Hunters have a long history of being at the forefront of conservation in the United States. From the Migratory Bird Act to the creation of the North American Model for Wildlife Management, hunters have positively influenced the management of our wildlife and lands for nearly a century. The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act alone has generated more than 14 billion dollars for wildlife conservation through the excise tax on firearms and ammunition.

Whitetail deer and wild turkey were nearly extirpated in Indiana; now they flourish. The Indiana DNR’s bald eagle reintroduction has been wildly more successful than anyone expected. The big picture, however, is different.

There are 3 billion (BILLION!) less individual birds in North America than there were just 50 years ago. 40% of the worlds insect species are declining in population, many reaching a critically endangered level. At the current rate of decline, amphibians will be extinct or expatriated from half of their habitats in the U.S. within 20 years. 1/5 of all reptiles are threatened by extinction. These are the creatures that form the foundation of food webs. Things aren’t good at the top of the webs, either- the removal of predators from ecosystems has wreaked havoc across the globe. These terrible trends have one thing in common- they are largely the result habitat fragmentation, degradation, and destruction. Luckily, hunters know a thing or two about habitat management.

Hoosier hunters have the opportunity today to start, like Aldo Leopold said, thinking like a mountain. We can do our part to combat these frightening trends by simply taking our hunting game to the next level- by actively managing local deer herds, eradicating invasive species, establishing native plants, and calling a truce with predators we have the chance to be leaders in the future of conservation.