One thing I try to do is be the very best hunter-conservationist I can. I believe hunters understand nature and ecology better than most people (even better than academically trained ecologists), but too often I see hunters dismiss parts of nature that aren’t game animals. In a public forum a thoughtful hunter-conservationist can stand toe to toe with any non-hunting outdoor advocate, but the hunter has to understand and speak about conserving all parts of nature, not just game animals. In a recent public meeting I saw a hunter say “We don’t care about the little birds” speaking of songbirds. In my opinion, he basically gave away his power when he said that. If I’m going to advocate that hunting has a place in a healthy, functioning ecosystem, I want to know that ecosystem better than anyone, and have stewardship cred that can’t be challenged. If hunters walk—the-walk I think we’ll keep our place on the landscape.