights from ranchers and large property owners, keeping the land's rural character forever, supposedly. Hard to fight the dollar though. Of all the hunters, seems like the waterfowlers are more conservation-minded as a group. Wonder why?