Good article on the decline of hunting and its impact to preservation, http://dnr.wi.gov/wnrmag/2011/10/hunting.htm#1
I too am an eco-redneck. I really don’t want to save Bambi, but rather I care passionately about protecting species and habitats. I grew up bow hunting. I haven’t hunted in a few years, but am still an avid fly fisherman. Hunting and fishing instill you with a love for the outdoors and hopefully a good land ethic (thank you Aldo Leopold!). I will never forget the years growing up and hunting with my father and friends. I loved the thrill of the hunt, but I also equally loved the natural experiences that being out in the woods afforded me. While on my deer stand over the years, I had a chickadee land on my bow, watched a roughed grouse scratch near my feel, saw my first and only Great Grey Owl swoop in for a mouse, and watched the elusive badger come out of its hole. Thanks to hunting I have these experiences connecting me to the land and connecting me to the food we eat.