1. Habitat loss.
This is a problem that we as hunters address by spending money that goes towards buying back land and keeping wild lands wild.
2. Ignorance of the realities of conservation/nature.
This is a problem that organizations have been working hard to address over the past 15 years or so, but there is still more that needs to be done, particularly regarding Africa. Due to separation from nature and wildlife, many people in society (particularly those living in urban areas) simply don't have a clue when it comes to how hunting and conservation actually works. Many people have also grown detached from the realities of nature itself, and so they adopt a sentimentalized/Disneyfied view of wild animals. This can cause many of them to develop an emotional, negative view of hunting and wildlife management, particularly when it comes to "charismatic megafauna" (i.e. polar bears, lions, elephants, etc.)
3. Anti-hunters/Animal-Liberationists:
It's no secret that there is a segment of society that absolutely hates hunting. There is also an overlapping group in society that hates any use of animals by humans (i.e. farming, leather, medicine, seeing-eye dogs, etc.) These people are determined to see all hunting everywhere outlawed forever for purely ideological reasons. Thankfully, they are only a small portion of the population. However, we have to work hard to ensure that the non-hunting majority isn't swayed by the anti-hunters.
4. Social Media
There are multiple issues with social media. The first is that it allows the ignorant (people that aren't educated about the realities of hunting and conservation) and anti-hunters (i.e. idealogues) to spread their views all over the World. The second problem is that some hunters post pictures on social media that are then taken out of context by anti-hunters and are used to demonize and attack hunting. The flip-side of all this is that social media can also be a great tool for getting our message out there. It's still important to share what we do, and to educate the general public about what hunting actually is. Blood Origins has been doing a great job with this.
5. Misinformation:
This ties in with social media, but it also applies to settings outside of it. The MSM, Western politicians and others often spread misinformation about hunting (either intentionally or unintentionally). The issue becomes worse when celebrities (who are often highly misinformed about the issues they talk about) give their opinions, because they have large audiences and many of their fans feel the need to conform to what they believe. There's a pretty long list of talking points that are typically thrown out. Some of them include:
- "Trophy hunting is wrong" ("trophy hunting" being the practice of killing something and leaving the meat to rot; a practice which doesn't happen.
- "How could killing animals help the species?" ignorance of wildlife management)
- "Hunters enjoy killing." (ignorance/misunderstanding of hunter motivations)
- "Hunting is not necessary." (ignorance of where meat comes from, and the necessity of managing wildlife populations)
Ultimately, it is up to each of us as individual hunters (as well as the organizations that represent us) to fight this misinformation wherever we see it.
It's important for us to approach the issue with a cool head. What is important to remember is that many people who may espouse negative opinions about hunting (e.g. "killing elephants is sick," "trophy hunting is evil," etc.) likely have never been given the facts on the issue. If you respond to them in an aggressive manner (e.g. "you're an idiot!") you will just radicalize that person further. If you just calmly give them the facts (e.g. "actually, elephants are hunted because xyz," or "actually, the meat from big game hunts is not wasted," etc.) you are far more likely to get a positive response.
On the whole, I'm actually optimistic about the future of hunting. People like Joe Rogan help to normalize hunting, and he has a massive audience. Organizations like SCI and DSC are continuing to improve their messaging and education, and other groups like Blood Origins are helping to educate the non-hunting public. This billboard in Victoria (Australia) is a great example:
I also notice that on social media, it is far more common now to see people in comments sections correcting people and posting facts about hunting. African countries are also growing increasingly intolerant of Western countries trying to dictate how they should manage their wildlife, and are making their voices heard (see President Masisi's offer to send 20,000 elephants to Germany). This neo-colonialist (or eco-colonialist) attitude is increasingly being exposed for what it is, and I believe that it will make it a lot harder for the average person to comfortably side with anti-hunting Western Governments on this issue.
