American Sportsmen and the Origins of Conservation

American Sportsmen and the Origins of Conservation by Reiger, John F.. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780876911730.

"American sportsmen, those who hunted and fished for pleasure…were the real spearhead of conservation." This quotation is from the authors introduction to this brilliantly documented book. To the latest wave of self-styled "preservationists," John Reigers words may be a startling declaration; they may, in fact, be fighting words. It has become fashionable for armchair ecologists to vilify sportsmen as wastrels and wildlife destroyers who care nothing about the environment. The truth is that sportsmen – especially hunters – initiated the modern conservation movement and continue to be its most important supporters and activists. Now, at last, a respected historian has delved into primary research sources – including contemporary accounts by the chief participants in the early drama of conservation – and in this book he presents proof of his surprising discoveries as to how the American conservation movement really began.