Wildlife Conservation | Five Hunting Organizations You Should Join

Hunting Organizations Help Wildlife More Than You Think

When most people think about wildlife conservation groups, hunting organizations and pro-hunting interests probably don’t come to mind. Admittedly, it’s a little counter-intuitive on the surface. Hunting animals to save them? I can see how people get confused. But let’s look at the facts.

First, hunters have a vested interest in the continued survival of wild animals. We love being outdoors in wild places because they inspire and rejuvenate us. We respect and hunt wild game for the nutritious meat it provides for our families. But we also just love watching wild animals for the sake of watching them. If we want to continue doing that, we need to support programs and responsible management of them. And that’s where these hunting groups come in.

Hunting organizations serve multiple roles. They primarily exist to save wildlife and their habitats through many different projects and initiatives. They also educate the public on the importance of conserving wildlife and provide educational resources for them. Many also serve as a policy advocacy group on behalf of hunters to ensure ethical management of wildlife populations.

But on a deeper level, these groups do something more for us individually. They provide a community of like-minded people, united together to improve habitats and save wildlife. For new or solo hunters especially, belonging to a group like this is huge.

How Hunters Support Wildlife Conservation

Before we dive into the hunting organizations, here are a few ways hunters pay for wildlife conservation efforts.

• The Pittman-Robertson Act of 1937. Sales of hunting equipment (firearms, ammunition, bows, and arrows) include an 11% tax that is given to state agencies. These funds are used for wildlife research and habitat improvement projects.
• 100% of hunting license fees are used by state agencies to conduct habitat improvement and conservation projects.
• Wildlife stamps are separate from hunting licenses and are sometimes optional. However, they provide funds specifically for the species the stamp is named for (e.g., waterfowl stamp, pheasant stamp, etc.).
• Conservation-themed vehicle license plates can be purchased to directly support wildlife conservation.
• Membership dues for conservation organizations are used to support wildlife research and habitat projects.

To have some kind of comparison between them, I checked out each non-profit’s scores on Charity Navigator. This website ranks organizations by several performance indicators to inform donors of how well they are managed. For example, one of the indicators is how efficient they are with funds they raise (i.e., what percentage of funds raised goes towards programs vs. administrative costs or expenses).

Hunting Organizations You Should Join

Without further ado, let’s look at five conservation groups below. If you support wildlife conservation, I’d strongly encourage you to join these hunting groups.

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Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS)

The Ruffed Grouse Society (and its American woodcock division, American Woodcock Society, AWS) was established in 1961 and it is a great hunting organization to join if you’re a new hunter. Why? Small game hunting, especially grouse or woodcock hunting, is a perfect introduction to the wider world of hunting. You don’t need much hunting gear and you can easily hunt several public properties. To be honest, few people still religiously hunt grouse either. That means you can have the woods to yourself more often than not. The video below, from the Project Upland film series, is a partnership with the Ruffed Grouse Society. It uses beautiful cinematography to document the experience of upland bird hunting, as well as what motivates different hunters.

There are also opportunities for members to get together with Ruffed Grouse Society staff to meet and greet. Specifically, here are a few things that the Ruffed Grouse Society does well to support upland species and young forest conservation. Check out their website, Facebook, and Twitter for more information.

• Conduct research on bird biology and habitat management needs.
• Work with government agencies to help manage public lands for young forest and forest-dependent wildlife species.
• Work with land owners to improve private properties for grouse, woodcock, and other wildlife.
• Hunting and shooting events to raise additional funds for conservation.
• Mentored youth hunts to introduce more kids to hunting.
• Social events to help hunters connect.
• Resources for hunters, including information on birds, habitats, seasons, hunting tips, all online or in the Ruffed Grouse Society magazine.

Charity Navigator Score: 91.40/100

JOIN HERE

Annual membership fee: $35

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Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA)

The Quality Deer Management Association was formed in 1988 to improve the quality of the white-tailed deer herd, its habitat, and our hunting experience. Quality deer management (QDM) is not about “trophy hunting” – it’s about creating healthy, balanced deer herds. Why is that important?

A balanced deer herd saves wildlife habitat from over-browsing and ecological destruction. Higher quality habitat makes the deer healthier and helps to prevent starvation or disease. It also has the happy side effect of making deer hunting more exciting. You usually get to see more deer (including bigger, mature deer) and they are more responsive to hunting techniques (e.g., calling, rattling, etc.). These all make for a great day of deer hunting!

I love being involved in local branch events. It allows me to connect with other hunters and learn something new. Here’s what the QDMA does really well in my mind. Check out their website, Facebook, and Twitter for more information.

