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There was 3099 bears killed in last two weeks during hunting season in state of Pa. what a waste of wildlife:(
little bear
12-11-2006, 01:01
that is sickening...... I they were just out there hiking the woods then some a**hole shot them.:(
Lone Wolf
12-11-2006, 09:15
Hunters spend more $$ on conservation and preservation than hikers do. The bears need to be thinned out.
It was a hunter that left us the legacy of Yellowstone. It was a group of them that gave us back the ducks and geese at the turn of the last century and lobbyed to have market hunting stopped. The conservationist movement was partly (mostly?) initiated by hunters, those that saw the rapid decline of the country's game and wilderness areas disappearing and did something about it
Hunters are certainly the better conservationists. That they do dig deeper into their wallets and give more of their money and time to propogate and continue their sport than the anti-hunter screamers do. And we all benefit from their efforts.
So, you antis, instead of screaming so loudly at the hunters, perhaps you should embrace them instead.:sun
otterman
12-11-2006, 09:33
1) I don't know what this has to do with hiking.
2) Does this make them endangered? How many cows, pigs, chickens, and fish were most people responsible for killing in the last year. Hunters are just get their meat a little more directly. Most folks like their meat in a neat little cellophane package so they don't have to think about the sacrifice a real animal made for them and how it gets to that cellophane package.
Mountain Maiden
12-11-2006, 09:40
Hunters spend more $$ on conservation and preservation than hikers do. The bears need to be thinned out.
I am the worst kind of hypocrite ---I could never kill a deer myself but I love venison. I live happily with bears in my woods and have a soft spot for their well-being but I have eaten and enjoyed bear stew.
However, LW is right. In our area, bear hunters have regularly scheduled events to maintain and protect the forest, the road, etc. They contribute a large amount of revenue for the same.
As man encroaches more and more into THEIR habitats with development and construction, the more the have to be *thinned out.*
However, it still hurts my heart for such animals to be destroyed for sport. Especially when all the hunters do is sit in their trucks and wait for the dogs to run the bears down.
When on the Trail in Maine, I was dismayed at the way the bears are baited and *hunted.* To me, it was akin to feeding your pet dog in the same bowl everyday and then one day, he comes to eat and you shoot him What is the sport in that?
strnorm, where did you get your statistics? Please provide a link. I have searched the PA DCNR site and cannot find them.
..on the other hand though..."Mountain Maiden"...Not all states allow hunting bear with dogs or bait, WV does not. Please do not generalize when there is something you do not like about hunting. If this is allowed in you state, make an effort to change the method of hunting.
Yes, I hunt am proud to be a hunter and to take my son hunting. I stress safety and ethics. If he violates either, he gets his a** reamed and maybe his head smacked and is not allowed to hunt. He will be 18 this month. No my freezer is not full with venison. I wish I had more but I will not hunt illegally nor take risky shots. I have had many chances to kill a deer this year but have not due to these reasons (and yes I said Kill, I hate the word harvest). I still have a week of muzzel loader and till 31 Dec for Bow hunting. So, I can only hope for the best.
We are carnivores and God put the animals here for us to live. (Genesis) I am just glad that I live in a state and country where it is still legal.
sorry, enough venting. Happy hunting/eating!
Frolicking Dinosaurs
12-11-2006, 10:02
What LW and Mountain Maiden said. I'm not a hunter - stalking and killing animals does not interest me at all (I don't even fish) - but that doesn't mean I don't think this should be available to those who do enjoy it.
As for bear or deer baiting, unless it is done to provide meat for one's family (this still happens in poor sections of Appalachia), I'm totally opposed to the practice. The fellows who bait animals to provide food are not hunting for sport, they are hunting to survive. They don't have the time to spend on the sport of hunting.
Mountain Maiden
12-11-2006, 10:21
Coopdog, I have total respect for "real" hunters such as yourself. Thanks for teaching your son, accordingly. Too bad all hunters are not like you. I do not hunt myself and never will. Just do not have the heart for it.
