Hunting non-native species as form of environmentalism?

[MatthewVanitas]

Greetings. I've been pondering the issue of hunting as of late. Being raised in a non-hunting family, I'm not very used to the concept. I've gone dove and duck hunting with friends, thought it was okay. Felt somewhat morally validated that I've shot and eaten things, unlike the many meat eaters who decry "killing cute little animals" while eating factory-slaughtered meat.

Then another moral upside to hunting occurred to me: removing non-native species which threaten native species and disrupt the local ecosystem. Combining environmentalism and firearms sounds awfully appealing.

In any case, is there any good data/articles out there about how hunters can help out the U.S. by depleting non-native species? Given the wide number of critters who've occupied land that isn't theirs, one would think there would be some good karma involved in removing them so that native North American species can prosper.

Off the top of my head: feral pig, feral goat, nutria, wild horse. I'm sure there are many more (not even counting non-huntable critters, fishes, and flora).

Can hunting eradicate non-native species? We seem to have been unfortunately successful wiping out several native species. Does the U.S. have any policy encouraging folks to shwack the heck out of nutria, feral pig, etc? California's "5 pigs for $8" license seems a step in the right direction. Or will hunting just thin out their numbers, allowing them to grab more resources per critter?

If anyone has any good references out there that I should read, I'd be most appreciative. -MV

 

[patentmike]

Here in Texas, feral hogs can be a real problem. In dry parts of the state, feral spanish goats also compete with deer for food. Open seasons and no bag limits probably help some.

Another thing for your anti-hunting acquaintances to think about: That soybean field their tofu comes from used to be wildlife habitat. Habitat destruction is a more serious threat to species survival than hunting.

 

[Fuzzy]

I would suggest checking with your state game and fish agency and reading the hunting regulations. Here in Arizona we are encouraged to kill many non-native species for the purpose of eradicating them. There was a feral hog problem in southern AZ a long time ago. They could be hunted by anyone with a valid big game tag with no limit on the hogs. Nobody I know has ever seen one though.

There are a lot of non-game species that should be removed. A long time ago, some idiot thought that North America should have all the birds mentioned in Shakespear's writing and that's how we got the european starling and a lot of other invasive birds.

A lot of our game birds are also non-native. Pheasants, hungarian partirdges, and others all came from elsewhere. But, we like those so we keep them around.

 

[MrMurphy]

Well feral hogs are a big problem here since they destroy everything and breed fast. Friend of mine has 90 acres, about 18 pigs and even if he kills off three/four a month, they'll breed back up fast (he's not always around).

There is no limit on wild pigs in Texas I believe, and I know there's no season.

 

[scotjute]

Hunting/trapping are important measures to keeping wildlife populations in check. With the disappearance of many of the larger predators, populations of the "prey" animals can in some instances mushroom to the point of habitat destruction.

Many of the non-native species do well here because of less competition or lack of predator control. Hunting is certainly important to keep the non-native species from taking over. State of Texas has done some long-range experiments with totally enclosed plots of land with different combinations of Sika and Axis deer (non-native species) and white-tail. Each plot was totally enclosed with deer-proof fence and absolutely no predation. Within 10 years in each case the non-natives species had emerged as either the only survivors in the plots or as the vastly dominant species over the white-tail. While these trials would not exactly be duplicated in the wild, they do point to a need to keep non-native species under check, and hunting is a very effective tool for that.

 

[Gunpacker]

Can hunting eradicate?

Yes hunting can eradicate a species. Any species IMO. However, it does take a large hunting population that is highly motivated. That is what does not exist anymore. A large percentage of the population is ashamed of hunting, another segment is against hunting generally, and the actual hunting population is usually targeted to specific species for sport, rather than high bag limits. The deer population continues to boom in spite of being one of the most popular prey species.
Only varmint hunters could be said to be engaged in trying to reduce the population of any particular species. They are not really motivated by trying to eradicate their prey, rather they simply want to reduce the population in an area then move to another area of higher population. The abandoned area quickly repopulates, and will be revisited later when populations rebound.
Bounties are a good motivator, but again the hunter will be quick to leave a low productive area. Bounties could be a great motivator if they were increased when population goes down, enducing hunters to search for the elusive last remaining quarry. Capitalism at work.
Bottom line is that motivation needs to exist until an eradication is complete, so that populations are actually eradicated.
That motivation used to exist when people were engaged in family feeding, or market hunting, or even determination to protect lives. Those motivations were enough to cause some species to be hunted to extinction (passenger pigeon). Buffalo would have been exterminated if not protected just in time, as might have elk, deer, and other species. Wolves, Bear, Cougar, Coyotes and other species were eradicated in areas where they were felt to be a threat to life or property, and could have been eradicated.
Animals such as Nutria would be harder, being more prolific, but lots of hunters, with proper support and motivation could do that job too.

 

[Dave R]

Fish & Game departments DO want hunters to help control the population of non-native species. That is precisely why they have no limit and no season.

And I completely agree with Gunpacker. A bounty on such species would really increase hunter harvests of them.

 

[TallPine]

Don't get philosophical about it ... just kill the little boogers.

 

[gazpacho]

Take a look at National Geographic, Dec 2003, "Kill a Cat, Save a Numbat?" It's about an Austrailian Activist named John Wamsley who's fighting to save native species from feral cats, rabbits and foxes, all non-native to Austrailia. His method is to " . . . buy up land, fence out the ferals . . . kill off the invasive animals, and reintroduce native ones . . ."

 

[Heavy Barrel]

You scared me there for a moment on that "non native species"

 

[Stickjockey]

Meaning....?

