[Jeff Higgins]

I agree that at the highest level, everyone gets a say - our natural resources do, after all, belong to everyone. Regardless who pays. I'm simply pointing out a major point of contention within the hunting community. It's not really so much that wolf advocates want a say - they have every right to that - it's that they, even more so than they want their say, refuse to listen. It would be one thing if they had an informed position, participating in the debate from that position based upon facts and data. But they don't. Their position has been an adversarial one, "our way or the highway" (or more like court). They steadfastly refuse to negotiate. They steadfastly refuse to consider any of the science behind modern wildlife management philosophies. Insofar as that goes, as far as I'm concerned (and most hunters, for that matter) - they have given up their right to have any say.

I do realize that very few hunters' dollars go to non-game wildlife. Those dollars do, however, go towards habitat. Habitat shared by all wildlife. Dollars by the billions within my lifetime. So, yes, as you point out - wildlife and their habitat. The collateral benefit has been enormous. No other group even comes close, even approaches a percentage point of what hunters have given. Both in dollars and time.