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But what are the implications, then, for the future of sport hunting, or angling for that matter?

The connection is not as tenuous as it sounds. Hunting for game — from rabbits, partridge and squirrels to deer and moose — is a hugely popular pastime in Canada. On any given weekend in the fall, drive 90 minutes north of Toronto and you will find primarily men, but also many women, engaged in the fall deer hunt.

Hunting and angling, obeying all game laws and guidelines and with the proper licensing, are pastimes worthy of respect and protection.

Do they require wild meat for sustenance? Not at all. Factoring in the cost of safety training, licensing, gear, a rifle or bow, as well as the time involved, and the cost of any venison taken in a hunt far exceeds that of store-bought beef, even at today’s sky-high prices. In other words, the point of hunting, even when the principal objective is game, is the experience. Moreover, rare is the deer hunter who brings down a buck with a fine rack of antlers and does not have them mounted. Every rod & gun club in the country is decorated with such keepsakes.

Now, extend the logic: does anyone imagine the Chinook salmon or rainbow trout enjoys the experience of being hooked, hauled into a boat and gaffed? We have an easier time with killing fish than we do animals, it seems, because they don’t look much like us. Unlike the case with seals, no one has ever peered into the eyes of a pickerel and seen himself or herself reflected in those inky pools. Nevertheless, what’s good for the goose must be good for the gander; can it be long before all wildlife falls beneath the protective umbrella cast by modern fashion and the anti-hunting lobby?