Hunters respect nature and the animals we harvest more than anyone who sits at home calling themselves a “nature lover,” because we are out there.

After reading the articles about Hunting that were published in the Post’s Editorial section the last two weeks, I thought it best to share some facts about hunting as well as some of my own personal opinions on the subject. Josh McCracken’s article seems to paint hunters as cowardly, antiquated, heartless hicks that hunt only to hang a head on a wall and destroy nature.

This could not be further from the truth. First of all, hunters do not kill simply to hang a mount on the wall. Most deer are never mounted, and the statement about a doe being born just so it could end up as a “decoration above the fireplace” only goes to show that McCracken is trying to appeal to emotion rather than reason.

Responsible hunters eat the game they take, and if we have any left over, we donate it. Hunters donate an average of 170 tons of meat annually to Hunt for the Hungry, a national program started right here in Wisconsin which serves 1.4 million meals per year. Furthermore, we donate more money to conservation and wildlife preservation than most. When was the last time your favorite conservation group donated $1.8 billion to conservation? And that does not include the $710 million we pay annually in licensing costs and fees that also go to support conservation efforts.

The days of commercial hunting – which is now illegal – and decimation of species are long gone. In fact, since the introduction of wildlife management legislation in the U.S., the population of every hunted species has risen substantially.

Unfortunately, some wildlife populations have risen too much. Deer, for example, have exploded in numbers and have the nasty little habit of running out onto the road. These deer are hit by vehicles, leading to an estimated 1.5 million deer-vehicle collisions each year. These collisions result in “150 occupant deaths and tens of thousands of injuries,” according to the Insurance Information Institute. Wisconsin has suffered two deaths from deer collisions in the last month.

And let’s not forget about the economics behind the billions of dollars in damage that deer do to landscaping, vehicles and crops every year. Wildlife populations need to be managed, plain and simple, and hunting is a necessary and effective wildlife management tool.

Whether you like it or not, that is a fact. Hunters keep deer numbers down, which keeps them out of the road and out of your lap, and we do it safely and responsibly.

I have had the privilege of enjoying hunting for 12 years, and my respect for the outdoors and nature is as full as anyone else out there. Responsible hunters make up 99% of the people hunting and we detest the idiots who don’t have the common decency to respect nature.

Hunters respect nature and the animals we harvest more than anyone who sits at home calling themselves a “nature lover,” because we are out there, and we want to keep the outdoors just as beautiful, and just as healthy, as is was the first time we stepped out into it. We learn patience, confidence and respect, all while getting some time to relax and enjoy nature, family and friends.

To me, hunting is about the chickadee that landed on my rifle barrel and looked at me like I was the funniest thing it had ever seen. It’s about the squirrel that jumped about a foot in the air and then cussed me out after it realized it had just run over me. Those are the times that make a good hunt, not just whether or not I got a deer.

Responsible hunting is a necessary, effective, and moral wildlife management tool that benefits wildlife populations, the environment, the economy and even the hungry. All that aside, if you don’t like hunting, OK, fine by me. It is certainly not for everyone, but it is necessary, and it is honorable.

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