Hunters learn at an early age how great wild game meat is. Not just the taste but also how good it is for you. Typically wild game is much leaner than its domesticated counterparts. On top of that, the energy expended by hunters chasing this wild meat also lends its self to a healthier lifestyle. However, many people in the world have never experienced wild game meat nor have they been able to go hunting.
As a result, Wyoming has joined an international campaign to create more information about the sustainable harvest of wild game. The campaign will discuss topics like the costs of raising animals for food vs the costs of wild game harvest. Or the positive payoff for the environment by managing herd sizes. Likewise, the campaign will also talk about how hunters do not only harvest game just for themselves and their families but also how game meat is donated to needy families and food shelters.
The Wild Harvest Initiative is leading the way on this wild game campaign. Wildlife Conservation Groups, Wildlife Agencies, and Outdoor Products Manufacturers have all joined forces with The Wild Harvest Initiative to bring the campaign to the forefront. The Wild Harvest Initiative mission statement reads as follows:
The Wild Harvest Initiative® is the first serious effort to synthesize and evaluate the total economic, conservation and social benefits of recreational wild animal harvests in the US and Canada. Its scientific approach, combined with a strategic knowledge mobilization and advocacy plan, will reframe debates about the relevance of wild and natural harvests in modern North America. This is not a project, but a narrative-changing program. It is not a finite intervention, but a relentless innovation. It does not seek to change society but takes energy from society’s culture of change.
So, what are your thoughts on Wyoming joining The Wild Harvest Initiative? How much wild game do you eat a year? Let us know in the comments!
