More elephant overpopulation trouble.

[H&Hhunter]

It seems to me that the number of tags issued would hardly even slow down a population that big. And if the money funds measures to protect the remaining herd, well I would imagine those herds are on the rise, and not a decline.

Yes they are on the rise dramatically in some areas. What I didn't mention here however is that since the various game departments can no longer afford culling teams to cut the population they are now selling control tags to sport hunters at very cheap rates. So if a guy wanted to hunt elephant this a golden opportunity. No part of the elephant can be kept if it's killed on a control tag but you get the experience and to me that's the main thing. I killed an elephant on a control tag in 2004 it was one heck of an experience and we took a trouble maker aggressive old cow out of the herd.

 

[CoRoMo]

From what I understand elephants are near extinction...

You probably get your "data" from Wikipedia, right?

edit:
Dang, I was sort of kidding because I thought you half-knew what you were talking about, but then I read post #10, and you really do get your "data" from Wikipedia. Mistake. Do you really buy that? What's hilarious is that Grizzly Bear is on there, but Polar Bear isn't. If the person who wrote that had been trying to do a half-whit job of appearing legit, you'd think you'd see a list that made an effort at making sense.

 

[McCall911]

An increasing elephant population is forcing the animals from
wildlife reserves and into greater contact with people, leading to an
economic and environmental crisis in parts of Zimbabwe where some are
calling for greater numbers of the animals to be culled.

So obviously humans aren't "intruding" into elephant territory, but vice versa.
Of course, the anti-human animal rights "activists" turn a blind eye to this, assuming they see anything at all.

Culling a herd is awful and no one in their right mind wants to do it, but it's a necessary evil by game management in parts of Africa. Obviously,there are far more elephants than there are legitimate hunters to hunt them.

But one of many problems is that in some places game management is strapped.


What's sad is this:

When elephants raid their area, villagers seek help from Bubi rural district
council, the only authority that can kill problem animals in the area. But
often, Mr Mupengesi said, council officials are out of bullets for shooting
the animals or fuel to drive to their hideouts.

What do you do? Allow the poachers free reign? What, and for the rest of Africa to end up like Kenya? I don't think so! Obviously, they have to encourage legitimate hunting, not ban it as in Kenya.

But you can darn sure bet that Africans aren't going to get any help from the anti-human animal rights "activists"!

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

H&H Hunter speaks quite knowledgably on this issue; I thank you for the info and common sense - we've got to get those countries which do NOT allow legal sport hunting of the elephants to allow it - to save the elephant from natural results stemming from the misguided rhetoric of the anti-hunting movement.

 

[H&Hhunter]

Tad,

I like your sig line! I do it all the time. In fact every time I go out.

 

[LegalAlien]

OK . . . here is another perspective from somebody who lived in Africa and have seen the impact of elephants on the environment.

During my early years visits to the Kruger National Park, the most abundant wildlife would be the Impala . . . . and on game drives would get bored with impala after impala after impala . . . big herds!!! Lots of excitement was generated whenever we were fortunate to see an elephant, or a small herd. This was back in the late 80's.

Step forward to 2008 - we were fortunate to go 'back home' and visit family in South Africa . . . and part of the trip was a weekend safari stay in a fairly exclusive private game reserve adjacent to the Kruger National Park and within the Timbavati reserve area.

On our very first game drive, I was shocked to see how decimated the trees and grasslands were . . from overgrazing by elephants. You have to know how elephants graze and how they will totally destroy a tree to get to the soft green leaves. AND . . they have voracious appetites.
During this weekend visit, my new wife, who is a lovely born and bred American gal, was initially in awe when we spotted our first herd of elephants . . right across the river from our tent bungalow. . . . . . by the end of the weekend . . . we were as bored with elephant viewing, as we were with the abundant impala.
There are just too many of them and they are destroying the landscape, to the detriment of all the other plant eating wildlife sharing the same grazing.
According to our guide on the game drives, the South African authorities are planning on re-instituting controlled elephant culling and/or capture and relocation to less populated wilderness areas.

By the way . . . elephant biltong (jerky) is yummy.

 

[H&Hhunter]

Hers one that just popped up an all in elephant hunt for $7500.

http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/832100588/m/8371000021

 

[Vern Humphrey]

What I don't do is shoot prarie dogs for fun. What I don't do is buy ivory, and wouldn't even if it was legal. I don't support dog fighting. And I certainly don't care about the plight of some African tribes who have produced too many babies and cause their own overpopulation problems.

In other words, you like animals and don't give a rat's bazoo about humans.

 

[Leaky Waders]

For the OP, I recommend that you take a state sponsored hunting education course - the kind that many states require for young hunters nowadays. it teaches carrying capacity and ecology. It could be very enlightening.

 

[RockinU]

its a waste of time to argue with people that think animals are more important than poor people.

This

 

[AmosMoses]

Well, I guess the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries ignores the "authority" that is Wikipedia in licensing me and probably 60 or so others to remove hundreds of nuisance alligators year 'round...along with the thousands of tags they issue seasonal alligator hunters every September, too.

 

[Art Eatman]

Amos, Wikipedia info comes FROM various sources, such as in your example of the Louisiana game folks. They don't take their info from Wiki in making their decisions.

Not all Wiki inputs are reliable, which is why school teachers and college profs disallow it as a primary source.