Thanks to Hunters

Wildlife Habitat Canada would like to acknowledge and thank the hunting community for their valuable contributions to wildlife habitat conservation (please see the January 2008 Winnipeg Free Press article "Hunters' dollars protect habitat" (195KB)). In addition to purchasing the Canadian Wildlife Habitat Conservation Stamp to validate their annual Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit, they pay other license fees which directly support wildlife management. Many attend conservation fundraising dinners and activities, as well as volunteer on committees and projects benefitting wildlife.

The general public needs to understand that hunting today is just as much a wildlife management tool as it is a recreational activity. For example, recent studies have shown that in some places in North America where there is an over abundance of wildlife, such as white-tailed deer, they are viewed as a nuisance. What this means is eventually wildlife loses its intrinsic value as people separate themselves from nature.

We are seeing an extension of this with an entire generation of children who spend more time indoors watching television and playing computer games than they do playing outside. Some studies have demonstrated that these children are suffering from what has been coined as "nature deficit" disorder. Basically, they have no connection to the natural world and lack an understanding of why maintaining healthy wildlife populations and their habitat are important.

Since children are the future and will eventually be responsible for our wildlife and other natural resources, it is vital that they have to learn that we too are a part of nature and our well being is directly tied to how we manage the environment.

Most hunters have a passion for all wildlife. Many strive to educate young people on the importance of maintaining the quality of wildlife habitat in order that future generations, including non-hunters, can enjoy the diversity and abundance of wildlife species that we have today.