Hunting Led Me to Conservation and to My Commitment To Provide Outdoor Experiences for All
By Eddy Corona, hunter, conservationist and president of The Outdoor Experience 4 All.
I got my passion for hunting and the outdoors as a kid. It all started on a ranch in Mexico, where my parents are from. I am a first-generation American, born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. I am deeply connected, though, to my Hispanic heritage. I spent every summer growing up at the Rancho La Bellotosa, outside Nogales, Mexico. Every year, I visited my grandparents there and helped them with the work at the ranch. That’s where I learned how to use an ax. I chopped the leña (wood), and we took it to the town to sell it.
I remember a shooting club down there called Club de Los Lobos, where I encountered, for the time, conservationists. But I had no clue about it at that time. I just saw guys showing up with guns and shooting silhouettes. It was exciting and different, but I couldn’t understand the link between that and conservation back then. It was later in my life that I learned the connection.
My dad passed away when I was four years old. When we lived in Tucson, my mom met Santos Gaviño and married him. My stepdad didn’t speak English, but that didn’t stop him from doing what he loved or wanted to do. He was an avid sportsman, a hard worker, and a great role model for me and my seven siblings.
It was thanks to him that I got into shooting and hunting. Since he didn’t speak English, he relied on my siblings and me to translate the Arizona Game and Fish Department rules. The benefit of being his translator was that he would take us hunting and teach us how to do it.
Some people don’t see us hunters as conservationists, but the reality is that we are essential to conservation.
About eight million people live in Arizona, 10% of which hunt and fish, and another 10% oppose what we do. According to 2016 data, 10% of hunters and anglers spend an average of $1.2 billion annually, generate $131 million into our state and local tax, and support over 18,000 full-time jobs, so our contributions are immense. There was a significant increase in hunters and anglers in Arizona during the pandemic, so these numbers are much higher now than in seven years.
Hunting and fishing licenses sold by the Arizona Gaming Fish Department and other state agencies are money that goes back to these institutions and their efforts for conservation.
When I first started as a hunter, I had yet to learn what conservation was and the role of hunters in it. As you practice this sport, you start asking questions and learning. Hunting is a mechanism to control a wildlife population within a particular habitat. We help to maintain balance in the ecosystem.
Wildlife conservation, wildlife management, and land conservation are so important. We must be stewards of the land, wildlife, and natural resources for future generations.
Many people care about conservation and do great work in this space. As Hispanos, our connection to the land is profound. Many Latinos take care of a lot of land in this country and abroad, including farmland. It is our duty to care for it and leave it a better place for our kids and their grandkids.
Anyone can get involved in conservation regardless of their background and despite any language barrier. If you want to make a difference in this space, doors will open.
Hunting and doing other recreational activities led me to a path into conservation. I belong to the Arizona Sportsmen for Wildlife Conservation, and I am the president of The Outdoor Experience 4 All, a non-profit organization with a mission to change lives one adventure at a time, focused on providing outdoor experiences to children with disabilities, and life-threatening illnesses or to the kids of our fallen heroes. We also offer these opportunities to American Disabled Veterans.
I have been honored to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the office of the President of the United States, and a Certificate of Appreciation from the Arizona Game and Fish Department, but the biggest reward is seeing how we can impact people’s lives through these outdoor experiences.
Getting outdoors and into conservation can be transformative and rewarding.
Some people may feel they don’t belong to the outdoors or conservation or are afraid for various reasons, but your fears shouldn’t stop. Our public lands belong to all of us. My stepdad Santos is living proof that you can make something happen if you really want it.
Many opportunities are available for everyone to get out into nature and try all different recreational activities. Some so many groups and organizations will welcome you. The Arizona Gaming Fish Department has so much information to get you started. You can also join an outdoor recreational group online to make connections, learn about diverse sports such as hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, and more, and go on an adventure with others in the community.
Overcome your fears. Don’t let that stop you. Go out there, make it happen, and you will never look back or regret to have tried it.
