Even as approval for hunting declines, though, hunting remains an important part of the conservation model that has served America so well for more than 100 years. The dark days of 19th-century market hunting nearly eradicated deer, bison, and turkey from the continent. We have carefully brought each species back from the brink and now rely on hunters to help manage wildlife populations under strict government regulation.

Indeed, one of my favorite ironies is that self-proclaimed conservative and libertarian Americans who otherwise never miss an opportunity to resent government regulation happily participate in one of the most heavily regulated activities in America. The same Americans who are normally filled with deep suspicion for government bureaucrats nonetheless hold their state game wardens and wildlife biologists—who set and enforce the limits that guide hunters each season—in high regard. The post-pandemic surge in distrust of science and government mandates has not yet affected wildlife biology and fish-and-game associations.

It’s also ironic, of course, that many left-leaning Americans can be so ambivalent about some of the longest-running, most successful, and scientifically grounded government programs. The same well-meaning people with those signs in their yard that read In this house, we believe … that science is real often seem to be among those happy enough to throw the science aside when it comes to effectively managing wildlife, as in Connecticut, where the state is resisting the recommendation of its own wildlife biologists that it should authorize a bear hunt. Animal-rights activists are fighting to have louder voices on state fish-and-game commissions, minimizing the contributions of hunters as well as the input of state wildlife biologists.

[As Exum says, this is more true of deer hunting than ever, although bears are starting to become a population menace in some areas too, as he notes in this excerpt. We are not only overrun with deer in some areas, they have lost their fear of humans too, bringing health issues like tick-borne diseases into the suburbs. In my old neighborhood in the Twin Cities, the deer would routinely roam through our backyards and streets, creating a nice observational opportunity but also traffic hazards and issues with human habitat. I don’t personally hunt, but I certainly support those who do. — Ed]