Hunting in North America

North America has some of the greatest hunting and some of the finest game animals found anywhere in the world. Hunting opportunities in North America are tremendous and vary greatly from whitetail hunting in Eastern hardwood forests to elk hunting in high alpine meadows of the Rocky Mountains to mule deer in the deserts of Sonora to muskox in the Canadian Arctic. The success of North America’s wildlife management is attributed to the “North American Model of Wildlife Conservation,” which relies on money generated by hunters, through licenses and a surcharge on the purchase of hunting gear, for the funding required to conserve and maintain game animals. Under this model, game animals in North America have made a tremendous comeback over the past century and thrive throughout the continent in record numbers today. Because hunting in North America is managed at the state and provincial level, hunting methods, traditions, ethics, and laws are different from one region to another. For example, black bears may be legally hunted over bait in some states and provinces, are hunted with dogs in others, and can be legally taken only by spot-and-stalk in others. It’s crucial to study the laws and regulations of the state or province you are hunting in. Wildlife agencies in each state and province generally have excellent, detailed websites where the information may be found.