Conservation Corner: October 11, 1999

What If Hunting Was Banned? - Part 1
by James L. Cummins

Over the past several years there has been a major controversy to ban hunting on some public lands and protest hunting in general. And even there has been several recent editorials in newspapers from the Coast to Jackson to North Mississippi regarding animal rights.

Let's take a hypothetical situation to show what would happen in Mississippi if, in fact, hunting was banned. As of November 1, 1999 it is now illegal to hunt whitetail deer in Mississippi. In other words, hunting is now a thing of the past. Several months later in July of 2000, Mississippi's deer herd increases from 1.7 million animals to 3.5 million animals. That is about 1.5 million animals greater than the current habitat can support. So how will the surplus deer herd be reduced? Remember, hunting is now illegal.

The Delta is the hardest hit. Counties bordering the Mississippi River were approaching carrying capacity before the hunting ban and now the deer herd is totally out of control. Farming, the lifeblood of the Delta economy, is virtually impossible. Rice, cotton and soybean production cease. Regeneration of timber along the Mississippi River ceases because of deer eating young seedlings. The thousands of acres that have been planted in bottomland hardwoods through the Wetland Reserve Program are now bare of vegetation.

Even our urban areas are accruing damage from whitetail deer. The number of collisions with deer and automobiles has climbed to 40,000 statewide. Human fatalities increased to over 400. Automobile insurance rates have increased 30%. Highway 49 between Magee and Hattiesburg becomes a deer dodging region. A Sunday afternoon drive is hazardous to one's health. And on Interstates 10, 20 and 55, interstate commerce is lessened because truckers fear traveling through the state. Because hunting is illegal, there are no funds to support the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks or the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science. The sign on their door says "Out of Business." We have no biologists nor conservation officers. The loss in license revenue alone is $13 million. Federal aid through Pittman-Robertson funds generated by the sale of hunting equipment is also lost. That total is $4 million dollars. State sales tax and income tax dollars lost to Mississippi amount to $72 million. Retail sales drop $1.8 billion dollars.

Wildlife management areas close and revert back to private ownership. Sporting goods stores close. Our restaurants and motels in rural areas cease to exist. Hunting lodges close. Over 35,000 people have lost their jobs. All wildlife populations in Mississippi decrease because hunters are not providing the dollars to support them. Many private, non-profit conservation organizations have also closed their doors.

Next week, we will continue with this hypothetical scenario to further show what might happen if hunting in the Magnolia State was banned.

James L. Cummins is Executive Director of the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation in Stoneville, Mississippi. Known as "Wildlife Mississippi," the Foundation is a non-profit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore and enhance fish, wildlife and plant resources throughout Mississippi.