The mighty hunter

Source

Can hunting endangered animals save the species?

I watched an interesting and thought-provoking segment on CBS 60 Minutes on January 29, 2012 - Can hunting endangered animals save the species? on Big Game Hunting preserves that are not in a foreign country but here in the US. One Texas ranch has rare antelope, Scimitar-horned Oryx, that are extinct in the wild but they are thriving here.

Texas now has more exotic wildlife than any other place on earth. There are over 5,000 exotic ranches in the US. Years ago, ranchers got animals from zoos that no longer wanted them and they have helped many endangered animals thrive, even though they are dwindling in the wild.

The US government allows hunting these animals because it is regulated heavily and the animals are not allowed to be over hunted. One rancher says that hunting these animals are the best way to make sure they thrive in the future. The high cost of the hunting license for each animal is what is supporting the cost of operating the ranches. The money that hunting brings in pays for the preservation of the species.

Animal activists say that if the animals exist only to be hunted then they should just be extinct. Activists have gotten the US government to make it harder, almost impossible, to obtain hunting permits. Ranchers say that in 10 years there will be no more of these animals in Texas, or anywhere in the wild.

What do you think - is is right to be able to hunt endangered animals in order to save them from extinction?

Photo: Scimitar-horned Oryx

Foxy!

A wounded fox shot its would be killer in Belarus by pulling the trigger on the hunter's gun as the pair scuffled after the man tried to finish the animal off with the butt of the rifle. Source

Man continues to manipulate nature

You would think that we would have learned from past disastrous attempts to try to manipulate Mother Nature. Alaska has now begun wolf killings to boost caribou for hunters. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, aiming to boost the survival of caribou calves, wants to kill up to 328 wolves, leaving behind 88 to 103. Killing them, state officials say, will allow the Fortymile caribou herd, ravaged by three years of bad weather and heavy snow, to expand from its current level of 40,000 animals to as many as 100,000. The predator control effort has run into opposition from the National Park Service who argues that there aren't nearly as many wolves as state officials estimate, and that killing so many could devastate the packs. Also, the park service says that the Fortymile herd hasn't approached 100,000 since the early 1900s. Wolves in other parts of the West, meanwhile, are also about to come into the gun sights, after the Obama administration's decision this month to let stand the removal of endangered-species protections for wolves in the Upper Midwest, Idaho and Montana. Source Here are a few lessons we should have learned from history: * It is believed that the Sahara Desert has been formed due to the disruption of a food chain. Records point out that in ancient times the Romans captured lions, which resulted in the sharp reduction in the predator population. This in turn resulted in the increase in herbivore population since there was fewer lion to kill them. The increase in the herbivore population led to overgrazing which removed all vegetation. In this manner the Sahara Desert was formed. * In 1935, a species of toad from Central America was introduced in Queensland (Australia). It was meant to eat beetles that were destroying the sugarcane crop. But not only did the toads eat the beetles, they also ate many other useful and harmless creatures. They ate lizards which help farmers by feeding on insects and also destroyed small frogs which are harmless to crops. Since the toad had no natural predators they multiplied into huge populations which are now destroying the native Australian wild life. * In Europe, during the middle ages, the cat was considered a symbol of evil. Superstitious people associated the cat with witchcraft and the devil. For this reason, hundreds of thousands of cats were killed. The absence of cats led to a huge increase in the rat population of Europe and contributed to the spread of Bubonic plague. This disease which is transmitted to people by rat fleas killed about a fourth of the people who lived in Europe during the 1300’s. * Rabbits are not native to Australia. In 1859, 24 wild rabbits were released for hunting purposes. The effect of rabbits on the ecology of Australia has been devastating since this time. Rabbits are suspected of being the most significant known factor in species loss in Australia. Rabbits often kill young trees by destroying their bark. Rabbits are also responsible for serious erosion problems because they eat native plants which leaves the topsoil exposed and vulnerable to sheet, gully and wind erosion. * In 1960, the mayor of Chicago, Richard J Daley, presented Emperor Akihito (then Crown Prince) with a bluegill fish. It was hoped that the Japanese would learn to love bluegill for dinner as much as Chicagoans do. The emperor donated the fish to research centers, but many escaped to wipe out the royal bitterling and bring other native species to the brink of extinction. They have infested waterways across Japan, including the moat of the imperial palace in Tokyo. * The following attempt to "fix Nature" may be the saddest of them all: Things began to go wrong on Macquarie Island, halfway between Australia and Antarctica, soon after it was discovered in 1810. The island's fur seals, elephant seals and penguins were killed for fur and blubber, but it was the rats and mice that jumped from the sealing ships that started the problem. Cats were quickly introduced to keep the rodents from precious food stores. Rabbits followed some 60 years later, as part of a tradition to leave the animals on islands to give shipwrecked sailors something to eat. Given easy prey, cats feasted on the hapless rabbits and feline numbers quickly grew. The island then lost two endemic flightless birds, a rail and a parakeet. Meanwhile, the rabbits bred rapidly and nibbled the island's precious vegetation. By the 1970s, some 130,000 rabbits were causing so much damage that the notorious disease myxomatosis was introduced to Macquarie, which took the rabbit population down to under 20,000 within a decade. The vegetation began to recover, but what was good for the vegetation proved bad for the island's wildlife. With fewer rabbits around, the established cats turned instead to local burrowing birds. By 1985, conservationists deemed it necessary to shoot the cats. The last cat was killed in 2000, but the conservationists were horrified to see rabbit populations soar. Myxomatosis failed to keep numbers down, and the newly strong rabbit population quickly reversed decades of vegetation recovery. In 2006, the resurgent rabbits were even blamed for a massive landslip that wiped out much of an important penguin colony. Scientists say the chain of events at Macquarie is an example of a "trophic cascade", the knock-on effects of changes in one species abundance. The next stage could be an "ecosystem meltdown". The Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service intends to fix the island once and for all, and has drawn up plans to eradicate all 130,000 rabbits, along with the estimated 36,000 rats and 103,000 mice that live there. When WILL we learn?