You're right about the differing laws. In SC they have bow season and it follows with the running of the dogs. But--no baiting! I think that was what shocked me about the way they bait in Maine.
FD, yes. there are those who hunt out of need and necessity. I have no problem with this, whatsoever.
It's the ones who show no respect for the woods, other people's property or wildlife and call it their right, that I take issue with.
Sunny
Bloodroot
12-11-2006, 11:38
1) I don't know what this has to do with hiking.
2) Does this make them endangered? How many cows, pigs, chickens, and fish were most people responsible for killing in the last year. Hunters are just get their meat a little more directly. Most folks like their meat in a neat little cellophane package so they don't have to think about the sacrifice a real animal made for them and how it gets to that cellophane package.
I totally agree, very well put. Don't pay any attention to the PETA weenies who complain and are hypocritical.
PETH - People for the Ethnical Treatment of Humans should be created. We are the ones who are mistreated and poisoned by the impurities put in those little cellophane packages.
I prefer supplementing my diet the natural, unmanufactured way.
Almost There
12-11-2006, 12:07
This is the same reason why Kenya has seen many of it's animals come dangerously close to extinction when they banned hunting in favor of "Photo Safaris" Didn't pay enought to maintain their park rangers or to protect the animals. Tanzania on the other hand continued to allow hunting, placed a monetary amount on each type of animal, you paid a certain percentage whether you got the animal or not, you kept the trophy, and a local village got the meat. Tanzania had more than enough money to pay park rangers and hire more. As a result almost all of the animal popualtions in the country saw a dramtic increase in their populations over the next few year.
Hunters in our world today are much different from the ones who shot buffalo in the 1870s. Conservation is the only way they will be able to continue to hunt for decades to come.
Blue Jay
12-11-2006, 12:18
PETH - People for the Ethnical Treatment of Humans should be created.
This is a great idea, however I don't think it would work. It would be like PETM - People for the Ethical Treatment of Mosquitos. In the first place no one wants to donate money to out of control breeding, disease ridden, vermin. In the second place you cannot logically use the words ethics and humans in the same sentence. To quote the great philosopher George Carlin, "I find endless amusement in the slow circling of the drain by a once promising species...and please don't confuse my point of view with cynicism; the real cynics are the ones who tell you everything's going to be all right." Yes, God put animals here for our use, now that is funny. Eating them is one thing, claiming we are soooo important to the multiverse that it was created just for us, takes egomania that only humans can attain. 1) Few animals foul their own nest, we foul the entire planet. 2) Few animals deliberately extinquish species, we do. 3) Few animals conduct global, long distance war, we do. NO animal does all three, except humans. One more from George, "I view my species with a combination of wonder and pity, and I root for it's destruction. I sincerely believe that if you think there's a solution, you're part of the problem. Finally I can hear you fools already (said in a mealy mouthed voice) "Well if you think that why don't you kill yourself?" My answer, "What and miss the ultimate horror show, I don't think so." We'll all go down together.
Lone Wolf
12-11-2006, 12:25
www.peta-sucks.com/main/htm
Lone Wolf
12-11-2006, 12:27
try again www.peta-sucks.com/main.htm
Gray Blazer
12-11-2006, 12:31
Interesting site. Nice pic. People Eating Tasty Animalz.
Bloodroot
12-11-2006, 12:49
This is a great idea, however I don't think it would work. It would be like PETM - People for the Ethical Treatment of Mosquitos. In the first place no one wants to donate money to out of control breeding, disease ridden, vermin. In the second place you cannot logically use the words ethics and humans in the same sentence. To quote the great philosopher George Carlin, "I find endless amusement in the slow circling of the drain by a once promising species...and please don't confuse my point of view with cynicism; the real cynics are the ones who tell you everything's going to be all right." Yes, God put animals here for our use, now that is funny. Eating them is one thing, claiming we are soooo important to the multiverse that it was created just for us, takes egomania that only humans can attain. 1) Few animals foul their own nest, we foul the entire planet. 2) Few animals deliberately extinquish species, we do. 3) Few animals conduct global, long distance war, we do. NO animal does all three, except humans. One more from George, "I view my species with a combination of wonder and pity, and I root for it's destruction. I sincerely believe that if you think there's a solution, you're part of the problem. Finally I can hear you fools already (said in a mealy mouthed voice) "Well if you think that why don't you kill yourself?" My answer, "What and miss the ultimate horror show, I don't think so." We'll all go down together.
