Wildlife Health

One Health

Beyond the Harvest: The Conservation Benefits of Hunting

One Health is an approach to research, management, and outreach that recognizes the importance of human health and its direct relationship to the health of domestic animals, wildlife, and our shared environment. Together, we can use this framework to monitor and manage the health of Indiana’s wildlife. One way to do that is through hunting.

Hunting is a favorite recreational activity for many Hoosiers. The mental and physical perks for hunters are numerous — you can learn more about them in Hunt for Health: Discovering the Benefits of the Outdoor Lifestyle — but hunting also provides many benefits for wildlife health. It can help with issues like overpopulation, disease spread, and habitat degradation, while also helping to fund conservation through license sales.

One of the most significant benefits of hunting for wildlife health is population management. Some wildlife species, such as adult white-tailed deer, thrive in landscapes altered by human activity. This leads to undesirable population levels. Overpopulation can lead to severe ecosystem degradation as overabundant species may be susceptible to starvation and disease while also damaging the habitat by overbrowsing. Additionally, negative human-wildlife interactions, such as vehicle collisions, property damage, and crop destruction may occur more frequently. Hunting helps sustain populations and reduces stress on vegetation and other species that share the habitat.

Hunting also contributes to reducing the spread of wildlife disease. Dense wildlife populations can experience higher rates of disease such as Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) in deer and Avian Influenza and Avian Cholera in waterfowl. When populations are maintained at healthy levels, disease transmission slows, leading to stronger and more resilient wildlife communities overall.

Hunting funds conservation practices through the revenue generated by license fees and excise taxes on hunting equipment and ammunition. These funds directly contribute to habitat restoration, wildlife surveys, reintroduction programs, and research. This funding ensures conservation and management work continues for game and nongame species alike.

By using a One Health approach that encourages cooperation, coordination, and communication among professionals and the public, hunting can play an important role in maintaining wildlife health. When practiced responsibly, hunting helps keep animal populations balanced, supports healthier ecosystems, and contributes to long-term conservation efforts that protect the natural world for future generations.