While the Second Amendment has nothing to do with hunting, the sport itself is a key part of our American heritage and should be protected. Where the two overlap is in using guns to hunt, something Americans of all ethnicities have done on these shores since they could first get their grubby little paws on firearms.
But like so many other things that touch the Second Amendment, there are those who want to step in and tell everyone how it’s going to be. This is what governments do, and while it can be fine in many cases, like saying not to murder people or take their stuff, in many other cases, some use it to push an agenda on the people.
Which brings me back to hunting, because there are a lot of dumb regulations, but some involving traditional ammo were among the worst.
Were.
President Trump hosted over 100 hunters, anglers and outdoor industry officials for a dinner in the Rose Garden Thursday to announce executive orders rolling back certain hunting and fishing restrictions.
“We believe that public lands belong to the American people and to the public, and hunters, fishers, and outdoorsmen should be able to access them,” Trump said.
One order mandates that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum expand the amount of federal land available to hunters and fishers, which builds on the administration’s order August that opened up more than 92 million acres of federal land across 32 states. Burgum attended the dinner but did not deliver remarks.
Trump also touted that his latest order rolled back Biden-era prohibiting the use of traditional lead ammunition and tackle.
“Lead ammunition was a problem, huh? Is it better than other ammunition? I assume, huh? That’s pretty good,” he said. “I don’t know what the hell that means, but I know one thing: you wanted it. You wanted it, and I’m here for you.”
Opening up the land will be huge, as it makes hunting that much more accessible for the public. I’ve hunted on state land before, but not every state has the same amount of land available.
Plus, more hunting land is a good thing.
The truth of the matter is that the whole ecological impact of lead ammunition was always suspect, and the NSSF has been saying that for a while, so it’s no surprise they’re happy right now.
“Today’s Executive Order by President Trump demonstrates that this administration stands with America’s sportsmen and women. This is a tremendous victory to ensure that America’s hunting heritage is protected for today’s hunters and the coming generations of outdoorsmen and women,” NSSF President and CEO Bartozzi said. “NSSF has long championed several of these key policy issues, including protecting the right to use traditional ammunition, accessing public lands and increasing opportunities for Sunday hunting. We are proud to have led this fight and prouder still that the Trump administration is embracing commonsense policies to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports across America.”
Meanwhile, NRA Executive Vice President and CEO Doug Hamlin also expressed his support. “America’s outdoor heritage is woven into the very fabric of what it means to be American. Today’s executive order celebrating our hunting traditions—by safeguarding traditional ammunition, boosting hunter recruitment and retention, and ensuring healthy game populations—reflects a commitment to our American way of life and the need to get young people off their devices and into the great outdoors to join the hunt. President Trump understands that sportsmen are the backbone of conservation and has consistently delivered policies that expand opportunity rather than restrict it. The NRA commends President Trump’s leadership and looks forward to continuing to strengthen and promote America’s hunting culture.”
The truth is that while lead ammunition is not, in and of itself, superior to potential materials, it’s kind of unique in that it’s hard enough to be fired, soft enough to deform when it strikes a target, and affordable enough that people can easily acquire it, practice with it, and harvest game with it.
Moreover, even if it were inferior in every way, that’s beside the point. Ammunition falls under the heading of “arms” the Second Amendment protects, and when the supposed ecological impact was reducing the population of animals like the bald eagle, only their populations are soaring; there’s a massive problem with banning anything.
The government shouldn’t be in the habit of banning things over shoddy beliefs and environmental mythology.
Right now, they’re not.
This was a holdover from the Biden era, and it’s now gone.
Editor’s Note: President Trump and Republicans across the country are doing everything they can to protect our Second Amendment rights and right to self-defense.
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