We live in a world of 'unnatural' order. Because of this we have no sense of kinship with other life on this planet. Our tradition is one of arrogance toward the living world around us.
Bear hunting FAQ's and myths. This link may help some understand the big picture behind Black Bear hunting. I remain neutral in the debate.
http://www.maineguides.org/referendum/bear_hunting_faq.shtml
copythat
12-11-2006, 15:16
... akin to feeding your pet dog in the same bowl everyday and then one day, he comes to eat and you shoot him ...
recipe exchange, anyone? (i feel a new thread coming on for 'cooking and food')
Lone Wolf
12-11-2006, 16:00
recipe exchange, anyone? (i feel a new thread coming on for 'cooking and food')
Here you go www.regnery.com/regnery/020514_killgrill.html
Lone Wolf
12-11-2006, 16:00
recipe exchange, anyone? (i feel a new thread coming on for 'cooking and food')
Here you go www.regnery.com/regnery/020514_killgrill.html
coopdog,the numbers were in the pocono record out of stroudsburg,pa.
Here in TN. the wildlife resources people keep track of the bear population numbers and grant just enough special hunt permits to keep the numbers in check and yes they do account for certain percentages of poaching. I personally have met one of the guys out on the trail leaving his little tuna fish cans and ribbons and talked extensively about the counting process. It is very interesting indeed. They do use dogs here which is no sport at all for the humans or the bears and I do disagree with it, but baiting is not legal. I used to hunt and fish alot when I was younger and ate everything I killed (or brought it home for mom to eat :) ) but no longer do it but I do love wild meats and fish any chance I get. PETA is a bunch of whiners. Ya gotta love Carlin !!
RAT
Jim Adams
12-11-2006, 21:56
Rat,
good post. here in Pa. you can not use dogs or bait. it is pretty much a hit and miss proposition however most good hunters here do know the travel habits of the bears and hunt accordingly. i hunt deer as much as possible because i like the meat. i don't hunt bear--too greasy for me.
geek
Speaking of hunting bears in a not so legal way, check out this post on my blog:
http://www.guitar-antics.com/blog/?p=28
Seems the rich and famous think they can get away with these sorts of things, lol.
RAT
saimyoji
12-11-2006, 23:01
Elk are back and their numbers are climbing steadily. Thanks to the hunters.
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=471&q=151448
copythat
12-12-2006, 02:41
$.01 ... we modern, enlightened americans are WAY removed from the messiness of procuring food. as posted above, we want our meat delivered in bite-size morsels, wrapped in cellophane and ready for the grill. we have lost the stomach for the process that brings us those morsels, when not much more than 100 years ago a majority of americans raised (and hunted) their own food.
$.02 ... we modern, enlightened americans have decided to build homes all over he[[ and gone to have nice trees around us and a feeling of rural living. we have built over farmland* and taken down trees and filled in wetlands to accommodate our desires. we have encroached on the habitats of the animals in our way.
maybe we could look at how sanitized our food chain has become (charlotte's web is a child's fantasy; in the grown-up world, the pig dies) and how we have contributed to the overpopulation of 'wild' animals, constraining them into smaller and smaller spaces by building decks in their backyards.
which would you rather come across on the trail: the bear, or the sprawl?
(* from 1987 to 1997, pennsylvania -- where the bear hunt took place -- converted 293,520 acres of farmland to residential/commercial use. think four bedrooms three baths two-car garages, the home depot, wally world. for the skeptics among us: http://www.farmland.org/resources/fote/states/allStates.asp )
which would you rather come across on the trail: the bear, or the sprawl?
