Last year, the National Rifle Association introduced Wild Game Meat Donation Month to take place in November of 2023. At that time, the pressing issue was to make hunters aware of the group of organizations around the United States that take donations of wild game meat and use it to feed those with food insecurity issues. One of the two research projects/surveys completed in 2022 by the NRA Hunters’ Leadership Forum showed that many hunters did not know about the Hunters for the Hungry/Hunters Sharing the Harvest network, nor where to drop off game meat.
The other research project/survey showed that most of the Hunters for the Hungry/Hunters Sharing the Harvest groups did not receive enough money or wild game meat to complete their missions in full. I am happy to report that many organizations jumped in to help spread the word, and we hope they and others will do the same again this year.
The goal of the November 2024 Wild Game Meat Donation Month will be to share that same message of the importance of donating extra wild game meat but also adding one new critical component. We are also requesting that all hunters share their wild game meat with a non-hunter. Make a point to cook a meal and tell your story with a non-hunter in the 24/25 season.
Our research, outlined in the Hunters’ Leadership Forum’s book, proved that non-hunters will support hunting activities when they know a hunter. We also learned that when non-hunters understand that we consume the wild game meat, they approve of hunting by an astounding 98%.
To enhance Cultural Acceptance of Hunting, all hunters can do their part by sharing a meal, and telling their story. That story includes not only the personal aspects of what you got out of the hunting adventure, but also, all the proven details that non-hunters need to hear to keep and grow their support. Like these:
- Legal regulated hunting has never resulted in diminished wildlife populations. In fact, it is just the opposite. It was hunters that have brought back many of the wild game species in the United States today through their contributions to habitat, science, and proper game management.
- Hunters help state wildlife agencies manage biodiversity. That means that hunters help maintain healthy wildlife populations across the whole spectrum. Hunting is a conservation and wildlife management tool that produces ecological benefits to both game and non-game species. Hunters pay the majority share that fund state wildlife agencies through the purchase of hunting licenses, firearms, and ammunition.
- Hunters spend a lot of money in rural areas of the United States while traveling to hunt. Both instate and nonresident hunters add over a billion dollars to the rural economies in any given year with purchases of fuel, hotels, meals, and hunting licenses. Some rural areas rely on these hunters for their local towns to thrive.
- Define hunting as a feed source. This is a very important one, as mentioned, if properly explained gets 98% support from non-hunters. Explain that hunters are required by law to use the meat from the animals they harvest, and we use it to feed our families and those in need. 660,000,000 pounds of wild game meat was taken from the field in 2022. All-natural organic biological surplus.
- Pittman & Robertson (PR) funding has been the best thing for conservation in American and it is all funded by hunters and shooters. Sometimes it is hard to explain PR unless you fully understand it, but it is worth learning about so you can educate others. Many other nations are jealous of our model of conservation funding, so it is worth knowing and educating others. PR has raised over 17 billion dollars since 1934 - that’s a big deal.
If more and more of us learn these facts and we can get every new hunter to understand and communicate this information to the non-hunting public, then I believe we have a chance to maintain and grow cultural acceptance of hunting. Get your “elevator speech” down with three of the facts above so you can rattle if off in a few minutes when given the opportunity. Those three minutes can maybe turn someone into a supporter.
There are other initiatives that are being developed to help spread the word about our positive attributes, but if everyone does their part, we will win this education war against the anti-hunting organizations that are trying to reduce and, in some cases, end our rights.
Have a happy and safe hunting this season!
– Peter Churchbourne, Managing Director Hunters’ Leadership Forum
