Nugent: Wildlife Science Battlecry

Celebrate the amazing wildlife management success story of North America and say Hallelujah and pass the backstraps like you mean it.

It really wasn’t that long ago when America woke up to the heartbreaking disaster of the irresponsible, runaway, indiscriminate market hunting slaughter of our precious wildlife.

Ted Nugent with Osceola Turkey
Healthy, huntable, sustainable populations of wild turkeys around the country are one of the great comeback stories, all thanks to hunters and conservationists.

With bison nearly wiped out by a corrupt government program to eliminate the spiritual beast that supported the Native American culture and the near decimation of so many large and small game species for the world market, thank God a small but determined cadre’ of hunter/conservationists stepped up and sounded the alarm, thereby implementing the simple science of sustain yield and regulated harvests based on sound scientific productivity reality.

Whew! That was a close one.

And due to the miracle of God’s renewable creation, within a few short years wildlife populations began to rebound. Financed by sporters’ self-imposed regulations and license fees, the North American wildlife management model proved to be the envy of the world, and the good old days of hunting, fishing and trapping took off like a firestorm.

We have it so good in North America that even a less than perfect hunting season is still as fun and exciting as can be. But if we truly take a good, hard, honest look at hunting these days, there is enormous room for improvement by implementing a serious dose of sincere critical thinking.

In a nutshell, hunting, fishing and trapping must be managed for maximum family hours of recreation while generating maximum revenues for states’ economies without ever overharvesting or jeopardizing the resource.

Unfortunately, with the dumbing down of America, the runaway and ever plummeting disconnect with our elected employees and the embarrassing scourge of political correctness dishonesty, we are certainly not maximizing anything anywhere near its potential.

When there are still nine states that make 50 percent of the average Joe’s hunting season illegal by banning Sunday hunting, clearly the cards are stacked against recruitment and intentionally creating attrition in our ranks.

When bureaucrats ignore simple white-tailed deer biology and ban feeding and baiting in some states, while many other state’s trained biologists conclude there is no negative consideration to feeding and baiting, less recruitment and increased attrition are given.

When good, decent hunters are harassed by laws forcing them to case their guns and bows while traveling to and from their deerstands, even on their own private property, people get so frustrated that they simply quit hunting.

When bureaucrats and biologists in Michigan can out and out lie that the number one official migratory game bird on planet earth is somehow a songbird, Michigan families are denied the #1 activity enjoyed and celebrated by more families than any other outdoor activity in the nation.

Venison Backstraps
Backstraps in the frying pan — the ultimate renewable wildlife resource.

When there are so many sandhill cranes in Michigan that farmers can shoot them at will but are forbidden by law to eat the “rib eye in the sky” like so many other states, one can only wonder what could possibly motivate bureaucrats and the DNR to outlaw the most basic ethic of wise use conservation.

When game departments in some states hysterically overreact to CWD that they spend tens of millions of sporters’ dollars to wipe out thousands and thousands of deer, thereby causing yet more attrition and discouraging recruitment, we are clearly witnessing dishonesty and abuse of power much to the detriment of our hunting heritage.

When fawn-killing wolves, bears and coyotes are unnecessarily overprotected, who could possibly be surprised that deer herds are reduced so drastically that hunters simply don’t go hunting in those historically prime areas anymore.

We can kill six ducks and 15 doves but are only allowed three shells in our shotguns. What is that all about?

There are so many counterproductive, absurd, arbitrary, non-scientific laws and regulations across the country, that many law professionals have declared that a hunter needs a fulltime lawyer to know what the heck is legal and what is illegal.

I haven’t even scratched the surface here of crazy laws and regulations across the land.

The North American wildlife management model is the envy of the world, and we as hunters must demand that it stays that way.

I would implore my fellow sporters to review the regulations in the states where they hunt and want to hunt, and start asking questions, demanding changes and raising hell with our elected employees and game departments to get rid of all laws and regs that play no meaningful role in wildlife management, and that represent a disastrous minefield that deters recruitment and causes attrition in our hunting sport and lifestyle.

Join me on my facebook/TedNugent daily conversation to take part in the self-evident truth, logic and commonsense that is alive and well out there. Upgrade is a beautiful thing, especially when it comes to the ultimate joys of the Great Outdoors. Maximize it like you mean it.


With more than 40 million albums sold, rock legend Ted Nugent is equally well known as the nation’s most outspoken proponent of our 1st and 2nd Amendment rights, conducting thousands of pro-gun, pro-freedom, pro-American interviews in major media worldwide. Nugent is a New York Times best-selling author whose works include Ted, White & Blue —The Nugent Manifesto; God, Guns & Rock ‘n’ Roll and Kill It & Grill It.This year, his award-winning Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild TV show celebrates its 500th episode! For all things Nuge, visit www.tednugent.com

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