Fall 2012
Author(s): 
Shane P. Mahoney

The most recent surveys of public attitudes towards regulated hunting in the United States indicate that over 75% of those responding support this activity. Yet we know very well that not all is well, that participation in hunting is declining, that state agency conservation programs are running out of money, that privatization of wildlife and a host of other controversies are highly divisive in our own ranks, and getting more so, and that our hunting community is aging rapidly. Perhaps it is time we develop a real strategy to deal with all of this comprehensively and with an eye to what really matters. And one thing that surely matters is public opinion.