The Coalition's Dictionary of
Wildlife Management Euphemisms

Why don't they just say what they mean?

Bag limit:
The number of animals that hunters are allowed to kill for fun over a given period of time.

Beautiful:
An "object" of destruction; a goose, a deer, a duck........

Citizens Task Force:
A local committee convened at the recommendation of a regional wildlife manager to address a wildlife issue. Designed to give the illusion that democracy is part of the decision making process on how wildlife issues are handled. "Task Force" members are chosen so that those in favor of killing wildlife make up the majority of the committee. In most cases, the public is not represented.

Conservation:
The process of manipulating wildlife populations and habitat to conserve and perpetuate "sport" hunting, trapping, etc, with only superficial regard for ecological implications. Hunters are not altruists!

Consumptive use:
Hunting, trapping, etc. -- a term used to dull the psychological impact of recreational slaughter, reflects the influential role of economics (consumerism) in wildlife policy.

Harvest:
To intentionally kill or destroy a large number of animals for recreation; used to equate the killing and suffering of animals with the picking of fruits and vegetables.

Keep wildlife wild:
The name of a campaign designed to keep those who don't kill wildlife for fun and/or profit from becoming too attached or protective. A public distanced from wildlife will not realize that hunting-biased management reduces wildlife to the status of inanimate objects, targets.

Long-term management:
A plan to establish wildlife killing for years and years in an economically lucrative way. Designed to provide the illusion of wildlife control and regulation without the effect. Dedicated to expanding the long term "need" for more hunting and trapping.

Public input:
Survey the "sport" hunters, sportsmen's clubs and stakeholders (see also: citizens task force).

Protection:
Protected to be killed at a specified time, in a specified place for a very specific fee.

Resource:
Any creature hunters enjoy shooting and trappers want to trap.

Special hunt:
Hunting seasons established under false pretense. Designed to create additional hunting opportunities and bring "sport" hunting into more human-populated areas.

Sportsmen:
A socially acceptable sounding name for a special interest group that pumps a lot of money into government "game" agencies and a lot of ammunition into wildlife.

Stakeholders:
A small special interest group that benefits from the current killing-centered wildlife management philosophy.

Taking:
To kill, destroy, maim and injure.

Wildlife related activities:
"Sport" hunting, trapping and other lethal activities that bring revenue into the government wildlife management agencies.

Wildlife managers:
Hunters and trappers employed by state and federal agencies dedicated to the assumption that nature must be controlled using weaponry.