I consider it a real treat to see a bear or any wildlife for that matter but I cringe when I see more "building he[[" aka: "sprawl".
RAT
hopefulhiker
12-12-2006, 11:58
3099 seems like a lot of bears in PA. I did not see a single bear on the hike through PA, just a whole lot of sharp pointy rocks.
gtothero
12-12-2006, 13:37
There are more bears in the north central part of PA. I saw bears on the Quehanna Trail and Mid State Trail this year.
PA bears tend to run away as soon as they see you. Three days of being shot at every November discourages them from raiding campsites.
Jim Adams
12-13-2006, 02:29
as far as black bears go, the Pocono area of Pennsylvania has the largest black bears in the world.
But i think we have the largest population of em here ;) They killed the state record of 600lbs near my sections trailhead a few yrs ago.
RAT
Largest Black Bear went 680lbs. live weight near Big K back in the 80's
State by state populations here :http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/noframe/c286.htm
they extened the season for another week during deer season, 9 days total
Largest Black Bear went 680lbs. live weight near Big K back in the 80's
State by state populations here :http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/noframe/c286.htm
Wow, we came close then, thanks for the population link ;)
RAT
spittinpigeon
12-17-2006, 21:47
Hunters spend more $$ on conservation and preservation than hikers do. The bears need to be thinned out.
This may be true, though it doesn't necessarily mean their money was donated. Hunters have written in registers, and said (in person) to hikers;
"I hope you're enjoying our forests, since we have to pay to be here, and you don't."
Fly By Mike
12-17-2006, 22:03
Bear hunting FAQ's and myths. This link may help some understand the big picture behind Black Bear hunting. I remain neutral in the debate.
http://www.maineguides.org/referendum/bear_hunting_faq.shtml
From reading this it's pretty clear the State of Maine has done a lot of research and knows a lot about it's bears.
No small portion of the A.T. corridor in Pennsylvania is comprised of Pennsylvania State Game Lands. Those who like to hike on the A.T. and badmouth hunters and hunting should consider hiking elsewhere.:rolleyes:
saimyoji
12-17-2006, 22:43
This may be true, though it doesn't necessarily mean their money was donated. Hunters have written in registers, and said (in person) to hikers;
"I hope you're enjoying our forests, since we have to pay to be here, and you don't."
Those are the hunters who've only been at it a short time, or are too drunk to ever shoot anything.
The largest black bear ever killed in Pennsylvania is on loan to Cabela's from the Pennsylvania Game Commission. You can walk there easily from Port Clinton.
There was 3099 bears killed in last two weeks during hunting season in state of Pa. what a waste of wildlife:(
You know what's really a waste? All the wildlife that gets struck on highways by motorists.;)
Ever heard of the concept of carrying capacity? Probably not.:rolleyes:
I am the worst kind of hypocrite ---I could never kill a deer myself but I love venison. I live happily with bears in my woods and have a soft spot for their well-being but I have eaten and enjoyed bear stew.
However, LW is right. In our area, bear hunters have regularly scheduled events to maintain and protect the forest, the road, etc. They contribute a large amount of revenue for the same.
As man encroaches more and more into THEIR habitats with development and construction, the more the have to be *thinned out.*
However, it still hurts my heart for such animals to be destroyed for sport. Especially when all the hunters do is sit in their trucks and wait for the dogs to run the bears down.
When on the Trail in Maine, I was dismayed at the way the bears are baited and *hunted.* To me, it was akin to feeding your pet dog in the same bowl everyday and then one day, he comes to eat and you shoot him What is the sport in that?I can see where Mountain Maiden is coming from. The areas that bear and other wildlife can roam through are shrinking in upstate SC. Multiply what I have seen in 20 years by 3 and I really think you've have a problem.
Looking for a gift for your favorite outdoors person and want to do something to promote wildlife conservation at the same time? Go here (https://www.theoutdoorshop.state.pa.us//FBG/game_secured/GameOutdoorShop.asp?ShopperID=D27DC841EAB140D08E1A 446C4FCCB092).
