Abolish or Deregulate the Department of Natural Resources
Government agencies like the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) were created to serve the people, protect our rights, and promote freedom. However, over time, they’ve morphed into bloated bureaucracies that enforce pointless regulations, trample on individual rights, and undermine the very freedoms they were supposed to safeguard. Instead of protecting the American people, they’ve turned into oppressors—micromanaging every aspect of our lives. One glaring example of this absurdity is what I call “The Doe and Her Briefcase.”
The Bowhunter Education Debacle
I recently planned a bowhunting trip to Alaska, only to be told I had to take a mandatory bowhunter education course. Let’s be honest—this kind of regulation is unnecessary, and I probably shouldn’t have complied. But to avoid any hassle, I went ahead and completed the course.
The course itself? Utterly ridiculous. It wasn’t about safety or learning useful skills—it was filled with condescending, pointless advice designed to bore you into submission. For instance, they told us not to shoot other hunters. Seriously? As if any responsible hunter doesn’t already know that! Another gem: “Look before you shoot.” Who would’ve thought, right?
But the real kicker was their guide on identifying a mature deer. They claimed a mature deer’s body would resemble a suitcase, while an immature one would look like a briefcase—and they even included a picture to “illustrate” this nonsense. You can’t make this stuff up, but apparently, someone at the DNR did.
Hunting as a “Privilege”
The course also included a bold declaration:
“IMPORTANT:
Regardless of the type of equipment used, hunting is a privilege that can be taken away if hunting laws are violated.”
This statement made my blood boil. A privilege? No. Hunting is a God-given right. Our founding fathers would never have written such a thing, because the very idea would have been unthinkable. If they had addressed hunting, it might have sounded more like this:
“Managing the earth and its animals is our responsibility, as God instructed. Take and eat, but do not waste. Share with your neighbor, and leave enough for others.”
This modern notion that hunting is a “privilege” handed down by the government is an insult to our heritage and a direct assault on our freedom. It flips the natural order on its head. God gave us the right to life, and with that comes the right to gather food—whether it’s by planting crops or hunting game. For centuries, Americans hunted without licenses, seasons, or regulations. If you were hungry, you shot a deer, skinned it, and fed your family. No permission required.
The Slippery Slope of Licensing
So why do we have to jump through hoops now? It’s simple: control. By signing up for licenses and permits, we unwittingly surrender our God-given rights. We allow our government—our employee—to dictate the terms of how we live and survive. And once they have that foothold, they never stop adding more rules, regulations, and restrictions.
This isn’t just about hunting. It’s a symptom of a larger problem: the slow erosion of freedom. From the moment we’re born, we are free, but over time, we’re taught to enslave ourselves to bureaucracies. It starts with well-meaning but misinformed parents and continues with each generation. We accept more rules, pay more fees, and endure more nonsense—because “that’s just how it is.”
Common Sense vs. Bureaucracy
Let’s be real: If you’re a hunter, you already know how to hunt. If you’re new to hunting, you should learn from someone experienced—it’s that simple. We don’t need endless rules, courses, and tests. The truth is, these regulations aren’t about safety or conservation—they’re about money and control.
Take the bowhunter course I had to complete. It cost me $35 and wasted 2-3 hours of my life. The content wasn’t just useless—it was insulting. If anything, I walked away feeling dumber than when I started. Multiply this by all the hunters across the country, and it’s clear: the DNR and other agencies aren’t here to help—they’re here to profit.
A Call to Action
It’s time to wake up. The Declaration of Independence reminds us that our rights are unalienable—they come from God, not government. We don’t need agencies dictating when and how we can exercise those rights. The American people are still in charge. If we simply stood up and said “No”, these oppressive regulations would crumble in an instant.
Think about it. You were born free. Stop allowing bureaucracies to chip away at that freedom with every new regulation. It’s time to abolish or drastically deregulate agencies like the Department of Natural Resources. Let’s reclaim our God-given rights and restore common sense to our government.