This dog hunts!

Dinner with the Palin family

A Legendary Hunter

Between 1907 and 1938, Jim Corbett killed a dozen large cats who were collectively blamed for more than 1,500 human deaths. While being hailed as India's most celebrated hunter of man-eaters, Corbett developed a vast respect for tigers and leopards. Years spent stalking intelligent and powerful predators through the forests convinced him that these were graceful creatures that deserved respect. Even these man-eaters held his respect, for he understood that they were merely adapting to their desperate circumstances. "The stress of circumstances is, in nine cases out of ten, wounds, and in the tenth case old age," Corbett once wrote, "Human beings are not the natural prey of tigers, and it is only when tigers have been incapacitated through wounds or old age that, in order to survive, they are compelled to take to a diet of human flesh." Indeed, Corbett admired the wild tiger as "a large-hearted gentleman with boundless courage", and he urged India's people to rally for the conservation of "the finest of her fauna." Read the rest of this fascinating biography at Damn Interesting.

The shed hunter

Jim Phillips is a hunter. He doesn't stalk deer though, just their antlers. Jim has been hunting and collecting shed antlers for more than 50 years and has amassed a collection of 14,500 pieces. The Antler Man enjoys sharing his collection with visitors to his website: Montana Antler Collection (via)

The Whale Hunt - A Story in 3214 Photos

From May 1 to May 7, Jonathan Harris took a photo every 5 minutes of an Inupiat Whale Hunt near Barrow Alaska. (via)

Back from the Christmas Place

Read Moose's story about his trip back from the Christmas Place. Funny.

Know any hunters?

