The front page of the Saturday, March 8, New York Times has a story by Ian Urbina, headed,
"To Revive Hunting, States Turn to the Classroom."
It opens:
"When David Helms was in seventh grade, he would take his .22-caliber rifle to school, put a box of ammunition in his locker and, like virtually all the other boys, lean his rifle against a wall in the principal’s office so he could start hunting squirrels and groundhogs as soon as classes let out.
"Now, when he takes his 8-year-old grandson hunting on weekends, Mr. Helms, 55, searches the boy’s pockets before sending him back to school to ensure that there are no forgotten ammunition shells. But most of his grandson’s peers never have to worry about that, Mr. Helms said, because they would sooner play video games than join them outdoors.
"Hunting is on the decline across the nation as participation has fallen over the last three decades, and states have begun trying to bolster this rural tradition by attracting new and younger people to the sport."
We learn about new hunting education classes in schools and read that 17 states have passed laws to attract younger hunters by creating apprentice hunting licenses, and that many states have enacted or are considering laws lowering or removing minimum age requirements for hunters. Others have amended their constitutions to protect the right to hunt and fish.
That is because "Hunting has seen its ranks fall nationally to 12.5 million in 2006 from a peak of 19.1 million in 1975" and the National Rifle Association and the United States Sportsmen’s Alliance have been lobbying to reverse the trend. Various state departments have increased the number of hunting trips offered for women, children under the age of 15 and disabled people, or are even holding learn-to-hunt classes for single mothers.
Gun control advocates are quoted noting "there is absolutely no reason to be bringing unloaded guns, toy guns or any guns into schools."
And we read:
"Andrew Page agrees about the draw of nature, but as the director of hunting affairs for the Humane Society of the United States, he sees the drop in hunting as heartening, partly because it has come with a simultaneous rise in other types of outdoor activity. The number of birdwatchers, wildlife photographers and other wildlife watchers grew to 71 million in 2006, up from 62.8 million in 1996, according to surveys conducted by the Fish and Wildlife Service."
But the article notes the loss in revenue from hunting and fishing licenses which affects the "ability to conduct conservation work" and we read a quote from a fish and wildlife manager who says that "Hunting is the largest factor in controlling the deer population, and without enough hunters, the deer population can grow and has contributed to an increase in road accidents."
The article presents a perfect opportunity for letters to the editor recommending other conservation methods, fund-raising techniques, and children's pastimes.
You can read the whole piece on line at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/08/us/08hunting.html and send a letter to the editor at letters@nytimes.com
Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when sending a letter to the editor. Remember that shorter letters are more likely to be published. And please be sure not to use any exact comments or phrases from me or from any other alerts in your letters. Editors are looking for original responses from their readers.
Yours and the animals',
Karen Dawn
(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at http://www.DawnWatch.com. You may forward or reprint DawnWatch alerts if you do so unedited -- leave DawnWatch in the title and include this parenthesized tag line. If somebody forwards DawnWatch alerts to you, which you enjoy, please help the list grow by signing up. It is free.)