No Habitat. No Hunting.

What would bowhunter and conservationist Fred Bear
say about the attitudes of today's hunters?  

by Jim Taylor Why should Arkansas' hunters support the new habitat expansion proposed for White River National Refuge?

Renowned bowhunter, conservationist, as well as my childhood idol, Fred Bear summed it up best:  "If you are not working to protect hunting, then you are working to destroy it."
Did you know that only 10% of Arkansas' bottomland forest remain today?  You don’t have to have a PhD in Wildlife Management to understand why such habitat loss is a  problem. 

It’s real simple for me, as it should be for all true hunters. For you to have successful hunting experiences you have to have abundant game.   If you  want abundant game to hunt you have to have equally suitable habitat in which the game can thrive.  If you want suitable habitat  you must support efforts to protect and expand it.  

Bottom line is this. We  have a  once in a generation opportunity to  acquire wildlife rich  bottomland habitat bordering our White River NWR.  We can acquire it using our own sportsman derived funds like “duck stamps" (not general tax dollars) from willing sellers.

Listen, it’s not  about being a touchy-feely treehugger, or weakening your conservative armor.  It’s just a common sense approach for protecting our hunting heritage, not only for ourselves but for our children’s children.