June 2019

Hunter Nation Members

Hunter Nation is an organization comprised of America's leading advocates for wildlife conservation and hunting.  We believe proper predator management is essential to ensuring abundant herds and flocks of wildlife.  We strongly support the USFWS commitment to the original wolf restoration effort – that once wolf populations reached recovery objectives, wolves would be removed from Endangered Species Act protections and that State fish and game agencies would be allowed to actively manage wolf populations.

State fish and game agencies in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana have demonstrated that they can manage and sustain wolf populations, just as they do black bear, cougar and other predator populations.

The proven and very successful North American Model of Conservation is founded hunting and the balancing of predators and prey populations. It is also founded upon each State being able to manage both license revenue and matching PR and DJ funds, to properly oversee sustainable wildlife populations within State boundaries. Wildlife management professionals within each State have the capability and proven expertise to oversee the unique characteristics impacting wildlife habitat and populations within their particular jurisdiction.

Wolf populations have long exceeded the planned recovery objectives.  As wolves potentially expand into other surrounding states like Oregon, Washington, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, etc., it is vital that all states can have the ability to properly manage their predator populations, including wolves, in balancing wildlife resources. The evidence is clear; where wolf numbers have been allowed to exceed agreed upon reintroduction objectives, substantial negative impact to big game populations has occurred. In many areas big game herds have declined drastically and continue to suffer due to the impact of improper wolf management. Declines in big game herds negatively affect hunter participation due to reduced hunter success rates and thus contribute to reduced license and permit revenues to state game and fish agencies. This in turn impacts their ability to fund the overall management of wildlife resources.

Hunter Nation is grateful to the USFWS for opening up additional hunting and fishing opportunities on 1.4 million acres of refuge and public lands.  It is important that these lands have abundant game populations of elk, deer, moose and other species. To achieve and sustain abundant herds of wildlife, proper predator management is required within each state.

Hunter Nation supports the 48 State delisting rule proposed by the USFWS. This much needed change in wolf management practices is critical. We encourage all Hunter Nation members to become engaged in this effort.  Please visit hunternation.us/Delist-Grey-Wolves and sign onto the wolf delisting effort.  It is easy to do and well worth your time.  

 

Thanks for all you do for conservation and hunting. Together we can protect and preserve our hunting way of life.

Mark W. DeYoung

Hunters are America’s Conservationists.