It is said that there are two schools of thought on hunting - the American model and the European model. In the American model, the public owns the wildlife, land is readily (moreso) accessible, the government manages game populations and habitat, and essentially anyone can buy a license and hunt, for a reasonable cost. In European model, land is essentially controlled by the wealthy landowners, access is tightly controlled, game belongs to those who own the land, hunting is pretty much out of reach for all but a privileged few, and it is very expensive. I may have oversimplified, but the general points are valid, I believe.
So, my question is: Do you think we are headed toward the European model, and, if so, how far along do you think we are?
Personally, I believe we are progressing on a rapid course in that direction, although our large tracts of public lands in places of low population density provides us a cushion that Europe never provided for. However, in more populated areas, we do not seem far away. As fewer people hunt in the future, I predict management agency budgets will shrink rapidly, and that will only accelerate the pace of change.
What say you?
