Austin/WI

I say go with the Pro-Hunting topic too. I had to a paper on Wilderness Survival my senior year and I was able to stretch my paper out to about 20-22 pages. You should be able to hit 15 no problem. You could try doing a dispelling the myths kind of write. Have a paragraph dedicated to a myth about hunting/hunters then do another paragraph dedicated to ripping the myth to shreads. Good Luck on it! I bet there are plenty of people on here to help you out on it as well! (proofing, additional brainstorming)

MN/Kyle

Thanks everyone for the help! I've decided to write about, why hunting is good. Obviously not the title, but the subject. I'll be focusing on the economy and revenue the industry generates, and also the importance of conservation. I will talk about what hunters do, food plots, wood duck houses, management and so on. I will also raise and counter the anti's arguments and statements. I think this will be a tough paper, but a good time doing it, it is something i'm very passionate about this subject, and hope to get my point accross, and maybe even sway a couple people OUR way! thanks again, more help may be needed in the future keep an eye out! Thanks guys, good to know there is a place for help anytime you need it.

Windwalker7

I'm not sure of accurate statistics or numbers but here are a few things you might want to check into for your paper.


As you know, there is a big push for people to turn to being vegetarian. Most do it thinking they are protecting animals. Yet they don't understand how many tons of herbacides and pesticides are dumped into the environment each year to grow those veggies.

How many songbirds ingest or feed to their young, pesticide tainted insects? Explain that birds don't know that,that slow, easy to catch insect is tainted with poison. They eat it or feed it to their young.

How many acreas of wildlife habitat is turned into crop fields to grow those veggies for vegetarians? Explain how animals lose there homes as farmers turn them into large crop fields.

How many of those farmers allow hunting to protect those crops for vegetarians? Explain that many animals like to eat vegetables too and farmers encourage hunting to protect crops.

People need to know that becoming a vegetarianwill cause animals to die so they can eat vegetables.

MN/Kyle

EXCELENT POINT WINDWALKER!
There is about 4-5 pages right there!Guys, if you have more ideas don't be afraid to share! Really, I DON'T MIND!Thanks,
KP

grizzly_hackle36

Another point to make is the fact that most big game animals and many more small and medium size game animals, turkeys, duck and deer in particular, would not have a place in America today if not for the efforts of hunters and conservationalists. It's the taxes we pay and the money and time we donate that makes it possible for the antis to even see wildlife.

bigzombee69

How about the topic of why the Goverment keeps taking away money brought in by hunters and blowing iton things like repaving the beltwayor new night lightson thestreetsand states are now alotted to sell public hunting land to developers instead of paying to have it maintained.

Just remember, its a free country still so voice your opinion loud enough to be heard and maybe they will listen.

Windwalker7

Try Googling these sights to get info on the good hunters do


Ducks Unlimited

National Wild Turkey Federation

Ruffed Grouse Society

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

Izaak Walton League of America

Pheasants Forever

This is just to name a few. There is a world of info here. Explain the how, what, where, when hunters do for wildlife. These organizations stress habitat improvement. They raise the money and get the job done. Who else does that? Explain that antihuntinggroups do nothing to improve habitat. Add up the money spent by these prohunting organizations in addition to the revenue generated by hunting license dollars. Its sportsmen that carry the weight not the antis.

In addition to these large organizations, there are the smaller and local sportsman's clubs thatdo their fair share for wildlife.

Explain that when it all adds up, nobody pays more, or gives more,for the benefit of wildlife,than a hunter.Nobody!

SwampCollie

Kyle:

Right now in several urban areas there are heated debates raging about how to properly stem the ever growing whitetail populations. Obviously, people do not want rifles being shot in between houses in their neighborhoods. Some local municipalities have hired private contractors to tranquilze and then sterilize deer. Cost is around $2K PER DEER! On the other hand, VA and a few other states have set up "Urban Archery Programs" where bowhunters can hunt nearly yearround for antlerless deer. Why pay contractors when hunters will acctually pay to remove them! Plenty of good info on the net, and of course PETA and all that bunch abound around the issue. Plenty to find for a 15pg research paper.

chazspot

Kyle, SwampCollie hit the nail on the head. That was exactly what I was going to suggest. Most instructors don't want toread aboutage-old arguments. That is where they will hammer you. You want to bring up current topics and stay away from older debates that have been done to death.

The rising population of whitetail deer in urban areas is a great, current event topic. Swamp Collie gave you some great issues to elaborate on. Also, you might want to point out the cost and impact of deer/car collisions in urban areas. You can also support your arguement with how deer have adapted to increased development in urban areas.

Here is a potential starter:

Due to increased development, we have found ourselves encroaching further and further into what once was prime habitat for whitetail deer. They has answered our increased development and the changing landscape with the ability to adapt to the environment we create. This ability to adapt causes an increase in conflicts and encounters between urban living and whitetail deer. As a result of these conflicts and encounters, there is an evergrowing need for deer herd management in urban areas.

Good Luck

MN/Kyle

Grizzly: You are corret, its amazing how much money hunters donate. I don't think there would be anyway to find out the actuall amount, i bet its unbelievable.

BigZombee: oh, you best believe my i'll voice my opinion.

Windwalker: Here in MN i am on the local NWTF turkey committee "Tripple Gobble Chapter" . I have the connections there to interview the regional director, if i want.And you are right, Nothing is a bigger benifit to wildlife then us.

Swampcollie: Thanks for the great info, i never knew anything about this. Definently will fit nicely into my paper somewhere.

Chaz: i totally understand what your saying about age old topics, but, with my paper being a 15 pager it may be hard not to add some "filler" stuff if you may wich may be pulled from the past. With that said, you and swampcollie bring up excellent points, and will for sure be talked about more in depth than the others.