By Tom Opre, Filmmaker, Conservation Advocate
I’ve spent the last decade embedded with people who live with wildlife. From tribal leaders in Zambia to keepers in the Scottish Highlands, to ranchers and farmers across the American West. These are people who live on the land—not in abstract theory, not on social media feeds, and certainly not in urban echo chambers.
If there’s one truth that screams from the soil, it’s this: our global conservation fight is being hijacked by stupidity.
Disconnect by Design
In Scotland, I watched government-sanctioned policies force rural estates to cull majestic red stags, not for population management or ecological balance, but for ideological appeasement. Science was replaced by sentiment. Tradition was bulldozed by outsider arrogance. In Zambia, Western policies stripped rural people of their right to manage their own wildlife, leading to starvation, the rise of child brides, and the collapse of entire communities.
Here in America, our ranchers face wolves and grizzlies forced back into landscapes with zero support and total liability. All while being vilified online by people who’ve never once fed stock in a blizzard or buried a calf torn apart overnight.
This isn’t conservation. This is neocolonialism wrapped in wolf fur and Instagram filters.
The False Kings of Extremes
Today’s political climate is defined not by action, but by dopamine. Loudest voice wins. The Left shames farmers for emissions. The Right scoffs at science. And somewhere in the middle, the vast majority of people—common-sense folks—are ignored.
Social media algorithms amplify rage and dilute reason. Strong emotions replace facts. And everyone thinks they’re a king.
But here’s the real kicker: no one likes having things shoved down their throat. Whether it’s anti-trophy hunting campaigns filled with misinformation, or ag slogans like “We Feed America” that ignore the reality of global trade (hint: Mexico feeds us too), the public backlash is predictable. Because neither side is talking to people—they’re yelling at them.
The Rural Bill of Rights
It’s time to flip the script. Rural people deserve more than platitudes. They deserve power. We need a Rural Bill of Rights—a real, working contract with our governments. It should guarantee the right for those on the ground to participate in wildlife management decisions. Not as props, not as consultants, but as co-owners of the outcome.
The truth is, rural people don’t want handouts. They want respect. They want to be heard. They want their children to inherit not just land, but a way of life. And they want to live free of interference from urban elites who don’t know the first thing about predator tracks or barbed-wire cuts.
Humility Wins Hearts
Conservation won’t be won with arrogance. It will be won with humility. With science. With truth. With stories from the front lines—stories like those we’ve shared in The Real Yellowstone, The Last Keeper, and Killing the Shepherd.
But if we don’t engage proactively—and positively—we’ll die a death of a thousand cuts. Not from our enemies, but from our own refusal to build bridges.
Let’s stop being stupid. Let’s start being real.
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Watch “The Real Yellowstone” – a powerful new documentary film looking at the fight to preserve land, culture, and truth. CLICK HERE to find where to watch upcoming showings, on The Real Yellowstone Film Tour
Tom Opre is a film director, cinematographer, television producer, human rights advocate, and wildlife conservationist, who lives in the Flathead Valley of Montana. Opre has made educating the public on wildlife conservation and stewardship issues a main priority. As the past president of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA), he has worked to help other outdoor communicators and industry leaders understand and present a unified message regarding the top issues facing wildlife conservation today.