I can see where Mountain Maiden is coming from. The areas that bear and other wildlife can roam through are shrinking in upstate SC. Multiply what I have seen in 20 years by 3 and I really think you've have a problem.I have've a problem.:D
Click below for links to all sorts of information about Pennsylvania's black bears.
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=473&q=150328
The Pennsylvania Game Commission performs an invaluable service to citizens of The Commonwealth and all who visit us.:)
Everyone not completely pursuaded that my claim is true, please go here (http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=481&q=151287&pgcNav=|) and learn what PGC has done and does. You may be surprised.
Here's the link (http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=487&q=159288) for Middle Creek WMA, a PGC facility near where I live. Anyone who has never been there is missing something!
This time of the year, it's a great place to see tundra swans, snow geese and all sorts of waterfowl. There's mounted waterfowl displayed at the visitor's center as well as a passenger pigeon. In the warmer months, I've seen great and snowy egrets, ospreys and many more common birds.
It is truly a birder's paradise.
There was 3099 bears killed in last two weeks during hunting season in state of Pa. what a waste of wildlife:(
If you haven't already had your question answered, please go here (http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=473&q=164048) for a direct answer to your question by PGC. Some may not see a question mark in the quote above and I'm not attempting to badger the poster. There does seem to be a misunderstanding on the part of the poster, however.
sweetpeastu
12-18-2006, 03:09
I don't thinkin hunting is so bad so long as you use what you kill and I must say, bear stu is really tasty and healthy.
:welcome to WhiteBlaze.net sweetpeastu. I'm glad to see your first post. I hope I posted some links last night that you found helpful in some way. Pennsylvania Game Commission puts a lot of effort into providing the public with information.
Sometimes it takes a while to locate information online and I wanted to try to make that information more accessible. Did you learn anything new by following those links?
Hi 'stu welcome to whiteblaze - a bit different than TT but in some ways almost as contentious
buckowens
12-24-2006, 10:21
Just read a great book on black bears and bear behavior. It is called "Raising the Bears: Raising Orphan Cubs in the Wild" by Benjamin Kilham. I found it to be a great insight on these often misunderstood creatures.
sweetpeastu
01-25-2007, 22:00
I don't know how to navigate this site very well at all. I don't know whats wrong with me. lol. I can't find anything after I've posted! lol. (i will now loose this too prolly).
sweetpeastu
01-25-2007, 22:41
i dont know how to post new threads...anyone care to enlighten me? I was hoping since this is a page mostly devoted to the AT that I'd be able to actually find people in Roanoke, Virginia to--get this--hike with! lol. But I can't post threads so no one but the casual passerby will know this...
i dont know how to post new threads...anyone care to enlighten me? I was hoping since this is a page mostly devoted to the AT that I'd be able to actually find people in Roanoke, Virginia to--get this--hike with! lol. But I can't post threads so no one but the casual passerby will know this...
from this page: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/index.php reached by clicking on "WhiteBlaze" link near top of this page select a forum for your new thread, click on the forum name and you will see recent threads on that forum and at the bottom of the forum page there will be a button for "New Thread" click that button and go from there - note not all forums can be posted in - some are "locked" as is indicated by the locki symbol on the index page.
NICKTHEGREEK
01-26-2007, 06:48
It was a hunter that left us the legacy of Yellowstone. It was a group of them that gave us back the ducks and geese at the turn of the last century and lobbyed to have market hunting stopped. The conservationist movement was partly (mostly?) initiated by hunters, those that saw the rapid decline of the country's game and wilderness areas disappearing and did something about it
Hunters are certainly the better conservationists. That they do dig deeper into their wallets and give more of their money and time to propogate and continue their sport than the anti-hunter screamers do. And we all benefit from their efforts.
So, you antis, instead of screaming so loudly at the hunters, perhaps you should embrace them instead.:sun
Seems to be a very informed opinion. Based on the depth of your knowledge can you help us understand what killed off all the animals in the first place? Hanta virus, aids, a comet or earthquake?
