http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32757255/ns/us_news-environment/
What are your thoughts on this?
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Samphin Κακό σκυλί ψόφο δεν έχει
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Samphin Κακό σκυλί ψόφο δεν έχει
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I'm a hunter, but I only shoot what I intend to eat.
Killing for sport is cruel in my mind. Unless anyone plans on eating the poor wolves, which won't happen, I am totally against it.Alex44 and unluckyluciano like this. -
I am against killing any predator since the number of prey species does a good job of keeping their numbers in check. If there is limited food, predators produce less (or no) offspring in the following season.
Every time we target predators, we upset the balance between predator and prey and it is the prey populations, typically grazers, who suffer as a result. I'd rather see one deer harvested by a wolf or mountain lion than to see 5 fail to thrive in the winter because of a shortage of feed.
That said, I am not buying into that 20% number as being accurate. I live in the area and I know that many of the tags sold are for remote wilderness that few wolfs can easily be hunted in. The over selling of tags in remote areas is a method to make sure that at least some wolves are harvested in those areas.sking29, NaboCane, FinsPensFan and 1 other person like this. -
As far as the tags for remote areas, as you imply, it may just be a way to thin the population equally rather than addressing the problem in one area and allowing migration to undermine it. Again, I don't know the specifics, but that seems like the logical answer. :wink2:Celtkin likes this. -
Against killing for sport.
I'm fine with Hunting if you intend to eat it. -
There is a good discussion here and here.
As for predators preying on domesticated cattle - yes, that does happen but the wolf does not know that cows aren't fair game. :lol:
Killing wolves and big cats has a more detrimental impact on herding and grazing animals than exists a benefit to cattle numbers. Wolfs and big cats will rarely challenge a healthy animal protected by a fence and a herd if there are other easier targets but if you kill off the wolves and big cats, you effectively reduce the number of healthy natural prey animals of those predators and that (see the chart below taken from here) causes an increase in predator populations.
sking29, BuckeyeKing, NaboCane and 1 other person like this. -
I forgot to say in response to Mikes point about problem animals. I have no problem with baiting, trapping or killing problem animals but a region-wide hunt is asking for an imbalanced system.
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I have absolutely no compunctions about hunting, nor do I begrudge hunters their activity. I hesitate to call it "sport," because it doesn't seem very "sporting" to me to shoot an animal with a high-powered rifle and a scope. :lol:
But no, I don't have any problem with hunting - for food.
You kill animals that you don't intend to eat, and I think a lot less of you.
And I am 100% dead-set against trapping of any sort.
It is cruel and barbaric, and should be considered beneath us as a species.Celtkin and BuckeyeKing like this. -
NaboCane likes this.
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Well I guess I am the a$$ of the group. Coyotes and wolves are keeping me awake lately which can live with but they are attacking pets in the area lately and I have two kids that play in my "yard" that are potentially lunch...guess I am off FD's Christmas list cause I will blow them away if they stray too close as will my wife Mrs. 2 cents Oakley and I am not going to eat a potentially rabid fox, mountain lion, coyote or wolf.............
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this is not meant to bash at all.....i have no opinion on the matter....but i always hear the "if they are hunting for food its fine" line......i understand if we are in 1700's.....but isnt it easier to go to the store? seriously...this is a honest question for hunters
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I understand the idea of balance, but when animals are straying into neighborhoods or acting more and more like people (lazy) and going for the farm animals instead of tracking and hunting, it's time to get out the shotgun and make it a non-issue. :pointlol:
As far as increase of imbalance, that's why the DEC does their yearly census. To make sure that it doesn't get out of hand. :up:
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Fin D likes this.
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Oh and one attacked a couple near Syracuse, just another reason to get rid of them asap.
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Samphin Κακό σκυλί ψόφο δεν έχει
Mike,
I can't speak for where you live, but out here one of the main reasons we see more and more mountain lions, wolves and coyotes encroaching into residential areas is, well, because we encroached on their area first.
As the housing boom did its thing, all the construction drove a lot of the prey population (aka, deer, rabbits, etc.) away thus, leaving the predator animals to go on search for food.
Plus, building houses into hillsides and venturing further and further for land development means that you are bound to end up with more wildlife as, like I already said, you are encroaching on what was essentially their turf.
I should preface this by saying that I am pretty much against hunting. I don't even like to fish. Don't get me wrong, i'll smooch a bug real good if its in my face and I have no problem eating the hell out of just about any bird (I very rarely eat red meat), but I am just not into killing things for any reason short of it being a dire one (i.e. life is in immediate danger, starving, or the animal shows itself to be a Jets fan...).BuckeyeKing, sking29, Fin D and 3 others like this. -
What I've noticed in this area is that animals are becoming more brazen, this is farm country, there isn't much development or encroachment going on around here and the problem is getting worse year after year. It's not uncommon at all to go outside and see bear tracks 20 ft from your back door, 10 years ago you didn't really see them unless you went in the woods. It used to be that you would hear of a cow being killed by predators once every few years, now it seems like it's one or two a year and also an increase in dogs being attacked. Animals aren't stupid, they won't work for food if there is a free handout to be had. It's also not uncommon to see deer in someone's backyard eating their rose bushes, while I think that it's true that people are moving into the animals territory, it goes the other way just as much. I don't know what the answer to it is, people need to live somewhere. :confused2: -
Side note on boar/wild pigs:
They are one of the most adaptable animals in the world. A pig/hog is the only known mammal that can change the shape of its skull dependent on its environment. A farm pig let loose or escaped, if it survives in the wild, will in a year or two, be completely feral, from hair to tusks to head shape. Its where the creatures known as Hogzilla and other giant "boars" have come from. All that is in addition too the fact that some studies rate the pig/boars intelligence to be eclipsed by only humans/great apes & whales/dolphins.HolliFinFan likes this. -
Samphin Κακό σκυλί ψόφο δεν έχει
What tends to happen is instead of building OUT, developers will start building UP. Townhomes, apartments above commerce, etc. This seems to be a happy medium to help curb building into undeveloped lands and provide housing for people, especially in trying economic times.
Disturbance from land development is bound to happen regardless, but not at the rate it has been going. It should start slowing down over the next few years as everything starts to (hopefully) stabilize.
But, to be honest, I don't have a concrete answer on what to do. Mother Nature typically has a way of working these things out over time. I suspect, as long as we don't get too much in the way, this will be the case again.
On a sidenote, I am really upset that you got me to speak like an actual human and not resort to cracking poop and fart jokes. I have spent many a year developing and cultivating an image on these boards and I don't need YOU exposing me. :pity: :shifty:
Ahh, that feels better. -
Here is an extreme example along the same line you are headed on the encroachment issue but I think this illustrates what I am getting from your message.
Don a black neopreme dive suit -- slather yourself with seal blood and take a swim anywhere on the Great Barrier Reef -- If you get unwanted attention from a great white shark, should you assume that the shark is at fault?sking29 likes this. -
Killing that much of a population can disrupt the food chain and cause a domino effects of problems. Unless the wolves at their current numbers are threatening the numbers of other species, there is no reason to kill that many