Post by Dan on Nov 7, 2007 23:14:41 GMT -5
So I've been told. I am the oddball. I am the one who hunts, fishes and fights for the environment. In my journeys along the environment path I have met many vegetarians. These are the people who fight for the animals rights and their natural world who we are continuously encroaching further into their territory.
On the other hand I know allot of meat eaters who build or restore habitat, fight for wetlands and self enforce possession limits or fight to increase them. These people believe in animal management because we humans are the major factor that created the need for management.
Both of these worlds paths cross in many places yet neither will admit that they have one thing in common because of one strong unresolvable disagreement. Should we take the life of animals to sustain our own?
The answer for me is easy because what we are both fighting for is a natural environment and living naturally means living off our resources in a sustainable manner. Not only do we need to protect our wildlife from our over population but we need to protect nature from the unbalanced wildlife population we created. It doesn't matter if your a hunter or an animal rights advocate, your home, family, job etc have affected our natural world and we all share a common negative footprint.
No matter if you see my beliefs as scripture or heresy, it is sad that both groups can not come together for our common causes. Stop habitat destruction, reduce our negative impact and create programs that better our natural environment for both animals and ourselves. There is so much stone casting between these groups. Why can't they see those stones are a valuable building tool and combined effort would be the perfect mortar.
I have been told that I am an oddball because recently I have been making some friends with the other side. However after some dialogue we have discovered that our mission is the same. Hunters are just as compassionate for animals as are environmentalists. Yes I am what I eat and like every health nut I watch what I consume. A natural diet maintained in a sustainable manner is important to me.
I would love nothing more than to be able to sustain my family without importing chickens from China but at the same time caution not to overtax the carrying capacity of the environment. Is that not what we are all doing? Overtaxing our resources?
When will the environment people realize that anglers and hunters care about the environment as much as they do? When will anglers and hunters realize that environmentalists are not all animal rights flower power hippy's who don't have a grasp on reality?
Our paths meet in so many places. Why are we not extending a hand to achieve the same goal because of one indifference? This impossible alliance would be an unstoppable force that could be the difference between paradise and a parking lot.
Lets come together. Lets have dinner together and make friends. Of coarse the vegetarians will have to do the cooking
On the other hand I know allot of meat eaters who build or restore habitat, fight for wetlands and self enforce possession limits or fight to increase them. These people believe in animal management because we humans are the major factor that created the need for management.
Both of these worlds paths cross in many places yet neither will admit that they have one thing in common because of one strong unresolvable disagreement. Should we take the life of animals to sustain our own?
The answer for me is easy because what we are both fighting for is a natural environment and living naturally means living off our resources in a sustainable manner. Not only do we need to protect our wildlife from our over population but we need to protect nature from the unbalanced wildlife population we created. It doesn't matter if your a hunter or an animal rights advocate, your home, family, job etc have affected our natural world and we all share a common negative footprint.
No matter if you see my beliefs as scripture or heresy, it is sad that both groups can not come together for our common causes. Stop habitat destruction, reduce our negative impact and create programs that better our natural environment for both animals and ourselves. There is so much stone casting between these groups. Why can't they see those stones are a valuable building tool and combined effort would be the perfect mortar.
I have been told that I am an oddball because recently I have been making some friends with the other side. However after some dialogue we have discovered that our mission is the same. Hunters are just as compassionate for animals as are environmentalists. Yes I am what I eat and like every health nut I watch what I consume. A natural diet maintained in a sustainable manner is important to me.
I would love nothing more than to be able to sustain my family without importing chickens from China but at the same time caution not to overtax the carrying capacity of the environment. Is that not what we are all doing? Overtaxing our resources?
When will the environment people realize that anglers and hunters care about the environment as much as they do? When will anglers and hunters realize that environmentalists are not all animal rights flower power hippy's who don't have a grasp on reality?
Our paths meet in so many places. Why are we not extending a hand to achieve the same goal because of one indifference? This impossible alliance would be an unstoppable force that could be the difference between paradise and a parking lot.
Lets come together. Lets have dinner together and make friends. Of coarse the vegetarians will have to do the cooking
CONSERVATION PLEDGE
I give my pledge, as a Canadian, to save
and faithfully defend from waste, the natural
resources of my country -- its soils and minerals,
its air, water, forests, and wildlife.
I give my pledge, as a Canadian, to save
and faithfully defend from waste, the natural
resources of my country -- its soils and minerals,
its air, water, forests, and wildlife.