To answer the flippant question, we did (just in case your question really wasn't flippant at all). Well, our ancestors did so.
When they came to this country they found such a huge, seemingly never-ending source of wildlife in such a vast country that little thought was given to conserving it, at least not until it began to disappear, around the beginning of the last century. Hunters were a huge driving force to initiate the social change to preserve what we had before we had squandered it all away. They saw it disappearing and worked to promulgate the laws to try and right the huge wrong that we had done.
Ducks Unlimited comes to mind as one of these hunter organizations which began their existence with this purpose in mind and they dug deep into their pockets to obtain those 99 year leases where so much wildlife was born so as to have it protected for all who came behind them-you, I, all of us.
So, the next time you see a hunter in the woods, I am not implying that you should rush right up and hug him and thank him for being there, but at least cut him a little slack for what he is doing.
NICKTHEGREEK
01-26-2007, 07:57
To answer the flippant question, we did (just in case your question really wasn't flippant at all). Well, our ancestors did so.
When they came to this country they found such a huge, seemingly never-ending source of wildlife in such a vast country that little thought was given to conserving it, at least not until it began to disappear, around the beginning of the last century. Hunters were a huge driving force to initiate the social change to preserve what we had before we had squandered it all away. They saw it disappearing and worked to promulgate the laws to try and right the huge wrong that we had done.
Ducks Unlimited comes to mind as one of these hunter organizations which began their existence with this purpose in mind and they dug deep into their pockets to obtain those 99 year leases where so much wildlife was born so as to have it protected for all who came behind them-you, I, all of us.
So, the next time you see a hunter in the woods, I am not implying that you should rush right up and hug him and thank him for being there, but at least cut him a little slack for what he is doing.
You did say embrace in the first post, that seemed to imply a hug.
There was 3099 bears killed in last two weeks during hunting season in state of Pa. what a waste of wildlife:(
m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-Bear meat!
Tasty!;)
oldfivetango
01-26-2007, 09:09
When I was a kid and actually wanted to hunt deer,there
was hardly any to be had.Then the DNR got involved and
brought deer into Georgia.An industry has literally sprung up
around deer hunting,turkey hunting,and fishing.Now the state
is so full of deer and turkeys you can hardly drive the highways
without having one come through the windshield!I am not making
this up as I know a married couple who each hit a deer in separate
cars on the same morning on the way to work.Try explaining that to the insurance company!
Although I live in town,we have deer running up and down the streets
and eating our shrubery.Someone has referred to them as "urban rats
with antlers."Pretty well sums it up.
My point is that if the bears were not thinned out from time to time
they would become the same problem that the mountain lions are
in the west.Saw on FOXNEWS this morning the bloody picture of a man
attacked by a mountain lion(maybe north California,not sure) but his
trusty wife picked up a log and beat the big cat until it turned loose of
his face and head.Maybe they should stop murdering the bears for awhile
until we see just how many the ecosystem can actually support before
they start eating the hikers?Think of it as your sacrafice for the greater
good!:D
Cheers,
Oldfivetango
saimyoji
01-26-2007, 09:20
Maybe they should stop murdering the bears for awhile until we see just how many the ecosystem can actually support before they start eating the hikers? Think of it as your sacrafice for the greater good!
Actually most states have well staffed DNRs (DCNR here in PA) that can scientifically extrapolate the carrying capacity for the different species in an area. Here in PA we can support many more bear than actually live here now, its just not a good idea. As for deer, they sure are some pesky varmints. Not only do they get in the road ways, but can cause thousands of dollars in crop destruction (bear can too).
The DCNR occaisionally culls a population: kills off and destroys some of the animals for population control. The animals aren't taken for food, sport or study (though they are often donated for some of these causes). Just population control. Seems to me we ought to be considering these options for the one species that is truly overpopulated on our planet..... :-? :eek:
Tipi Walter
01-26-2007, 09:40
First off, as a vegetarian for 34 years I sure don't need to eat the meat of a black bear and deprive it of it's life in the woods. Don't we all enjoy being out backpacking or hiking or camping in what's left of the pristine woods? So why wouldn't a black bear and it's family also have the same enthusiasm for life and living out? What's the sport in running dozens of dogs and shooting a bear out of a tree? Whatever happened to creeping up on a bear with a bowie knife? Now that's hunting.
