The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation faces significant shortfalls, primarily its heavy financial and structural reliance on recreational hunting, the exclusion of non-game species and non-hunters, an oversimplified historical narrative, and a persistent lag in incorporating Indigenous governance and modern ecological science.

Funding Vulnerabilities

• Declining hunter numbers: State agencies rely heavily on license fees and excise taxes from hunting and fishing (such as the Pittman-Robertson Act), but participation rates have steadily dropped over recent decades.

• Neglect of non-game species: Funding structures tie revenue directly to game species, leaving biodiversity, endangered plants, insects, and non-hunted wildlife chronically underfunded.

• Exclusion of non-consumptive users: General outdoor recreationists (hikers, birdwatchers, and campers) use public lands heavily but contribute far less mandatory structural funding under traditional frameworks. The state of Missouri is an exception where statewide taxes provide 498 million dollars in support of wildlife conservation and wildlife management. The sales tax is 1/8 of 1% and is shared by all who purchase taxed goods in Missouri.

Governance and Representation

• Narrow stakeholder focus: Decision-making by state and provincial wildlife boards often heavily privileges the interests of hunters and agricultural groups over the broader public.

• Marginalization of Indigenous peoples: The model historically omitted or minimized Indigenous sovereignty, traditional ecological knowledge, and co-management rights in wildlife policy.

Scientific and Ethical Gaps

• Persecution of carnivores: Management systems have historically marginalized or actively targeted large predators (such as wolves, grizzly bears, and cougars) to benefit game herds, conflicting with holistic ecosystem health.

• Deficient science metrics: Studies evaluating agency management plans reveal that many fall short of rigorous, transparent, and peer-reviewed scientific standards, especially outside of major big-game categories.

For more information, read: The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation: A Reality Check