Hunting Is a Privilege
Is hunting a right or a privilege? As you think about this question, recall that wildlife is generally considered public property in the United States.
A right is something guaranteed by law. A privilege is more like a favor. Although many people believe that hunting is a right, it is not. In fact, hunting is a privilege.
You can lose your privilege to hunt if you don't follow the law. For example, if a hunter shoots a doe deer in a buck-only unit, the hunter may lose hunting privileges for two years. Or, if a hunter shoots and injures another person or livestock, hunting privileges also will be revoked for a minimum of three years.
You also can lose some of your hunting privileges even if you don't break the law! Suppose that you are hunting with permission on private property and the landowner has asked you to close all gates on his property. You forget to close one of the landowner's gates, and his cattle escape to a distant field. Do you think that landowner will ever give you permission to hunt again on his property? Probably not!