Hunting Regulations
Hunting Regulations Have Allowed US Wildlife Populations to Thrive
As an avid hunter I have this desire to travel and hunt all over the country and sometimes even the world. It is often a tedious task to know all of the hunting regulations for every place you hunt. But these hunting regulations are what control and preserve the wildlife populations for generations to come.
I had the privilege to take my parents, my wife, and my fourteen month old son to Italy this past month. It was an amazing family adventure that at times resembled a national lampoons vacation! My parents have never been to Europe or really traveled much anywhere to be honest. So it made for an interesting and funny trip. This trip was not a hunting trip. It was a chance to visit history, walk cobblestone streets, and eat lots of Gelato (Italian ice cream).
Right now you are probably thinking, “Why is he talking about non hunting stuff on an outdoor blog?”. I’ll tell you why! As we rode trains all over central Italy (Florence, Rome, Lucca, Pisa) my dad and I would look for wildlife. Surprisingly we didn’t see a single deer or turkey the entire time.
Without Regulation Hunting May Disappear With the Wildlife
My family was at a winery one evening taking a tour of one of the oldest family winery’s in the world. The 9th generation owner came out and talked to us. He was so nice and as we toured his home I saw old animal mounts on the walls. I asked him while he was showing us around if he liked to hunt. He said he loved it but sadly he can’t anymore. I asked him why not and he went into a deep discussion on how all the animals were over hunted without regulation. The conversation went back to wine and history but the rest of the trip my mind kept going back to the thought of my son never being able to hunt.
Conservation is so important. I know there are times that I get frustrated with the limit set on ducks or doves when you are on a really good hunt. The restrictions at times are upsetting, but man I’m so glad we have them. As someone who is a strict rule follower there have been times I wanted to break the law. Just three weeks ago I was turkey hunting and took a really nice tom. Minutes after I took him another tom came in to my decoys. In the state of Tennessee you are only allowed one tom a day. I watched the tom strut around and show off as if he knew I couldn’t touch him. It was a beautiful sight. All this brings me back to Italy and the lack of regulation that allowed a few to exterminate all wildlife from their country.
Hunting Regulations Allow Us to Pass Along Our Traditions
We are lucky to live in a country that withholds high standards in hunting regulations. We have access to quality public properties and ample wildlife to support our hunters. Our industry is definitely under attack from some people but let’s pray we keep our rights and the ability to pass along hunting traditions for generations to come!
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