Hunting

Pissing tree stands

|

Remember kids, always scan the tree line for folks in stands before taking a piss in the woods. They got a better view then you do!

hunting bans imperil biodiversity — Furbearer Conservation

|

Conservation Researchers: hunting bans imperil biodiversity — Furbearer Conservation

The term “trophy hunting” is one that has been badly abused for decades; causing turmoil and contention throughout the conservation community. All game hunting, to a degree, results in some form of a “reward” for participation; but like other concepts of life, participation does not always result in the administering of a “trophy”.

To put it bluntly, humans hunt and pursue wildlife for many reasons - food, hide/pelt, management, reduction of property damage, or, in many cases, all of the above - far surpassing the sophistical concept that one’s ultimate desire to take part in hunting actions is strictly rooted in the collection of a prize.

Today, the term “trophy hunting” is primarily used as dog-whistle verbiage designated to elicit an emotive response from a cross-section of society; rendering the term “trophy” to little more than a connotative misnomer with regard to the broader concepts of (and reasons behind) modern regulated hunting activities.

M-44 and Coyotes

|

I’ve been reading about the latest controversy over the continued approval of M-14 sodium cyanide for coyote control in certain western states. Some observations I have:

  • Traditional foothold traps are best for catching and dispatching coyotes. With a foothold you can check to ensure you’ve reached the target species before dispatching the coyote with your firearm. After you’ve killed the coyote, you can recover the pelt in good condition for sale.
  • Running trap lines in very remote country can be challenging as you have to check have the traps every 24 hours or maybe 48 hours to see if you have gotten anything in the trap. The M-44 traps kill the animal and don’t need to be checked daily.
  • Supposedly, the M-44 sodium cyanide baits break down quickly and does not bio-accumulate but I would still be worried about secondary poisoning of eagles and other raptors. Nature picks up after dead carcasses as they’re just food to other species and you don’t want to kill non targeted species.
  • Don’t kid yourself, coyotes are an enormous problem on the modem ecosystem. Yes, they do help keep field mice and certain other species in check. But they also a ample breeders with limited predators. They kill deer, elk, and other game species – along with attacking calves and even cattle giving birth. Nature ain’t pretty, coyotes do whatever they have to survive.
  • While I don’t support killing animals without a purpose, I do think predators must be kept in check as humans are putting pressures on other parts of the ecosystem and need to keep balance. Regulated trapping can and does help to control wildlife population.
  • I think it’s reasonable to consider ways to get more people to hunt and trap coyotes in areas where they are a nuisance by subsidizing pelt sales, promoting the market for coyote fur, placing a bounty on coyotes and hosting coyote hunting contests.
  • Sometimes unpleasant things are necessary to protect our natural resources. Nature isn’t always pretty. But the coyote that can be harvested via hunting and trapping, the more we can avoid using potentially harmful poisons like M-44.