PREDATOR HUNTING
The hunting of predators such as foxes, coyotes and bobcats is steeped in controversy because they are rarely eaten. Why shoot them if you aren’t going to eat them? Good question. And there are good answers, the best of which may be “balance.” Traditionally humans have hunted predators because they are our competitors. When you and your family are counting your chickens while awaiting the hatch and a ‘coon or fox steals all the eggs or kills the hen, well ... But how many of us depend on backyard chickens for sustenance these days? That leaves the wildlife “balance” argument. And it’s a good one. The reality is that humans routinely alter habitats to benefit predators while damaging prey species. We plow grasslands, which destroys nesting and hiding cover for teal, sharptails, quail and meadowlarks. At the same time we creating rock piles, culverts and crumbling buildings that make ideal den sites for predators. We strip crop fields each winter, leaving birds and bunnies out in the cold while furbearing predators snuggle in holes, banks and haystacks. We crush deer and rabbits on the highways, providing easy meals for predators. We spill grain and dump table scraps that feed skunks and coons. We annually harvest 10 to 20 percent of game species for ourselves. Isn’t it reasonable to trim an equal percentage of predators? Especially when numerous research studies have shown them depressing populations of everything from songbirds and ducks to mule deer and pronghorns? Finally, predators are a perpetually renewable, low-carbon emissions source for all-natural, organic, biodegradable, locally produced garments. Why let that fur rot? So we can replace it with non-biodegradable, non-organic, non-renewable, high-carbon footprint carbon-based petrochemical faux fur? Polyester? In this corner of RSO we’ll dive into the where, when, how and what of calling bobcats, stalking fox, glassing coyotes and all the rest of the exciting challenge of hunting the four-legged hunters.
