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Dave Noisy
Minister of Chaos
Canada
4496 Posts |
 Posted - 08/26/2003 : 13:42:54
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Don't forget loss of habitat for the deer (and wolves) as well.
I don't think there's been a single successful case of human-intervention in a natural system...
And bow hunting is really bad news...i think that form of hunting has more animals running off injured than anything short of stoning. You shoot, hit the deer in the leg, the deer runs off, you have no chance to fire off another arrow..the deer runs off and dies elsewhere...good job.
And you know..the ultimate sickness to me is how someone can see a creature as beautiful as a deer and want to kill her. People are so fucked up. |
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darwin
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
USA
5454 Posts |
Posted - 08/26/2003 : 14:29:54
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quote:
Originally posted by Dave Noisy
Don't forget loss of habitat for the deer (and wolves) as well.
I don't think there's been a single successful case of human-intervention in a natural system...
Bald Eagles and whales have been recovering nicely. It's too early to declare victory, but wolves in Yellowstone and condors in the southwest are doing pretty well.
Restoration ecology is a growing field with some successes, I believe. Just last night on NPR there was a story about a restoration project to repair a reef in Florida that had been partially destoryed by a wayward ship. After introducing artificial reefs they have seen a rapid improvement in that section of the reef.
Ecology is difficult, particularly to make predictions. But, I think it's incorrect to say there have been no success stories.
quote:
And you know..the ultimate sickness to me is how someone can see a creature as beautiful as a deer and want to kill her. People are so fucked up.
I don't want to kill Bambi, but I also don't to run into her mom and dad, particularly with my 2 kids in the car. Deer are out of control and I don't think is due to habitat loss. They easily survive in marginal habitats around farms, and cars and hunters are their only remaining predators.
In Michigan, I believe it is approximated that 60,000 accidents per year involve deer.
Chronic wasting disease, which is similar to mad cow disease, will probably knock the deer populations quite dramatically, but it may also hit elk populations. |
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Cult_Of_Frank
= Black Noise Maker =
Canada
11687 Posts |
Posted - 08/26/2003 : 14:31:23
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| Speaking of animals you don't want to hit in your car... |
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Dave Noisy
Minister of Chaos
Canada
4496 Posts |
Posted - 08/26/2003 : 17:32:45
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Hey Darwin - thanks for the corrections. (That's why i said 'i don't think..')
Still, it's not very favorable.
I dunno about marginal habitat..they *can* survive, but i don't think it's in their favor much.
Seems like a lot of accidents..164 per day? If there were more habitat available there, there'd be less need for them to be crossing highways, no?
CWD is a weird one...i believe it's been mainly introduced to deer populations from human-made feed that's made of other dead animals. (I've read that this 'deer food' has warnings on it not to feed it to cows, etc..) |
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darwin
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
USA
5454 Posts |
Posted - 08/26/2003 : 21:49:21
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quote:
Originally posted by Dave Noisy
Seems like a lot of accidents..164 per day? If there were more habitat available there, there'd be less need for them to be crossing highways, no?
Maybe, I would say that if the favorable habitat wasn't near busy roads there would be fewer accidents.
I lived in western Michigan for year in an area of mixed farms and woodlands and deer were everywhere. Particularly in the fall and spring you were taking a risk driving your car at dusk. And at the biological station I worked at, easily half of the people that had lived there for awhile had some type of accident involving a deer.
I liked deer. Seeing them in my backyard was neat, but their unchecked populations do pose a risk to us (car accidents) and perhaps to them (the spread of CWD), |
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