Why Hunting Isn't Conservation and Why It Matters with Kevin Bixby | By Land Podcast #125
“Hunting is Conservation” has become by far the most popular slogan in the hunting/conservation industry in the past few years. If you’re a hunter, you’re well acquainted with its meaning because literally any and all conservation organizations promote hunting as THE way to preserve and protect wild animals in modern times. But, what if hunting ISN’T conservation? I’ve personally never accepted the idea that hunting is the ONLY way to conserve an animal population, but I can accept that hunting is one of MANY ways to do so.
Kevin Bixby is the Executive Director of the SW Environmental Center and recently published an article titled “Why Hunting Isn’t Conservation and Why It Matters” and I asked him on the show for this episode to help me better understand what he means by this. By no means is this an anti-hunting article, in fact Kevin is a hunter himself and is the first to admit that hunting has played a key role in the preservation of American big game animals. That said, he feels the modern conservation model needs to change in a way that reflects the values of ALL those interested in the preservation of wildlife. If you’re interested in reading the full article, you can find a link to this article in the show notes.
I sincerely enjoyed picking Kevin’s brain about the subject and I know that many hunters might fall out of their chairs just looking at the title of this episode, but I’d encourage those who have a vested interest in wildlife in North America, that they hear the message Kevin is putting out there and decide for yourself if you think the modern conservation model needs a facelift or not.
Enjoy!
Show Notes:
Introductions
Kevin Bixby and his background
How Kevin Bixby got into the political side of conservation
Science versus value systems
The rise of new value systems
America’s Wildlife Values Survey
The changes in cultural values
A short history of the modern wildlife conservation model
The need to pivot to a modern conservation model
What’s wrong with the “hunting is conservation” argument
How state and federal wildlife agencies receive funding
The impact of invasive species
Does industry impact conservation efforts?
Game management as crop management
The current imbalance of decision making
The topic of wolves and predators
The future of hunting in modern times
The “hunting is conservation” mantra
What keeps Kevin going year after year
Border walls and the impact of wildlife migration
How to follow up with Kevin Bixby and his work
Links:
Kevin’s Original Article: https://rewilding.org/hunting-isnt-conservation/
America's Wildlife Values Survey: https://sites.warnercnr.colostate.edu/wildlifevalues/
Southwest Environmental Center: https://www.wildmesquite.org/index.php/
Contact Kevin: kevin@wildmesquite.org
