For thousands of years, hunting has not only provided food, clothing, discipline, and conservation to our land and wildlife, but also a vast amount of other benefits to families across the world. Yet, when it comes to the conservation of our animal populations and our land, many conservationists see hunting as detrimental for wildlife and land preservation. In this essay, I will argue that licensed and regulated hunting can in fact lead to a positive outcome for both the environment and wildlife populations. 

First, I will look at the problems that deer populations pose and how hunting can help mitigate some of these issues. Next, I will examine how the licensing of hunters provides a large amount of funding for conservation efforts. Finally, I will cover the topic of hunting laws across the country and how they can have different effects in different areas. Many of the articles, books, videos, and other sources I have used to support my research as well as my paper explore those who agree and those who disagree with hunting and its advantages as well as its disadvantages. 

The over population of deer in all areas across the country can pose a wide variety of threats on the deer population itself, to residential areas, human health through disease and motor collisions, and the growth of our agriculture. This rapid growth of the deer population across the country is advancing at an alarming rate. “In 1930, the US white-tailed deer population was down to about 300,000. Today, estimates of how many there are range as high as about 30 million.” (West). Statistically, there are roughly four times as many deer per square mile than what is considered healthy, and regulated. 

But what is causing this rapid growth rate? Large areas of land that were once ideal environments for large herds of deer are now being clear cut for the new-found obsession with the suburban or “cookie cutter” homes and neighborhoods. Stripping large quantities of deer from their environment is pushing them into residential areas including neighborhoods as well as our roads and highways. “The white-tailed deer is a species that flourishes in “edge” habitats: that is, habitats along the edges of forests and roadways, as well as newly-planted lawns. This is why they have been so explosively successful in the suburbs.” (West). This may not sound detrimental on the surface, but when you look closely, this is the root of the issue. In addition to the loss of agriculture due to large deer populations, “An estimated 1.23 million deer-vehicle collisions occurred in the U.S. between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012, costing more than $4 billion in … damage, according to State Farm, the nation’s leading auto insurer.” (Insurance Journal). These two issues alone, should be enough evidence to spark effort in helping regulate our deer populations across the nation.

“When hunting with a firearm in South Carolina, you must be 300 yards away from a residence when less than 10 feet above the ground.” (hunter-ed.com); meaning no hunting can be done in these areas to help regulate the deer population. There are few animals close enough in range with these over-populated residential areas across the nation that are considered predators to deer. Majority of these animals including black bear’s and coyote’s populations are being out-run and overpowered by the growing number of deer populations in these residential areas. The end result pushes these predators further out and leaves us with no help regarding regulation in our residential areas. With no predators (animal or human) we have an unhealthy increase in the population. For us, a loss of agriculture due to deer feeding in our neighborhoods, diseases such as Lyme disease carried within “deer ticks” (specifically threatening the human population sharing areas with large deer populations), and the amount of motor vehicle collisions with deer is becoming intensely common. For the deer, these animals are not getting the proper nutrition they need. The deer that are now being reproduced, have a smaller, more fragile frame, a lower amount of “healthy” body fat, and are born into an environment where their food is handed to them on the front porches of homes instead of learning how to provide for themselves. These deer no longer know how to live on their own; they are raised with no sense of danger or reality. 

With no animal predators left to help regulate deer populations within residential areas, it is left upon us to take charge of their rapid growth (rate) and the issues that they introduce. While heavy conservation efforts have been immensely successful in recovering species that were once on the verge of diminishing; working to grow declining populations with no remorse to the regulation of populations can send species into unrestrainable quantities. “Recently popularized alternatives in population control, such as sterilization and contraception, are costly and to date have not been proven effective for managing free ranging populations. Hunting continues to be the most effective, cost efficient and socially acceptable method of population control.” (Miller). Not only can regulated hunting help control the deer population, but it can dramatically help improve the conservation and quality of our land, and other wildlife.  In addition to this, using methods such as sterilization and contraception, are wildly overpriced and require multiple doses of the vaccination to be considered effective; not to mention it generally only lasts for a few years. 

Regulated hunting’s benefits for the conservation of our land and wildlife, tremendously out-weigh its afflictions. Every conservationist’s dream is to have a well-managed wildlife population full of healthy animals at the peak of their abilities. When managing deer through hunting, you must begin by specifically selecting which deer need to be removed from the population. This group can include weak deer that could be carrying diseases, mature female or male deer that have surpassed their reproduction potential, or deer that have been “incorrectly reproduced”. To have a healthy population, you need to eliminate deer that put the population’s potential at risk. Whitetail deer are typically very social animals, and can normally be found in groups or “herds”; with that being said, female and male deer (unless mating), typically stay separated. Very rarely would you ever see a mature buck traveling alongside a doe (female deer). In addition to this information, many people have the impression that hunting is a “free-for-all” activity, where hunters can obtain a license and proceed to walk into the woods and shoot; but that is about as far from the truth as you can get. As for the basics of deer hunting, during deer season, you can hunt only during the hour before through the hour after the sunrise or sunset, not just anytime you feel during the day.  As for your choice of firearm, there are rules, regulations, and set “seasons” within each hunting season determining when you can use rifles, bows, and compound bows. There are also rules regarding how much ammunition you can carry along with you as well as how much is allowed to be in your firearm at any given time. 

