BrentD
Well-known member
Why?
Transferring public lands and shrinking the NPS for the good of hunting.
- Thread starter MTGomer
- Start date
Straight Arrow
Well-known member
As both a hunter and wildlife advocate, my priorities are clear to me. If sound scientific wildlife management requires culling of populations, even in national parks such as overgrazing by bison or other species, then hunting should at be considered. Fortunately, migrations out of the Park boundaries allows that as a practical management tool.
As a citizen of the state, I also realize the critical importance of tourism to the economy and know that the abundance of observable wildlife in the Park is a large attraction to the vast numbers of tourists who visit the state and contribute to the economy most significantly.
As a citizen of the state, I also realize the critical importance of tourism to the economy and know that the abundance of observable wildlife in the Park is a large attraction to the vast numbers of tourists who visit the state and contribute to the economy most significantly.
Potsie
Well-known member
Why not?
Honestly, I see both sides of the argument, is all. Is there a "hunting is conservation" need to have a tag - not that I'm seeing at face value (but again, I don't know the area or the specifics at all.) But would having 1 ram tag add a significant impact to the herd - probably not.
Sometimes, when the wife and I are arguing over stuff one of us will just say "scale of 1 - 10, where are you on this?" Most of the time, one of us puts much more importance on the issue than the other. Usually it's just my obstinate @ss being argumentative and going to far...
In all transparency, I'm like a '2' on this one.
BuzzH
Well-known member
To expand on this, it doesn't sound like there's so many desert sheep in the area that the population is reducing habitat quality, suffering a die off, etc.
If the population was actually to that point, the solution would not be to kill rams to control the population, but to kill ewes.
I can point to every single native mountain goat herd in Montana where "hunting is conservation" has nearly wiped out goats. Bob Marshall, Rattlesnake, Sapphires, Bitterroots, Missions, etc.
Not one of those herds has benefitted from hunting, in fact just the opposite.
I like this severity ranking method.
BuzzH
Well-known member
Why not a ewe tag instead?
Potsie
Well-known member
fair point. If the herd is over population objective and needs a "hunting is conservation" intervention, it should be a ewe tag.
But I've also never had a ram tag... so if there's one more in the world, hypothetically my odds go up.
Wildabeest
Well-known member
I like that idea. I had a marriage counselor once tell me “just because you’re right doesn’t mean you’re right.” Had to ponder it for awhile, but once I understood what she was getting at, the phrase always stuck with me.
BrentD
Well-known member
Because i'd like to see a really big. Really old really Majestic Ram in the park. And not in some $*)Q!#@$ billionaires kill picture on show media. That's why
BrentD
Well-known member
Unless you are a bazillionaire your odds would not go up one iota.
BuzzH
Well-known member
Maybe it's just an age thing with me and being a first hand participant in the alleged hunting is conservation mantra for a vast majority of my life.
As an example, I don't, and never did, feel like much of a conservation minded hunter when I've shot any wild sheep rams. Did it harm the herd potential? Probably not. Was it in any way really hunting is conservation? It gets muddy...yes, definitely paid for applications, points, licenses and tags for decades. How much went directly to sheep management??? I think the conservation argument gets thin, it's there, but skinny.
On the other hand, it's crystal clear to me when each year I take 2-3 cow elk from herds of 200-700, that are over objective by thousands of animals in those units, that's definitely hunting is conservation.
Potsie
Well-known member
Maybe I am. Maybe I'm just a guy on the internet that's burned out on "outrage."
Have a great weekend!
cgasner1
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2016
- Messages
- 5,591
Find this thread quite interesting. I’d also add that by creating a tag such as @MTGomer is suggesting helps bring more attention to the species. Which in turn causes people to give more money to help it which helps with the conservation aspect of it. Or at least that’s the logic that was pushed on me when I asked why our big 3 isn’t OIL
BrentD
Well-known member
I would argue with brings more bad attention to hunters even if it's not entirely deserved. Massively unproductive when someone pokes the biggest most dramatic animal in the park. Legal or not.
BuzzH
Well-known member
Yeah, I've heard that one too.
144/26,000* =0.00554
145/26000 =0.00558
.00558-.00554=0.00004
.004%=0.00004 = +\- 1 iota
*The above are round number guesstimates of AZ sheep licenses divided by applicants and may not be reliable.
rjthehunter
Well-known member
I enjoy watching animals as well when its not hunting season. During hunting season, I'm usually carrying a gun or bow. You can choose to watch critters whenever you'd like to. You can't hunt whenever you'd like. There's seasons and tags.
Straight Arrow
Well-known member
Just not in Yellowstone National Park.
rjthehunter
Well-known member
This is true
