The Wolf Trap

American Hunter Magazine (NRA – National Rifle Association member publication ^ | January 2004 | By Chuck Adams

[Sunsong]

”I used to. But not anymore. The truth is that trophy hunting is an effective way to keep animal populations health an growing. Many times the biggest Male game animals, the ones that control the herds. Are not as affective in breeding. They may be the biggest and baddest, but the are beyond their peak performance, so to speak. By removing a" trophy animal," herds break up into smaller units, that are led by animals a the the peak of their performance. Sometimes a trophy animal is edible many times they are stinky old things. As for eating carnivores, why?

This is another area in which we disagree. I find the idea of trophy hunting offensive. I think that hunting should be for putting food on the table.

[Sunsong]

"It doesn't matter whether populations grow unchecked, or if they are limited by hunting and wolves, hard winters will kill many even in healthy, sustainable herd populations."

That's a good point.

[D Rider]

This is another area in which we disagree. I find the idea of trophy hunting offensive. I think that hunting should be for putting food on the table.

Unfornunately, Trophy hunting has been proven to be one of the most effective means of maintaining healthy wildlife populations, for the reasons stated previously.

By the way, trophy hunters are statistically not very successful. Why?, because hunting older smarter animals is hard. Anyone can kill a two year old buck or bull. If you can't find them, they'll find you. And you should be happy to know that two year old animals make excellent freezer meat.

[D Rider]

”It is not a contradiction Wolves help create.... Will wolves decimate Yellowstone's elk herd?

Yada Yada Yada. I am sorry that you don't understand the principles of wildlife management.

Let me ask you a question. Do you even know why wolves were reintroduced into Jellystone?

[Sunsong]

Looks to me like we are no longer communicating. You consider yourself to be some kind of expert. I don't agree. And yes, I find the idea of trophy hunting to be offensive.

[Sunsong]

Let me ask you a question. Why do you quote yourself:

"”It is not a contradiction Wolves help create.... Will wolves decimate Yellowstone's elk herd?"

And then make this statement about what you have said?

"Yada Yada Yada. I am sorry that you don't understand the principles of wildlife management."

To me that is completely nonsensical.

[D Rider]

Let me ask you a question. Why do you quote yourself:

"”It is not a contradiction Wolves help create.... Will wolves decimate Yellowstone's elk herd?"

And then make this statement about what you have said?

Sorry, that was to encompass your point by point of a while back. We had been through it all before, and I didn't feel that it was necessary to go through it again.

And yes, I find the idea of trophy hunting to be offensive.

That's immature, either state why it is bad for wildlife or figure out why wildlife management professionals use it as a management tool.

That said. Let me ask you a question. Do you even know why wolves were reintroduced into Jellystone? ( that's Yellowstone National Park, per Yogi Bear)

[Sunsong]

I stand by my point that you are contradicting yourself. Not such a great thing for a self-proclaimed expert to be doing :-)

Me: "And yes, I find the idea of trophy hunting to be offensive."

You: "That's immature, either state why it is bad for wildlife or figure out why wildlife management professionals use it as a management tool."

That's your opinion. I find it offensive because I don't like the idea of killing animals. I like animals, remember? There is a big difference for me between the natural behaviour of animals and the willful behaviour of humans. However, I can see a purpose for killing animals in order to put food on the table. And I can see a purpose in killing animals in self defense. I do not see an imperative to kill for trophys no matter whether it breaks up a herd into smaller groups or not. I find it offensive.

You seem to be saying that people cannot disagree with you. Do you think that everyone should have the same values and tastes and principles? What if someone just doesn't like the idea of humans killing for sport?

"That said. Let me ask you a question. Do you even know why wolves were reintroduced into Jellystone? ( that's Yellowstone National Park, per Yogi Bear)"

Pleas save us both some time and tell me what you think the *right* answer is.

[D Rider]

"That said. Let me ask you a question. Do you even know why wolves were reintroduced into Jellystone? ( that's Yellowstone National Park, per Yogi Bear)"

Pleas save us both some time and tell me what you think the *right* answer is.

The stated reason is to save the aspens. Anyway, I am bored with this thread as it has seemed to die. And most of what I say seems to go over your head, so don't woorry about responding.

[Sunsong]

I would suggest that it is far more likely that you are unable to deal with the idea of someone disagreeing with you rather than that the content of what you are saying is going over my head. I said to you a couple of posts back that we seem to no longer be communicating. A guess you just now realized that I was right :-).

The recovery of wolves *is* bringing back some plant life that the overabundance of elk had decimated. That's true. So it may very well be beneficial to the Aspens.

And again, on the subject of killing for pleasure: I don't see any reason why people can't capture a trophy animal and take it out of the herd that way. There is no imperative to kill it. Killing seems to be the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth response of the anti-wolf/anti-predator crowd to most any problem.