this post was submitted on 22 Aug 2024
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Oh bull, humans have severely beaten natural predators and prey has exploded. And over population is bad news for any species; over feeding, disease, etc. I've seen deer populations that were staggering in size, no idea their fate, but it can't be good.
Don't want hunters? Fine, I've never hunted either, don't care to. Reintroduce predators, so if you can make that happen. Farmers in Colorado shit kittens when the state reintroduced wolves.
Ever seen a panther in your neck of the woods? I have, and despite being armed, I wouldn't fancy my chances. (And thank god, we ended up ignoring one another.) Maybe we could get some more of those? I'd be all for it.
Ever had a black bear in your house? I have. Love those guys, and they're mostly harmless to humans. Given that people around here are used to them, they still flip when one hops the fence or dumps their garbage.
Consider that those two animals are absolutely illegal to kill except in self-defense. Think Bubba doesn't smoke 'em on site anyway? Because Bubba do that.
So how well do you think reintroduction of predators would work?
That proves my point, though.
To clarify, overpopulation can be a thing, but mostly because of human activity and our own perspectives.
Normally, the carrying capacity of any ecosystem has limits, and once the population of a certain species reaches that limit, there can be no more growth.
When we leave predators alone, there are ups and down of both prey and predator populations. Totally normal, and totally expected. There's NOTHING wrong with this.
But when humans interfere, either directly (i.e. hunting) or indirectly (i.e. urban sprawl), it changes the dynamic of that ecosystem, and we notice or experience more conflicts.
The problem with hunting and mass culling, is that it creates side effects, and hunters will be chasing their own tail (no pun intended) going after "problem animals".
You'd be surprised how many farmers will purposely bait predatory species just so they can have an excuse to eradicate them. Very few actually take steps to avoid conflicts with those animals, but there are non-profit groups who can help them develop a plan.
How do I know this? My wife spend nearly two decades in wildlife conservation, conflict avoidance (directly working with farmers), and wildlife rehabilitation. You should hear the stories!
These aren't examples to justify hunting. If your home has been developed in proximity to where these large animals naturally live, what do you expect?
If you do find a bear in your neighbourhood, the question that should be asked is, "who is leaving food out for them?", not "do we have permission to kill them all?!!!"
We have coyote around here. They are harmless, more so than the off leash dogs you see running around near kids. Yet there's an obsession for people to want to kill every one they see. Did I mention our rabbit population has exploded as a result? I guess it's time to kill all the rabbits! /s
Incredibly well.
The trick is that humans need to be as hand's off as possible. And when that happens, nature thrives.