Regulated hunting takes a tremendous amount of effort and planning, but can be the most effective way to help eliminate the specific types of deer that pose a threat on our goal of a healthy, managed population. “Deer/vehicle accidents declined by more than one half as a result of managed hunting programs in sections of Montgomery County. Lethal deer control in Lynchburg, Virginia and at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado also reduced deer/vehicle collisions.” (Hotton). As for the disadvantages of regulated hunting, there are hunters out there that hunt solely for the purpose of “Trophy Hunting” and not to regulate or benefit populations; and sadly, these people create the stereotype for hunters. In addition, some hunters do not use the meat they obtain from their kill, or do not dispose of the deceased animal properly. What anti-hunters do not choose to see, is the fact that the hunters that abuse the rules and regulations only make up an extremely small amount of the overall 13.7 million registered hunters in the United States. Not only is regulated hunting (as a management tool) the most cost-effective solution to overpopulation and management, but the money filtered through the hunting world, ends up working its way back into our economy for the conservation of our land and wildlife.

Now, how does the licensing of hunters benefit the community of wildlife and land conservation? Hunters pay for a vast majority of wildlife and land conservation through The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (also known as the Pittman-Robertson Act (PR)), that took effect in 1937. “In the early 1900s, when many wildlife species were dwindling in numbersor disappearing, the firearms and ammunition industry stepped forward and asked Congress to impose an excise tax on the sale of firearms and ammunition products to help fund wildlife conservation in the United States.” (NSSF). Taxes on hunting licenses, firearms, and ammunition alone, has produced over $11 billion to go directly towards the conservation of land and wildlife. In addition to taxes on the sales of firearms and ammunition, taxes on brands that produce hunting gear such as camo clothing, deer stands, trail cameras, and more already donate portions of their profit to help with the conservation of land and wildlife. 

For a hunter to become certified, they must be at least 16 years of age. They will then be required to complete a thorough hunter education course and gun safety class before being admitted to take the certification exam. Some anti-hunters believe that this age is far too young to obtain the amount of knowledge and safety requirements needed to hunt in terms of management or in a beneficial way for animal and wildlife regulation. In reality, hunters this young, are typically still hunting as well as learning alongside their parents or a trusted adult. Across our country there are also numerous youth hunting events and educational programs to help educate the younger generation early on, about the dangers that can consume our wildlife populations and land without our conservationists staying consistently active. Once the individual has completed the required courses needed to take the hunter certification exam, they have a wide variety of choices as to what level hunting license they would like to purchase. The options of a hunting license vary on what you are hunting, how long you want your license to last before being renewed, and many other contributing factors. These prices can range anywhere from $36 for a three-year membership, to $300 for a lifetime membership (SC Resident Fishing…). For specific groups of animals within species, tags will need to be purchased to help the Department of Natural Resources keep track of populations. In addition, if a hunter wants to hunt out of their residing state, they will need to purchase a temporary license. All of these proceeds make up a large portion of our wildlife and land conservation funds.

The USFWS (United States Fish and Wildlife Service) deposits these collected earnings into an account known as the “Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund”. The following year, these funds will be properly distributed to each state. “The distribution of the funds is set by a formula. First, $8 million is utilized for Enhanced Hunter Education programs, including the construction or maintenance of public target ranges. Second, $3 million is set aside for projects that require cooperation among the states. Third, one-half of the excise tax collected on handguns are set aside for Basic Hunter Education programs. In most cases, states must match at least 25% of a projects cost.” (NSSF). The 25% of a project’s cost paid for by the state is raised through countless ways including auctions, banquets, and donors. The remaining money in the trust fund is then redirected to states specific needs based on the location and individual environmental issues. The Pittman-Robertson Act creates a “gateway” for hunters that are truly dedicated to the improvement of our land and wildlife conservation, to do their part and make a difference outside their own management through hunting in their individual areas. 

