well it's more than just the direct funding of the conservation efforts

to get the permits, there is scientific data that requires the specific herd be culled (or a specific animal be killed). this information is verified by multiple governmental agencies (the country involved, the US, and certain international agreements related to endangered species)

here is a link to US Fish & Wildlife on the US permitting of elephant hunting

quote:
To determine whether to allow imports of sport-hunted elephant trophies, the Service considers factors such as the biological needs of the species; possible threats to the populations; current population estimates; management programs; legal protection (including hunting regulations and any applicable quotas); local community involvement; and, if any funds are generated by the import, how those funds are used for conservation. The Service will allow imports from countries that have well-managed hunting programs that are contributing to conservation of elephants in the wild. We hope that these approvals will encourage other countries to strengthen their elephant conservation efforts.

so even if the African country has spotty records, the US still has to approve your trip/hunt to get the permit

i think a lot of people who have knee-jerk reactions to these situations think American hunters are just going to random places in Africa and killing random endangered species but that's not true at all. it's one of the most regulated behaviors i've ever seen and requires layers upon layers of governmetn approval

also, those animals are getting killed regardless to cull the herd. the only question is who gets to kill the animal