We all have at least one friend who lives for hunting season, right? Short of firearms and camo clothing items, it might be a challenge to find suitable gifts for the hunters on your gift list. Here's some ideas: Deer Rider This unique novelty item is motion activated, or can be triggered from a button on the hood that starts the smiles and toe tapping. When actuated, the vehicle bounces, headlights flash and the deer raises its head to sing "Low Rider" and "Sweet Home Alabama", while the driver's and hunter's heads gyrate to the music. Two bolt-action rifles, a cooler, full camo hunting clothes and a Cabela's logo emblazoned on each door add a touch of realism. At Cabela's Buck the Animated, Singing Trophy Deer The joke's certainly not on you this year. A practical-joke gift for hunters and non-hunters alike, Buck the Animated Trophy Deer is sure to get a rouse when passersby see it proudly mounted on the wall. His head moves from side to side/up and down, his mouth moves in synchromotion to six songs, 12 sayings or your voice, and his ears twitch. Includes microphone and remote control. At WalMart Camo Golf Balls This is for the really avid hunter who has covered everything he owns with camo design. Whether he's a golfer, a sportsman, or both, he is sure to get a laugh from this hilarious gift! Perfect for your husband, boss, dad, uncle, or grandpa, the Camouflage Golf Ball is a huge hit for any occasion. Balls come in sets of three in case one or two "get lost" in play. At MookieGifts Animated Hitch Critters Take one of these critters for a ride on your trailer hitch. Besides giving yourself a chuckle, these moving Hitch Critters plug in to provide a third brake light for added traffic safety. Moreover, they protect ball hitches from corrosion. At SkyMall (via) Veg-Hunt T-Shirt Great gift for the "mighty hunter" who never seems to bring anything home. Vegetarian = Old Indian word for Bad Hunter. (Yup, he'll appreciate this one!) At Arkansas Duck Hunter Deer Rear Trophy The deer rear symbolizes the trophy wall hanger that got away. You know... the one your macho hunting buddy "almost" bagged. This makes an unforgettable conversation piece for your den, deer shack, trophy gallery or the office. At The Sportsman's Guide You thought that was THE END, right? Nope. Last, but not least, How to Shit in the Woods This book presents an environmentally sound approach to relieving the call of nature. The author is humorously frank in her discussion of the 'how-to's' as well as toiletries, and dealing with the unexpected. Your deer camp has someone who really needs this book. At Amazon.com

She was "thrilled"

On this season's deer opener, a Minnesota woman shot one of the rarest kinds around; an albino deer. Mary Rakotz of Avon got the 6-point buck on Saturday in Mille Lacs County. She said it was thrilling to see the rare animal, but 100 times more exciting to be able to actually take it home. "I had heard that it might be in the area, so I thought that here was my chance of a lifetime. So I had to creep a little bit, probably about 40 yards, to get a good place where I could steady myself a little bit. But then I did that and shot and it went right down," said Rakotz. (Albino deer are so uncommon that it's actually illegal to hunt them in at least seven states.) Is it any wonder that so many creatures have been hunted to extinction with idiots like this in the world?

Must be a "hunting dog"

Dogs are supposed to be man's best friend, but for Hunter James Harris his pooch wasn't so much good as it was a good shot. Harris was shot by his dog in a bizarre accident, when, according to officials of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, he placed his shotgun on the ground to cross a fence and his dog stepped on the trigger. Harris was hit in the lower leg and is listed in good condition at an Iowa City hospital, and thankfully, no other people or animals were hurt in the incident.

10 Most Amazing Extinct Animals

From the Quagga -- half zebra, half horse -- to the Irish Deer -- the largest deer that ever lived--, an impressive list with pictures of amazing animals we will never see. A bit of irony here: Great placement by Google ads: Ads posted twice on this page, for Mukiwa Safari Company, "Trophy hunting on some of the largest and most exotic game ranch concessions in Southern Africa." Maybe they can help add to that list of extinct animals?

11-year old hunter bags "Monster Pig"

Hogzilla is being made into a horror movie. But the sequel may be even bigger: Meet Monster Pig. An 11-year-old boy used a pistol to kill a wild hog his father says weighed a staggering 1,051 pounds and measured 9 feet 4, from the tip of its snout to the base of its tail. Think hams as big as car tires. If the claims are accurate, Jamison Stone's trophy boar would be bigger than Hogzilla, the famed wild hog that grew to seemingly mythical proportions after being killed in south Georgia in 2004. Jamison is reveling in the attention over his pig. "It feels really good," Jamison said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "It's a good accomplishment. I probably won't ever kill anything else that big."