Across the country, there are numerous organizations that are made up of men and women that come together all with a shared goal in mind: the conservation of our land and wildlife populations. To name a few, The National Wild Turkey Federation, Delta Waterfowl Foundation, and The Quality Deer Management Association, are some of the top land and wildlife conservation organizations. One of the most common ways these organizations raise their funds is by holding banquets that are open to members, as well as the public. These events can be attended by purchasing tickets through their websites, and on occasion they are free to members as well as the public depending on the circumstances of the event. Typically, during these banquets, supper is served, wildlife calling tournaments are held, educational information and annual updates regarding land and wildlife conservation is given out. In addition to these events, auctions are held with raffle tickets distributing top of the line hunting equipment, hunting trips, educational programs, and a vast amount of other items. A large majority of the money raised through these efforts will go directly to benefit our wildlife and land conservation through these organizations. Although all of these organizations work to help the conservation of our land and wildlife nation-wide, natural contributing factors tend to cause certain organizations to focus more on certain areas of the country.

Hunting varies in many different ways as a result of many contributing factors all across the nation. Different areas of the country have different climates, terrains, species, as well as density levels within rural areas. For example, New York State has an entirely different ecosystem and set of environmental threats, when compared to somewhere like the state of Texas. These areas have completely different climates, and weather conditions, as well as different threats to wildlife populations. For instance, in New York, the general season for white-tail deer hunting runs from October 22nd until December 4th for the North Zone and from November 19th to December 11th for the South Zone (Deer and Bear Hunting…). As for Texas, the general season for white-tail deer hunting runs from November 5th until January 1st for the North Zone, and from November 5th until January 15th for the South Zone (2016-2017 White-Tailed Deer…). To an inexperienced or uneducated hunter, these dates might not seem very important, or make any sense as to why a few days or weeks will make any kind of difference; but to an experienced, educated hunter these dates mean so much more. These dates help the hunter create a mental timeline of different peak areas of behavior and movement throughout the season, such as the rut. The “rut”, is a slang term for the peak of reproduction and movement between mature bucks and does during deer season. 

For more northern regions, black bears are typically more common as a predator for deer; versus more southeast regions where red-wolves and cougars can be found in certain areas and are very experienced deer hunters. Coyotes can be found all across the nation and are one of the top “deer-predator” species. In addition, most animal predators don’t come within a close range to residential areas. The predator and prey positions completely depend on your location while hunting in the United States. This is a large factor when determining rules, regulations, and specified hunting season dates for different regions of the country. Since different groups and species of deer all across the country live in different climates and ecosystems, the deer have adapted to their own schedules for mating, giving birth, hunting for their own food, and raising their young. In more southern regions, certain research experiments have determined that pregnant female deer, can have a certain amount of control as to when they give birth, to ensure they are in their own idea of a safe environment. In addition, female deer typically give birth around May-June, giving the young fawn (baby deer) enough time to gain survival skills before the upcoming “rut” and fall season. During their first fall, the young bucks will be “kicked out” of the herd by their mother to ensure that they do not try to mate with their sisters, although sometimes this “in-breeding” does happen. Young female deer tend to stick by their mother’s side until early the following spring. All of these factors including the wide range of predators varying on location, different climate conditions, and species of deer, work together to create different timing of events for different regions of the country; this is why we have different hunting seasons and dates for different regions of our nation. 

Due to the large expansion of neighborhoods, lack of predators, and lack of access to regulate overpopulated areas, white-tail deer populations in the United States are growing at an alarmingly rapid rate. With the vast amount of issues that come along with overflowing deer populations, and numerous unsuccessful attempts to regulate the population, such as sterilization and contraception; regulated hunting remains the most cost-effective and successful form of overgrowth management. These massive deer populations are now sharing environments with residential areas and causing numerous issues such as agriculture loss, Lyme disease in humans, motor collisions, are reproducing unhealthy deer that are unable to reach their full potential. And while hunting still remains a very controversial topic in the United States, when properly regulated, it is the most successful and beneficial form of controlling these overpopulation issues. In addition to controlling overpopulation, regulated hunting helps improve our land, and through a domino effect, can help regulate and benefit other wildlife populations as well.

The biggest bump in the road that hunters meet, is communicating with the community of people who disagree with hunting or are otherwise known as “anti-hunters”. Most of the people who make up this population are uneducated on the benefits of regulated hunting, or only choose to see the “stereotypical” hunter that I mentioned previously in my argument. What I find to be extremely ironic, is that both the anti-hunting and pro-hunting communities have the same goals; both communities want to conserve our wildlife and land populations, with flourishing agriculture, and animal populations at the peak of their potential. The hunting community in the United States produces a large majority, if not, close to all of the effective funds that go towards the conservation of our land and wildlife; yet hunters are still pointed to as the bad guys due to the small amount of hunters that abuse the rules. With responsible hunters using regulated hunting to help manage our populations, and enforcing the education of hunting and gun safety, we could be on track to improving our overall land quality, and the lives of many different species all across the nation. 
