This story was originally published in the GenZeal feature of LNP on Sunday, December 14, 2025.
By Caleb Martin ‘27
Bang! The sound of a rifle shot echoes through the woods, bringing up a bigger question: How are hunting laws made, and who gets to decide them? Right now, most of the people talking are hunters. Many people who care about nature or the environment stay silent. If ordinary people don’t get involved, hunting rules could be shaped by just a few voices or wrong ideas, which could hurt conservation funding and wildlife management.
Hunting is more than a hobby; it’s a big part of conservation in the United States. “The purchase of federal duck stamps, required by all waterfowl hunters, provides the funding needed to conserve new lands, enhancing opportunities for outdoor activities where people can connect with nature,” explains the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s “A non-hunter’s guide to hunting.”
If hunting laws get stricter and fewer people hunt, that money for conservation could disappear, making it harder for wildlife agencies to protect nature.
What the general public thinks about hunting matters. According to the National Rifle Association journal American Hunter, licensed hunters represent less than 5% of the total U.S. population in any given year, but 79% of nonhunters support legal, regulated hunting.
Hunting helps to keep nature balanced when done right. But if nonhunters don’t get involved, hunting laws might be made by a small group, sometimes by people who want to ban it completely, which isn’t always best for the environment or most people.
That’s why everyone should speak up, even if they don’t hunt. Hunting laws affect anyone who enjoys the outdoors. If you hike, fish or just like being outside, these laws matter to you. Participating in these decisions keeps the rules fair and ensures there’s still funding to protect wildlife for the future.
Hunting laws don’t just matter to hunters; they affect everyone who cares about wild places. The more people speak up, the better chance we have to protect America’s nature now and for future generations.
More People Need to Weigh in on Hunting Laws
This story was originally published in the GenZeal feature of LNP on Sunday, December 14, 2025.
By Caleb Martin ‘27
Bang! The sound of a rifle shot echoes through the woods, bringing up a bigger question: How are hunting laws made, and who gets to decide them? Right now, most of the people talking are hunters. Many people who care about nature or the environment stay silent. If ordinary people don’t get involved, hunting rules could be shaped by just a few voices or wrong ideas, which could hurt conservation funding and wildlife management.
Hunting is more than a hobby; it’s a big part of conservation in the United States. “The purchase of federal duck stamps, required by all waterfowl hunters, provides the funding needed to conserve new lands, enhancing opportunities for outdoor activities where people can connect with nature,” explains the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s “A non-hunter’s guide to hunting.”
If hunting laws get stricter and fewer people hunt, that money for conservation could disappear, making it harder for wildlife agencies to protect nature.
What the general public thinks about hunting matters. According to the National Rifle Association journal American Hunter, licensed hunters represent less than 5% of the total U.S. population in any given year, but 79% of nonhunters support legal, regulated hunting.
Hunting helps to keep nature balanced when done right. But if nonhunters don’t get involved, hunting laws might be made by a small group, sometimes by people who want to ban it completely, which isn’t always best for the environment or most people.
That’s why everyone should speak up, even if they don’t hunt. Hunting laws affect anyone who enjoys the outdoors. If you hike, fish or just like being outside, these laws matter to you. Participating in these decisions keeps the rules fair and ensures there’s still funding to protect wildlife for the future.
Hunting laws don’t just matter to hunters; they affect everyone who cares about wild places. The more people speak up, the better chance we have to protect America’s nature now and for future generations.
Sources:
Why Public Opinion of Hunting Matters | An Official Journal Of The NRA
Anti-Hunting Laws: A Slap in the Face to Conservation – Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation
A non-hunter’s guide to hunting | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service