The Hunt for Balance
The Role of Responsible Hunting in Conservation
by Linda Sones
Hunters are conservationists. And they are the most successful conservationists in history. Let me explain why I say this. The forests are full of diversity. Plant and animal spe- cies are numbered in the thousands, if not millions. They all rely on each other for food, shelter, and all things necessary for life. For millions of years, bears, wolves, and even the weather kept deer herd num- bers in check. The American Indians hunted deer for food, clothing, and tools. As the Colonials moved in, they also hunted the whitetail for the same reasons. This led to the deer population greatly diminishing. As time moved on, the need to hunt became less of a requirement. Villages, towns, and cities had grocery stores, and beef and sheep ranches provided the meat. As man populated the country, they removed the predators that hunted the now-lacking deer be- cause the predators started to attack their cattle and sheep. People became used to having beef, lamb and hunted less for their food.
The 2025 whitetail deer hunting season is coming fast. Some disapprove of it, some love it. Some think it is cruel and unnecessary. For other, it’s how they keep their family fed. I grew up on a small farm with a large family. We were not well off and had to grow most of our food. Our clothes were homemade, and as for meat, we either raised it or hunted for it. My father and brothers went hunting, but we girls weren’t allowed, as dad viewed it as a man’s job. My mom went once, and maybe she had something to do with his decision to make the girls stay home. But hunting kept our bellies full and saved a lot of money that would have been spent at the grocery store. As an adult, I began hunting in Washington State and later with my husband, a Master Guide in Maine. We spent all our free time in the “County” (Aroostook County, Maine) hunting and fishing, camping, and exploring. Our shared passion for hunting and the outdoors became a tradition we valued and wanted to pass along.
Today, many deer are still killed by bears, coyotes,
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