 

[Das Pferd]

Are you really thinking of hunting wild horses?

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Out here in "flyover country" the native blue birds get pushed out of their nests by the non-native english sparrows.I keep a pellet rifle handy to thin out the pest birds.There was a good article a year or so ago in one of the hunting mags about feral cats and how they displace and devour native critters such as rabbits and song birds.

 

[motorep]

Cats- Mother Nature's biodegradable targets. People think that they're doing the cats a favor by dropping them off at someone's farm or up here by someone's ranch. I don't like killing any kind of animals, but I like it even less when I find magpies, flickers, bluebirds and the like in my meadow, left there with their heads chewed off. Shoot, shovel, shut up.

 

[Stand_Watie]

I think if you want to help the environment, you're on the right track. I don't know this for a fact, but I suspect that the single largest agency in almost every state that cares for, tracks and supports native wildlife are their fish and game departments which are either heavily subsidized or outright supported by hunters and fishers.

I've developed a very high regard for game wardens and I think I'd have been happy with my choice had I pursued a biology degree and a career along that path. I think they are a good example of wildife custodians. Ironically, despite the possible sterotype of game wardens being tobacco spitting bumpkins, I understand that it is such a highly sought after career that state game agencies have their pick of college graduates and long term peace officers when hiring.

 

[UnintendedConsequences]

We can hunt feral hogs, but not bear or cougar

Here in Missouri we can hunt feral hogs year round without any permits needed, no limit. However, we can't harvest black bear or cougars, even though they are not considered "native" species here in our state.

Then again, if they attack you or livestock, there is the SSS method to dealing with them.

Down in Arkasas you can receive a hefty fine for killing a cougar, yet the game department down there says there aren't any in the state. A man lost his sister to a cougar attack yet all the LEOs and game wardens told him he was nuts for thinking that.

If it wants to make a meal of me it becomes a tanned hide and fills the freezer.

 

[MatthewVanitas]

Das Pferd: Wild horses? Well, never really lived in an area where they were a problem. I'm led to understand that they displace antelope though. But it's a pretty academic question unless one lives in antelope/horse contested country. It kind of gets back to the whole "cute animal" thing. Lots of people like horses, but if they displace native species, should they be removed? Ditto for swans on the East Coast: folks love 'em, but they drive off native canvass-back ducks and the like. Apparently, swans are nasty aggressive critters, but Victorian-era twits thought they were ornamental in the little pond by the gazebo.

Not coming from a hunting background, I'm a bit loathe to go out hunting, say, squirrels. I figure the squirrel is having a pretty good squirrel day without my interference, and if it's his time to get chomped by a falcon, then it's his time to go. Why do I and my .22 need to get involved?

But if we have feral pig tearing up the area, nutria pushing out beaver, etc., then why not practice marksmanship, get a little chow or furry hat in addition, and the good karma inherent in restoring (ever so slightly) the natural balance?

I have the Pacific Northwest in mind: you might not get a hippy to nail Thumper, but saving the muskrats might rate some well-placed rounds on the nutria fields.

I've posted by Pacific NW nutria-related questions on the "Hunting" board, so hopefully can figure out if there's any chance to directly contribute in my old stomping grounds. Good discussion thus far, thanks. -MV

 

[Langenator]

I know it's open season and no limit on wild pigs in Washington.

I haven't heard of nutria being in the state at all. Thought they were down in Louisiana.

 

[MatthewVanitas]

Mr Langenator: I hadn't realized that pigs went as far north as WA. By the time I got interested in hunting, I'd already left that state. Bears investigation. I still feel negligent that I spent a year living in Monterey and never went hoghunting in the hills. Anyone else have info on WA hogs?

IRT Nutria distribution: did some research and answered a few of my own questions, courtesy of my alma mater's excellent Burke Museum:

Topic still open for debate, but at least we've solved the question of their location in WA. -MV

 

[nico]

hmm, according to the Maryland DNR there are over 100,000 nutria in Maryland. Maybe the next MD THR meet should be a nutria hunt?

does anyone know how you would go about hunting them and what to use? The areas where they're located don't allow rifles.

 

[Langenator]

Neat...according to the map, my (legal) home in Lacey is in the core zone...so when the Army finally lets me go home I can blast me a few.

Matt-to the best of my knowledge, the wild hogs in WA are mostly found at the southern end of the Olympic peninsula, west and northwest of Olympia and Shelton. But that was a couple years ago.

 

[Pappy John]

Das Pferd, don't worry. I don't think he was talking about hunting you.

Personally I'd like to whack all the cormorants that I see out on the river. You never saw any at all until about 5 years ago, and now there's throngs of them. Funny how the fishing seemed to go downhill about that same timeframe and now they're competing with the local heron and egret populations for breeding space. They're moving further upriver every year, too.

If I've heard correctly, they're federally protected though. Sheesh!

 

[countertop]

does anyone know how you would go about hunting them and what to use? The areas where they're located don't allow rifles.

Hmm, not sure. From what I understand the best thing to use with a Nutria is a varmit gun, though any old 22 will work with the right shot.

Perhaps this should be crossposted into the Hunting section???

 

[YammyMonkey]

Nutria average 16 to 18 pounds in weight. Occasional individuals may weigh 25 pounds or more.

That is one big rat.

Maybe a shotgun with #4's or so for hunting? Sounds like they're more of a trapped animal than a hunted one.

 

[nico]

I did a little looking and it sounds like it's a toss up between .22, #4 and BB. One guy on some MD hunting board talked about using BB from a kyak. Sounds like fun, and supposedly they taste pretty good (although I think I may want to have someone check that out before I do)