#125 - Why Hunting Isn't Conservation and Why It Matters with Kevin Bixby

Kevin Bixby is the Executive Director of the SW Environmental Center and recently published an article titled “Why Hunting Isn’t Conservation and Why It Matters."  I asked him on the show for this episode to help me better understand what he means by this.  By no means is this an anti-hunting article, in fact, Kevin is a hunter himself and is the first to admit that hunting has played a key role in the preservation of American big game animals.  That said, he feels the modern conservation model needs to change in a way that reflects the values of ALL those interested in the preservation of wildlife.  If you’re interested in reading the full article, you can find a link to this article in the show notes.SHOW NOTES:IntroductionsKevin Bixby and his backgroundHow Kevin Bixby got into the political side of conservationScience versus value systemsThe rise of new value systemsAmerica’s Wildlife Values SurveyThe changes in cultural valuesA short history of the modern wildlife conservation modelThe need to pivot to a modern conservation modelWhat’s wrong with the “hunting is conservation” argumentHow State and federal wildlife agencies receive fundingThe impact of invasive speciesDoes industry impact conservation efforts?Game management as crop management The current imbalance of decision making The topic of wolves and predatorsThe future of hunting in modern timesThe  “hunting is conservation” mantraWhat keeps Kevin going year after yearBorder walls and the impact of wildlife migrationHow to follow up with Kevin Bixby and his workKevin’s Original Article: https://rewilding.org/hunting-isnt-conservation/America's Wildlife Values Survey: https://sites.warnercnr.colostate.edu/wildlifevalues/Southwest Environmental Center: https://www.wildmesquite.org/index.php/Contact Kevin: [email protected] the show!Support the showThanks for tuning in!  Check out the links below to learn more, connect, and support the show.www.byland.coJoin my NON-SPAM newsletterLeave a [email protected]