A Question of Hunting
Money for Wildlife
• Federal Aid in Wildlife
Restoration Act (1937)
– Placed federal tax on hunting
license, firearms, and
ammunition
– Required money be used for
wildlife restoration
• Federal Aid in Sport Fish
Restoration Act
– Required taxes collected on
fishing and boating
equipment be used for fish
habitats
Money for Wildlife
• In 2006, the Fish and Wildlife
Services received $364 million
from restoration funds
• In most states, money comes
from hunting licenses
• Money used for…
– Purchase and develop land for
restoration
– Maintain land suitable for wildlife
– Conduct research to solve wildlife
problems
Game vs. Nongame
Game Species - can be legally
hunted
Nongame Species -are not
ordinarily taken for sport, fur, or
food
Return of the Whitetails
• Many states had no whitetail
deer left by the late 1920s
because of unregulated
hunting
• After wildlife restoration
funds were created, refuges
were stocked with deer from
other states
– Hunting was regulated
– Strict enforcement of game
laws
– High priority on habitat
restoration
Return of the Whitetails
• White tailed deer are now most abundant big game species
in North America
• Population ranges from 20-25 million
Game Management
• Humans have become the deer’s major predator
• Regulated hunting has become a primary method
of wildlife management
– Survey to determine carrying capacity and population
density of habitat
– Managers set limits to allow harvesting of surplus
game
To Hunt or not to Hunt
• Days of market hunting
are gone
– Killing and selling game
without regulation
• However, some states
have more animals killed
illegally than legally
• Poaching
– Refers to taking of wildlife
by illegal method
– Mostly done for sport or
profit
Environmental Challenge: Too Many
Deer
• You are the manager of the 185-Acre Schlitz
Audubon Center in Milwaukee. Here is your
problem:
– The Carrying capacity of the nature center is
about 12 deer. During the last 10 years the
population of deer has increased from 14 to 50.
Twenty-seven fawns were born this spring. The
deer are damaging the plants at the nature center.
– As Manager of the nature center, you must
present the possible solutions to the board of
directors. List at least three possible solutions, and
give the advantages and disadvantages of each.