The Death of Conservation
and the American Hunter — Updated Edition
Originally published in The Greeley Tribune, May 27, 2023. Updated version published November 2, 2024.
Pypr McCloud, Stacy’s daughter, began participating in archery competitions in 2023 and has broken Colorado records! Photo/S McCloud
“No man is entitled
to the blessings of freedom
unless he be vigilant
in its preservation.”
–General Douglas MacArthur
So many people have a preconceived notion that hunting is riding in the back of a Ford pickup truck, tailgate down, hunters squeezed inside cheek-to-cheek with automatic rifles, blasting anything that has a heartbeat and leaving the bodies to rot as the Pinkertons did to the great American bison. Once the ridiculousness of the idea is put into words, the absurdity is realized, and the fairytale is usually put to rest. Hunting is not slaughter. Responsible hunting has so many benefits: it thins herds to help prevent disease, starvation, overcrowding, and destruction.
There are many reasons for hunting that are lost on most of our present society. Modern day grocery stores are little more than a century old. Prior to their invention, every home had a rifle and at least one hunter. The convenience of the world we now live in has long since devoured the idea of the hunters-gatherers humans once were. There was a time when humans had to hunt to feed their families, warm their bodies, and produce light. In short, hunting was the foundation of survival.
The rapid decline in hunting interests directly cuts into funding for conservation. The money generated from the sales of hunting and fishing licenses as well as federal taxes on firearms, ammunition, and fishing equipment provides 60 to 80% of the funding for state wildlife agencies and programs not funded by taxpayers but directly funded by your local hunter and angler.
Stacy’s husband, Colin, and their son, Saxon. Photo/Stacy McCloud
In 1982, hunting participation peaked with around 17 million hunters who purchased short of 30 million licenses. Today, unfortunately, less than 4% of the national population hunts—that is only about 11 million people 16 and older. For the love of conservation, as a society we must find a way to increase these numbers that generationally have declined drastically. In 2021, millennials made up 17% of hunters, second only to the baby boomers who made up a third of all hunters that year. Who will replace the boomers? We must help create generations conscious of the importance of hunting and conservation.
For so many Americans, modern day conveniences and constantly running on the hamster wheel has destroyed their predatorial instincts and disrupted the balance. While the shooting ranges filled with children practicing to receive their hunter’s safety licenses are at an all-time low, sales for first-person shooter games like Call of Duty are at an all-time high. Our children are replacing real life experiences with gigabytes, iPhones, and social media. We are destroying our youth and the future of conservation.
For many families, shooting sports can be a daunting idea—even downright intimidating to those parents who did not grow up in a home with hunters. Have no fear! It is not too late to engage your kiddos and give them tools to last a lifetime. Greeley and Weld County, Colorado offer myriad resources and clubs for the youth with or without experience, including competitive shooting sports for those who want to hunt and those just aiming to enjoy the outdoors, precision, social, and competitive aspect of shooting sports.
From left to right—Lt. Ben Piazza, US Navy; Driver/Engineer Nick Cruz, Colorado Springs Fire Dept.; Cpl. Patrick Schulte, ret. US Marine Corps; and volunteer guide, Brad Fontaine—pose with four Merriam’s toms each harvested near Hot Springs, SD. Photo/Stacy McCloud
Archery is my favorite shooting sport, and very recently I have found a club my teen daughter and I can be part of. I can share my love of the sport with her. Ascent Archery coach Brenda and her team meet every Thursday evening in either their outdoor range in Evans, CO, or their indoor range at the Greeley Recreation Center. The club’s skill levels range from beginner to advanced, with one of Ascent’s female’s ranking eighth in the country with her recurve bow. This is an incredible program for children ranging from 8 to 20 years old.
Fear not, older archers and interested parties! The club meets other times during the week where adults partake in learning the art of archery and even a few arrows fly in friendly competitions. It’s never too late to learn. I was able to participate in competitions with my daughter and oftentimes got pointers and help from more experienced attendees.
Since originally writing this article in May 2023 and joining the Greeley Archers where my daughter Pypr picked up a bow for the first time at the age of 14, she has broken a Colorado record through the JOAD (Junior Olympic Archery Development) program. One year after she joined the program as a novice archer, she broke her first Colorado record.
In summation, animal lovers, conservationists, hippies, hunters, children, and adults, we must all do our job in conserving the delicate balance bequeathed us by God. The health and harmony of nature is dependent on us. Get involved!
“No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.” —General Douglas MacArthur
For information and to get involved with Greeley Archers, call or email President Chris Felice (greeleyarchers.com) 970-302-2647 booder970@gmail.com.
