Sportsmen provide a beneficial service to the carrying capacity of various hunting areas nationwide.  However, some people may disagree.  A quandary?  Possibly.  Carrying capacity refers to the number of animals that a particular area of land can support at a given time.

However the average sportsman is an ethical individual with an intense love for the outdoors whether hunting, fishing, camping or hiking.  More sportspeople, as women and children are becoming more and more involved, are taking to the outdoors.

These individuals boost their local economies with their purchases of licenses and outdoor related merchandise. The average sportsmen is not a paid hunter as you see on television.  They are average people who must attend training courses and in most cases must present themselves to landowners to obtain permission to hunt, fish, camp or hike. Consumption of wild game is also a healthy alternative as most wild game is preservative free and very lean.

As more and more wildlife habitat becomes urbanized, sportspeople help maintain proper animal population levels. This is an extreme benefit as overpopulation can result in disease and starvation.  So even as people are becoming more aware of the effects of increased urbanization, and it seems “cute” to see deer in their own backyards, these are signs of irrepairable damage to wildlife habitat.  So I believe the next time you see a hunter you should commend him for his role in wildlife management. 

(**This article is solely the opinion of the author and may or may not represent the views of Code 3 Game Calls.)