• Staff includes some biologists/foresters who research whitetail biology and habitat/population management needs. But all staff members are passionate about deer hunting and conservation.
• Partnerships with many universities/agencies/other hunting organizations for cross-pollination of ideas.
• Policy advocacy to protect hunting rights and the whitetail species. They also encourage science-based (not political-based) management by professional wildlife managers.
• Mentored youth hunts and programs to get kids involved, as the video above shows.
• Local branch social events to help hunters network.
• Resources for hunters, including information on deer, habitat, and hunting tips, all in Quality Whitetails magazine and online. More formal Deer Steward classes are also available.

Charity Navigator Score: 90.48/100

JOIN HERE

Annual membership fee: $35

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Pheasants Forever (PF)

In 1982, a group of passionate pheasant hunters saw the connection between upland habitat loss and declining pheasant populations. Pheasants Forever was formed with a mission to focus on wildlife habitat conservation projects, which quickly earned their reputation as “The Habitat Organization.” Pheasants Forever (including its quail conservation division, Quail Forever) is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Since 1982, millions of acres across the country have been restored, improved, or protected because of this hunting organization.

Locally in Minnesota, there are several upcoming events this fall for new hunters (youth or adults). Participants can join the Minnesota DNR and PF representatives on their first pheasant hunt. Check out the PF website, Facebook, and Twitter for more information on how you can get involved.

• Staff includes hundreds of Farm Bill biologists who help private landowners implement habitat improvement projects.
• Advocacy to protect upland hunting rights and promote responsible management of pheasant and quail populations.
• Help landowners navigate Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts, which restore native grassland habitats and reduce erosion/sedimentation.
• Directly conserve and improve upland habitat by acquiring properties, restoring habitats, and opening to public hunting use.
• Mentored youth or adult hunts and programs (including upcoming events in Minnesota).
• Local chapters raise funds and choose how to spend it on habitat projects.
• Hunting and shooting events to raise additional funds for conservation.
• Resources for hunters, including information on birds, habitat, season forecasts, hunting tips, etc.
• Received fifth consecutive 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. Now in the top 6 percent of charities in the country to receive this designation.

Charity Navigator Score: 90.19/100

JOIN HERE

Annual membership fee: $35

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National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF)

In 1973, there were only about 1.5 million wild turkeys left in the country. The National Wild Turkey Federation was formed that same year. Because of their efforts and several other hunting organizations, there are now almost 7 million turkeys! The ‘Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt.’ initiative is a 10-year plan to conserve more habitat, recruit millions of new turkey hunters, and open access to hundreds of thousands of additional acres for hunting purposes. That’s exactly what hunting organizations should be doing!

On my first time turkey hunting, I knew I would be addicted to it for the rest of my life. If you haven’t tried it yet, check out their website, Facebook, and Twitter for more information.

• Staff includes biologists who conduct turkey research and habitat improvement projects in partnership with several other agencies/organizations.
• Legislative advocacy to protect hunting rights and encourage responsible management of populations and habitat.
• Directly conserve and improve turkey habitat (over 17 million acres to date) and opening them to public hunting use.
• Recruiting new hunters through hunting heritage programs, mentored hunts and programs, etc.
• Local groups of hunters meet and collaborate on new projects.
• Various events to raise funds for conservation projects.
• Online and video resources for hunters, including information on turkeys, habitat, hunting tips, etc.

Charity Navigator Score: 89.52/100

JOIN HERE

Annual membership fee: $35

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Ducks Unlimited (DU)

Having its roots in the Dust Bowl era, Ducks Unlimited has been conserving and restoring waterfowl habitat since 1937. Wetlands and grasslands have always been threatened by agriculture or development of some sort. Luckily, Ducks Unlimited has been there to slow the trend along with other hunting organizations. In addition to protecting these important resources, Ducks Unlimited replants forests, conducts scientific studies on waterfowl species, and acquires new hunting properties for us to use.

Even if you’re not a waterfowl hunter (yet), joining Ducks Unlimited is a smart move. Besides supporting their projects financially with your dues, you can learn about waterfowl hunting by getting involved now. Check out their website, Facebook, and Twitter for more information.

• Staff includes biologists who research waterfowl biology and habitat/population management needs.
• Policy advocacy to protect waterfowl hunting rights and encourage ethical management of populations.
• Directly conserve wetlands and waterfowl habitat (more than 14 million acres so far) by acquiring properties, negotiating conservation easements, and restoring habitats.
• Mentored youth hunts and programs at the local level.
• Local chapter events to help hunters connect with each other.
• Volunteer opportunities to help in a more applied situation.
• Hunting and shooting events to raise funds for conservation.
• Resources for hunters include information on birds, habitats, seasons, migrations, hunting tips, etc. Content is available online and in the Ducks Unlimited magazine.

Charity Navigator Score: 83.81

JOIN HERE

Annual membership fee: $35

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Join These Hunting Organizations Today

If you’ve enjoyed hunting or just watching wildlife before, you should thank these hunting organizations for their commitment to conservation.

As I said earlier, I strongly encourage you to join one or more of them as I have. Bottom line: your support helps them support wildlife.

Be part of the solution today!