BLOG READER "L.B" PROVIDING INSIGHT AS TO WHY CARNIVORE BOUNTIES ARE JUST "DEAD WRONG"!
UNBIASED study after study after study has been done(continues to be done, and likely will always continue to be done) regarding both wolf and coyote "controls" by humans, and the effects on other game animals and the environment.
The conclusion of almost all these studies is that human culls usually create MORE wolves and coyotes, at least initially, by disrupting wolf/coyote society, which encourages MORE breeding by these animals. And this continues as long as human interference does.
Wolves and Coyotes(and MOST predatory animals) DO NOT naturally continue to increase to an overpopulated state like deer or other ungulates--through territoriality and social controls of their own numbers, they do not, cannot exceed their natural carrying capacity wherever they live--they are DIRECTLY controlled by the numbers of the prey animals they hunt.
Only in certain specific circumstances can predators suppress prey numbers, but even then, only temporarily, because suppressed prey numbers AUTOMATICALLY will lessen predator populations.
Wild predators can't supplement their diets by trips to the grocery store. It is ironic that predator control programs often create MORE predators, which seems to justify the need for such controls. whereas if humans were more patient, and just WAITED a few years, a more natural balance WILL BE restored, as has since life on earth began.
But humans often aren't patient, and many don't like to share "their" game with ANY wild predators! The only way controls eventually work is if such eradication is continued until certain species(like wolves) are totally wiped out, as in the turn of the 19th century government control programs, which eradicate a lot of innocent wildlife in the process, which disrupt entire ecosystems creating unforeseen "cascades" affecting all manner of species negatively!
Let's hope we don't regress to THAT selfish ignorance again! These are the HARD lessons learned (over and over and over--ad nauseum) by our selfish European dominated ancestors, that SOME people have learned and realized don't work well, but still too many, alas, have not.
LOTS of info on this out there--specifically regarding scientific, unbiased studies done with about any predator you can think of. Human sport hunters need to develop a broader perspective(those that haven't yet--many have), and look beyond just their own success/failure during any particular hunting season. Not only would they--hopefully--learn to respect and share the wild places with wild predators, they'd save themselves a lot of stress and aggravation!....L.B.
The conclusion of almost all these studies is that human culls usually create MORE wolves and coyotes, at least initially, by disrupting wolf/coyote society, which encourages MORE breeding by these animals. And this continues as long as human interference does.
Wolves and Coyotes(and MOST predatory animals) DO NOT naturally continue to increase to an overpopulated state like deer or other ungulates--through territoriality and social controls of their own numbers, they do not, cannot exceed their natural carrying capacity wherever they live--they are DIRECTLY controlled by the numbers of the prey animals they hunt.
Only in certain specific circumstances can predators suppress prey numbers, but even then, only temporarily, because suppressed prey numbers AUTOMATICALLY will lessen predator populations.
Wild predators can't supplement their diets by trips to the grocery store. It is ironic that predator control programs often create MORE predators, which seems to justify the need for such controls. whereas if humans were more patient, and just WAITED a few years, a more natural balance WILL BE restored, as has since life on earth began.
But humans often aren't patient, and many don't like to share "their" game with ANY wild predators! The only way controls eventually work is if such eradication is continued until certain species(like wolves) are totally wiped out, as in the turn of the 19th century government control programs, which eradicate a lot of innocent wildlife in the process, which disrupt entire ecosystems creating unforeseen "cascades" affecting all manner of species negatively!
Let's hope we don't regress to THAT selfish ignorance again! These are the HARD lessons learned (over and over and over--ad nauseum) by our selfish European dominated ancestors, that SOME people have learned and realized don't work well, but still too many, alas, have not.
LOTS of info on this out there--specifically regarding scientific, unbiased studies done with about any predator you can think of. Human sport hunters need to develop a broader perspective(those that haven't yet--many have), and look beyond just their own success/failure during any particular hunting season. Not only would they--hopefully--learn to respect and share the wild places with wild predators, they'd save themselves a lot of stress and aggravation!....L.B.
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Pennsylvania Outdoor News
http://www.outdoornews.com/December-2013/A-bounty-on-coyotes-are-you-kidding/
A bounty on coyotes - are you kidding?
Posted on December 13, 2013
Mark Nale
This is what happens when legislators who know nothing about nature propose to make laws that affect wildlife. Bounties are a "feel-good" response that incite fraud and cheating. They were tried a LONG time ago and they DO NOT WORK. Why would the result be any different now?
As all wildlife biologists know – coyotes are a perfect example of the "compensatory response." If coyote populations are low and food plentiful, coyotes will reproduce at a higher level and their offspring will survive at a higher rate than normal. If coyote populations are high and food supplies low, their reproduction and survival rate drops.
Even if a bounty would cause significantly more coyotes to be shot (which is doubtful), the surviving coyotes would quickly respond by reproducing at a higher level. Result: bounties paid, money lost – coyote population unchanged.
It was really nice of Peifer to legislate that the bounties be paid by the Pennsylvania Game Commission from the agency's Game Fund. If he is really sold on bounties, I suggest that he propose to pay for them with taxpayer money – not hunting license dollars.
Peifer claims coyote problems within his district. "Coyotes are coming into their yards, and they [the residents] are losing their cats," he said. I guess my comment would be that overall, this is good for wildlife. Cats that are allowed to roam free are responsible for killing many, many rabbits, young pheasants, cardinals, chickadees, juncos and other wildlife.
A new study published early his year and authored by scientists from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finds bird and mammal mortality caused by outdoor cats is much higher than had been previously reported. According to the study, annual bird mortality is now estimated to be 1.4 to 3.7 billion and mammal mortality likely 6.9 - 20.7 billion each year.
People should keep their beloved feline pets indoors – end of story.
If coyotes actually eliminate free-roaming cats, I say bring on the coyotes!
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1 comment:
I think SOME wildlife officials(and MAYBE some politicians too. Maybe.) know very well bounties don't work, but they initiate them anyway to try and please all the whining predator haters out there. Perhaps it keeps them busy enough to keep them off the streets! Give them another outlet from even more destructive behavior. But yeah, how many centuries of bounty efforts that never work do we have to experience before it becomes common knowledge that they DON'T WORK! Us predator lovers just have to be LOUDER and MORE annoying, I guess, than the predator haters!....L. B.
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