We all know by now that the HSUS, PETA and many other “Animal Rights” organizations would like to see hunting of all kinds banned in this country. What would the total impact of that result in? Let’s explore just a tiny fraction of that possibility.

According to Cass Sunstein, the Head, or czar, of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, under the Obama Administration, two years ago stated “We ought to ban hunting, I suggest, if there isn’t a purpose other than sport and fun. That should be against the law. It’s time now.” Now, this is the same person who in his January 2008 white paper entitled “Conspiracy Theories” stated “Taxation and censorship of dissenting opinions will have a place under thought police program.” Has Mr. Sunstein really thought about the devastating effects a hunting ban would have, both economically and environmentally?
Hunting is a necessary element of controlling populations of wildlife. Think about the impact of no more deer hunting. Populations of deer would explode. Ask any farmer what this would do to his crops. Uncontrolled deer populations can destroy a crop in a big hurry. What does this cost the farmer, and ultimately you at the grocery store? Produce and grain prices would skyrocket. The cost of the farmer’s crop insurance would rise greatly, and this does not even touch the loss of this farmer’s income. So then we lose another family farm. We are then in the area of food shortages, as this would affect many farmers, not just one. And this is just one species of animal. Think about the effects multiplied many times over.

How about an uncontrolled deer population? How many times have you been driving along on the highway at night, and had a deer attempt to run in front of you? Have you hit one? Think about it. This can cost lives. The insurance costs to repair damages to your automobile from hitting a deer will ultimately cost you in higher premiums. None of this even addresses the issue of people who hunt to supplement their family’s diet. Many people hunt for food as our ancestors did many years ago. Deer, elk, wild boar, rabbit, wild turkey and other wildlife provide a much needed food item for many people.

What would a ban on hunting do to retail outlets such as Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s and others? What about taxidermists, hunting guides, fish and game employees, wildlife workers and many others who depend on wildlife (which include both animals and plants) for their livelihood? How do these employees of these said industries spend their money, and how would the loss of those funds affect each town they live in? What businesses would be affected by the loss of this income, not to mention the tax revenue? How many thousands of jobs would be lost is unknown, but we know the economic impact of this would be devastating.

How much revenue for local economies is generated by the hunting industry? We know that there are guided hunting facilities and resorts, as well as guided fishing tours. What about the hunting license fees? These all go into the state coiffeurs. If this were all to be banned, how many tax dollars are lost to your local town? Think about how this would devastate the economy of say Wyoming, Florida, Louisiana and many other states that depend on hunting , fishing, tourism for both of these activities. This would begin to affect the hotel/motel industry, restaurants, shopping and many other industries.  This all affects your local town budget, which in turn affects the services they can provide for their citizens, i.e. streets, parks, health care, utility services, etc. In Florida alone, this contributes, combined with crop, livestock, forestry and fisheries, a total of over $11 Billion to their economy. Multiply this by 50 states, and you begin to get a picture of the nationwide economic impact.

The environmental effects of such a ban would be felt in many areas.  Let’s look at just a couple of them. Some of the argument on banning hunting due to environmental issues was based on “lead shot”, believing that the lead in ammunition was toxic to eaten carcasses. This is easily taken care of, partially due to Environ-Metals Hevi-Shot, a brand of non-toxic shot, giving hunters another option. In fact, there are several brands of no-lead and non-toxic ammunition available on the market. Rather than a ban on hunting, wouldn’t it be wiser to encourage the use no lead, non-toxic ammunition?

In certain parts of the country, hunting is a way of controlling predators, and allowing other animals populations to climb in numbers. One example would be the effects of one species of predator animal being heavily populated, causing declines in another species of animal, such as the elk populations in Wyoming, or the bighorn sheep and mule deer populations in Arizona, or your local farmer and cattlemen’s herd. How about the chicken farmer who has a problem with predators getting his chickens? Now how much do your eggs cost you, or that chicken?

Large populations of animals can over graze pastures, causing habitat degradation, transmission of diseases, and property damage. So, if we ban hunting, do we ban wind turbines as well? They are a huge benefit to our environment as we all know, yet they slice and dice many birds each day. Will this be the next area these “animal rights” groups attack? A ban on hunting would have consequences that were unintended and devastating to many people and areas that were not thought about fully. Wouldn’t the HSUS, PETA and the other organizations do much better lobbying (as this is what they do) for enforcement of current animal control legislation, assisting local animal shelters, and encouraging responsible pet ownership and breeding, instead of lobbying away your rights?

By Debi R***