I guess that my point is, somewhere between my youth and today we lost the reason for getting up at 4AM. Remember when it was important to supply the food to your family? Now it is honestly just what are willing to spend and do for that "big" buck.
Well, times have changed. Noone any longer needs wild game to feed their families. If you are that poor, my tax dollars are now feeding you. Sure, wild game and fish are a great supplement, and my family enjoys both, but there are very few folks in today's society who rely of what they kill to survive....
Since times have changed, and we no longer need to exploit the natural resources to survive, what we choose to keep or kill is more about the overall health of the populations we enjoy hunting or fishing for.
Releasing 10in crappie to grow and spawn to produce more crappie for next year is more important than a FB pic of a cooler full of 10 in crappie. But sometimes its necessary to keep a cooler full of 8 in crappie every trip in an overpopulated pond to reduce the population so the remaining crappie can be healthier to successfully spawn future generations.
Same thing applies to wild game management. 90% of folks choose to kill or don't kill based on personal choices, with no regards for whether what they choose to kill or not kill benefits the health of the herd/flock for future generations.
If everyone was altruistic and made harvest decisions on what's best for the herd, there would be no need for any game laws.
But since the VAST majority of folks don't hunt/ fish that way, game agencies have to set seasons/ limits to minimize the damage we humans will inevitably inflict on the game we say we love.
Look at Louisiana speckled trout limits... been 25 fish 12in and up for a couple decades, all while the spawning stock has dropped 300%. Limits reduced to 15 fish 13in and up 3 weeks ago and the locals act like you cut off their left nut.
bottom line... every fish you keep or every animal you kill will have positive or negative effects in your local area. Treat every harvest with respect and do so with the intentions you are leaving your area better off than if you had never hunted or fished there.