[KegRiver]

When my dad moved to Alberta in the early 1930s there were few conservation laws few game guardians (game wardens), few hunters and tons of game.

He saw that change to the system I grew up with, minimal conservation laws, one or two game wardens in every town and plenty of game.

I saw that change to the system we have now. Hundreds of thousands of hunters, hundreds of thousands of conservation laws, no more game wardens then before and less game then there has ever been in the recorded history of this province.

Change is inevitable. The speed and extent of that change is up to us.

Will hunting as we know it end? It has to. Will it end altogether? It doesn't have to.

Will anti hunting sentiment bring about an end to hunting? I doubt it.
Will bull headed selfish hunters bring about the end of hunting, maybe.

The enemy is not out there gentlemen. The enemy is here, it is us.

So long as we hunt because we can, so long as our primary goal is to put a trophy on the wall, so long as our interests are more important to us then the health of the planet and the rights of others, then hunting will end.

So long as we can not express our true thoughts, without resorting to insults and personal attacks, we can never face the issues that will bring about an end to hunting for ever, for everyone.

But it doesn't have to be that way. We can have trophy hunting, we can have bow hunting, we can have opportunity for all, if we give a little for the sake of the other guy.

See it's not over hunting, it's not trophy hunting, it's not special hunting rights, it's not even too many hunters or poor conservation laws or the lack of conservation law enforcement enforcement that will end hunting.

It is our inflexibility. Our refusal to even consider the other guys position.

It is this infighting that we do that is our greatest enemy.

Hunting will change with or without our approval. If it continues there will come a time when fenced hunting may be all that will be available for many hunters. The human population is rapidly expanding and our resources are diminishing. If we can not discuss that possibility rationally and civilly we will fail.

At some point we will have no other choice other then to adapt or see hunting come to an end.

The ball is in our court gentlemen.