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Photo by William Albert Allard, courtesy of National Geographic.
In November 2007 National Geographic Magazine featured an article on American hunting and conservation, written by Bob Poole. We interviewed Bob about the article and the state of American hunting.
Where did you learn to hunt and fish, and who taught you?
Both of my grandfathers were outdoorsmen, both of them hunted and fished, and both inspired me to follow their example. One gave me a shotgun. Both let me paw through their tackle boxes, which were filled with wonderful things. However, I pretty much taught myself, hunting quail and squirrels after school and fishing for trout in the mountains of North Carolina.
In the National Geographic article, you note the traditional and continued contributions of hunters to conservation, yet today in some circles there is the perception of a schism between hunters & environmentalists. Where does this come from?
I believe it is cultural. We've become urbanized and separated from nature in recent decades. I would hazard a guess that those most critical of hunting live in cities or suburbs, do not understand predator-prey relationships, and do not know people who hunt. Few in our country still hunt for subsistence, so the hunting tradition seems irrelevant. Yet it is an irrelevance which has value, as a reminder of who we are and what we came from. This may be why it still strikes such deep chords in those who still do it. Regarding what you describe as a schism, I would point out that hunters, fishermen, and environmentalists should be the best of allies and could speak with a powerful political voice if they could overcome their suspicions of one another.
Sportsmen tend to be a little bit more politically conservative than the average Joe-what are the advantages, disadvantages of that leaning?
Well, literally speaking, all hunters and fishermen should be conservative, meaning that they are interested in conserving fish and wildlife. Beyond that, I never discuss politics with people who have guns.
You also note a very important trend of declining hunter recruitment-what happens if we have fewer American hunters?
Recruitment is actually up in recent years-young hunters are entering the field in decent numbers-but not enough to replace those who retire or die. In addition, the percentage of hunters in the U.S. is declining as new citizens from non-hunting cultures enter the population. It's too soon to write the obituary for hunting, but if the trend continues it means that there will be much less money for acquiring and maintaining new wildlife habitat, for research, and for the state game agencies which rely so heavily on revenues from licenses, stamps, and excise taxes now paid by hunters.
If the number of sportsmen declines, how do we make up the funding difference for wildlife conservation on the state and federal levels?
Hunters will have to pay more or governments will have to find new ways to finance wildlife conservation. It's a big concern among resource managers and conservation groups. Organizations such as Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever take on an increasing share of the burden by contributing to research and habitat acquisition. And environmentalist-hunters like Ted Turner foresee a future in which more hunters pay to use private land, where their fees will help to finance conservation measures.
I live close to Clovis, New Mexico, where some of the oldest hunting artifacts on this continent were discovered. How has hunting affected human evolution?
It has shaped who we are, how we see the natural world, how we relate to other living creatures. Remember, humans have been hunting for more than a million years; we didn't settle down to farming until some 10,000 years ago, so by comparison, you might say that we're still practicing at growing stuff. Some scientists speculate that-even though we wear neckties, jabber on cell phones, and zoom around on airplanes today-beneath the skin we are still programmed to hunt.
You also cover the religious aspect of hunting in your article. How do you see that reflected in today's religious practices?
There are still very strong links between hunting and religion in traditional cultures, in which humans rely upon nature for their subsistence. It is quite natural in these cultures to say a prayer for a successful hunt or to speak some words of thanks to the prey you have killed. In our own culture, hunting is so divorced from subsistence that I am not aware of any still-functioning religious links.
You mention the situation of reduced numbers in the northern Yellowstone elk herd, which many attribute to increased wolf predation. Should wolves be killed so more human hunters can have successful hunts?
No. But if research shows that the natural predator-prey relationship is upset because of an overpopulation of wolves in the North Yellowstone ecosystem, then the states surrounding Yellowstone National Park might consider managing wolves the same way they do elk, bison, mule deer, moose, and other species, setting an acceptable quota for hunting them.
What are the greatest threats to wildlife and sportsmen? What give you hope?
The growing human population, the loss of habitat for wild creatures, and a fraying link between humans and the natural world. This leads to misunderstandings about hunting, conservation, and environmental issues. I am hopeful that public spirited organizations like the Sierra Club, the Nature Conservancy, the National Audubon Society, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and others will continue to support wildlife research, to preserve essential habitat, and to show the way for the rest of us.
Bob Poole served as National Geographic Magazine Executive Editor for 21 years, and currently contributes as an author to both National Geographic and Smithsonian Magazines. He is also the author of Explorers' House, a book about the history of the family behind National Geographic. Read more.