Throughout U.S. history, many of our most important wildlife-restoration and conservation actions have been led by Americans who love to hunt animals. The Boone & Crockett Club is the oldest example of this. Founded in 1887 by Theodore Roosevelt and George Grinnell, in honor of pioneering hunters and frontiersmen Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett, the club has maintained a small membership of ardent sportsmen who promote the ethics of fair hunting, unspoiled wilderness, and “manly sport with the rifle.” The group was an early champion of national parks and initiated many wildlife-management measures, with a special interest in big game, habitat conservation, and “fair chase and sportsmanship.” It has spawned and supported many other groups like the American Bison Society, which was important in saving that animal from extinction, and Ducks Unlimited. Donations provide most of its budget, along with member dues and fees for use of its hunting ranch. It offers education programs, and serves as a kind of think tank for conservation issues.
- Boone & Crockett Club, http://www.boone-crockett.org/about/about_overview.asp?area=about