The Science of Hunting Conservation

“A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.”.  Aldo Leopold

When hunters take to the woods this month, conservation of wildlife and land management is always “in play.” From bag limits to enforcement of poaching laws to monitoring the health of wildlife areas, state agencies stay busy protecting the health of public lands in the Tennessee River Valley.

 In the not too distant past, the populations of wildlife (bear, deer, and elk) in the region had dropped so low that hunters took the lead in enacting legislation that would improve the conditions.

By 1907, Legislation was passed at the bequest of the hunting community to require hunting and fishing licenses.  This was followed by the 1937 enactment of the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act — the brainchild of the country’s hunters and anglers — into law by President Franklin Roosevelt.  The ACT established a manufacturers’ excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition to generate revenue for wildlife conservation. Since its inception, more than $14 billion has gone to buying wildlife habitat and reintroducing imperiled species. (Pettijohn 2021)

In the years that followed and continue today, the regional state Wildlife Resource Agencies, TVA, Forestry, and conservation groups such as Ducks Unlimited and the National Wild Turkey Federation lead the efforts to sustain healthy populations and set aside public lands for wildlife management.

When you take to the woods, be aware of the regulations that exist, so that future generations can follow in your footsteps.

• Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
• Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
• Georgia Department of Natural Resources
• Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
• Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
• North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
• Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries