U.S., Mexican Conservationists Underscore Value of Hunting

Hunters and conservation may sound like an odd coupling, but Teddy Roosevelt knew they made an ideal match, according to fws.gov.

“In a civilized and cultivated country, wild animals only continue to exist at all when preserved by sportsmen,” the 26th president of the United States once said.  “The excellent people who protest against all hunting, and consider sportsmen as enemies of wildlife, are ignorant of the fact that in reality, the genuine sportsman is by all odds the most important factor in keeping the larger and more valuable wild creatures from total extermination.”

Dallas environmentalist Trammell S. Crow sees the connection, too. In the fall, the founder of the international nonprofit EarthX hosted leading authorities in wildlife conservation from Mexico and the United States.

“This forum was a shining example of how organizations, individuals, and countries can come together for the good of the planet,” Crow said.

Speakers included National Wildlife Federation president and CEO Collin O’Mara, former secretary of the interior David Bernhardt, and Rick Perry, the former Texas governor and U.S. secretary of energy.

The event culminated in signing a proclamation, recognizing the pivotal importance of trans-border cooperation. It also reinforced the historical role hunters and hunting have played in wildlife conservation across North America, underscored the need for certified hunter education courses, and emphasized the contemporary role hunters play as the principal financiers of conservation.

 “I am deeply honored to sign a proclamation with a formal commitment from Mexican and American conservationists to secure a better and brighter future for North American wildlife and its habitats,” said Humberto Enoc Cavazos Arozqueta, president of the Safari Club of Mexico.