Former Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz was criticized last week for posting a photo from a black bear hunt in Alaska. Of course, those critics are ill informed. Hunting is the backbone of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, which has successfully recovered and managed wildlife across the U.S., including the black bear. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game estimates that over 100,000 black bears inhabit Alaska. Hunting helps manage population numbers, while also generating important funding that is used for management, research, and conservation of other species, such as the threatened wood bison. Non-resident hunters like Mr. Wentz contribute millions of dollars to these conservation efforts—more than $50 million in 2021.
Unfortunately, this is the second time in a month that SCI has defended a sports celebrity from misinformed social media and media attacks. Read our article regarding the criticism of former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler here (Haters Gonna Hate, but Hunters Gonna Hunt).
