Hunting Think Tank Update

Hunting Think Tank II

September 6-8, 2011

Dundee, Illinois

Convened by Orion-The Hunters’ Institute and supported by the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation and the Pope and Young Club

Prepared by Eric Nuse

The value of hunting as a tool of wildlife management and to the economy is well known. However, the intrinsic values of hunting to society and to hunters is not well articulated or researched.

The meaning of the term hunting is regularly contested. Many organizations and writers use descriptors to narrow what they believe hunting to be, such as modern, sport, or subsistence.

At the first Hunting Think Tank we explored these topics in depth. We came up with a list of next steps that led to Think Tank II.

Questions we explored:

1.    Has there ever been a comprehensive literature review of works seeking to define hunting? If not, find a way to do this.

2.    Based on the results of our work, can we frame the word “hunting” so that it is accurately understood by the public and evokes a positive image?

3.    Can we develop mental tools to help with decision making prior to going afield and during the hunt to help hunters make good, ethical choices?

Our first step will be to conduct an exhaustive literature search on hunting, resulting in an annotated bibliography of the hunting literature with a focus on defining hunting, both historically and in the modern era. This work will help us build a better foundation on which to define hunting – both what it is and what it is not. Professor John Edwards at West Virginia University will oversee a graduate student in doing this work starting January 2012.

A working group headed by Dr. Thomas Baumeister will be collaborating to build an “American Model of Hunting” analogous to the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.  The Model will be based on the core tenets and principles inculcated in modern hunting that hunters can be proud of and that the conservation community can use to build public support.

By articulating what makes up the core of hunting, organizations and individuals can examine different hunting practices and based on the specific facts, determine if they meet the definition of hunting. The tenets could be incorporated into hunter education training and other hunter curricula.

Currently, several writers who participated in the Think Tank are writing articles based on issues explored that will be published in the outdoor press.  An outdoor writer workshop with a textbook is also being developed.

This information will be made available to professionals, outdoor writers and hunters for distribution and discussion.

The anticipated long term resultsare: clear, honest thinking on why we hunt; clarifying the values we collectively bring to hunting; recognizing the needs hunting fills for us; and recognizing the individual and societal benefits it brings. This clarity and focus on what is important should result in raising the bar of hunter behavior, enable a rational and clear defense of hunting, assist in recruiting and retaining quality hunters, and increase public support for democratic hunting.

Participants:

Dr. John Edwards, West Virginia University

Jim Posewitz, Orion-The Hunters’ Institute, author

Galen Geer, author and lecturer

Phil Seng, DJ Case and Associates

Dr. Thomas Baumeister, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

Del Benson, Colorado State University and McGraw Wildlife Foundation

Michael Sabbeth, Attorney and author

Jim Dudas, McGraw Wildlife Foundation, writer

Eric Nuse, Orion-The Hunters’ Institute

Also assisting:

Dr. John Organ, US Fish and Wildlife Service

Dr. Jim Tantillo, Cornell University