And while some hunters are protecting their hunting grounds for future hunting, 300,000,000 Americans are working against them and the bears with sprawl, air and water pollution and loss of habitat. If hunters were really concerned about black bear viability, they would be the greenest environmentalists working to limit human population and limit human growth and sprawl. To paraphrase Edward Abbey, we should all demand our right to die by grizzly(or black bear), it should always be a possibilty when we enter the wilderness. It's what defines wilderness. When 50,000 people die every year in car wrecks no one says too much about it, but when one person is killed in a black bear accident, the whole area mobilizes with law enforcement, media helicopters, search and rescue, wildlife officiers, marksmen and snipers. And any bear found during this frenzy will be killed.
To me the black bear is like the bald eagle, a symbol of wilderness and the last real example of a big creature that can give wilderness that wild feel. How many black bears are their in this country? 50,000? 100,000? Why can't there be 300,000,000 black bears and 100,000 humans? Put the shoe on the other foot for awhile.
Tipi Walter
01-26-2007, 09:47
Actually most states have well staffed DNRs (DCNR here in PA) that can scientifically extrapolate the carrying capacity for the different species in an area. Here in PA we can support many more bear than actually live here now, its just not a good idea. As for deer, they sure are some pesky varmints. Not only do they get in the road ways, but can cause thousands of dollars in crop destruction (bear can too).
The DCNR occaisionally culls a population: kills off and destroys some of the animals for population control. The animals aren't taken for food, sport or study (though they are often donated for some of these causes). Just population control. Seems to me we ought to be considering these options for the one species that is truly overpopulated on our planet..... :-? :eek:
"Seems to me we ought to be . . ."
There you go. I know you're not really serious but I hear ya nonetheless.
4eyedbuzzard
01-26-2007, 11:36
The DCNR occaisionally culls a population: kills off and destroys some of the animals for population control. The animals aren't taken for food, sport or study (though they are often donated for some of these causes). Just population control. Seems to me we ought to be considering these options for the one species that is truly overpopulated on our planet..... :-? :eek:
It's been tried a few times, most notably in 1940's Germany. The program recieved less than glowing reviews.;)
4eyedbuzzard
01-26-2007, 11:39
Why can't there be 300,000,000 black bears and 100,000 humans? Put the shoe on the other foot for awhile.
Hmm, will you be the one racing to the front of the culling line?:-? ;)
Seems to me we ought to be considering these options for the one species that is truly overpopulated on our planet..... :-? :eek:
Not only are we considering it, we're doing it. The middle-range predictions of the US Census Bureau has the population of the US starting to decline by 2050, and the UN says the same for the world as a whole.
Slosteppin
01-30-2007, 10:42
I am very much in favor of hunting, even though I quit hunting over 35 years ago. I quit because I finally understood that the reason I was hunting was to hike in the woods. I didn't really want or need what l shot - I did clean and eat what I shot.
I favor (controlled) hunting for two reasons: First, we now have several species of game animals in our state that were gone or very scarce. This includes bear, deer and turkeys.
Second, hunting an animal makes them wary of people. We have a healthy population of black bear in northern lower Michigan. I have never seen one in the woods, but I have found tracks and other sign.
I think that in states where black bear are hunted there are very few attacks on people. I think the same would be true in California if Mountain lions were hunted. Of course, I also think subdivisions should not be allowed in bear and lion habitat...
just my $0.02
Slosteppin
carolina trekker
01-30-2007, 11:02
Have you ever seen what happens to deer populations when hunting is not allowed? I have and its not a pretty sight. Starvation and disease reak havoc on oversize herds. They do need to be thinned. Hunting and fishing license fees generate mega bucks for the conservation efforts.