Hunting or fishing

BS, thats only true in suburban areas where hunting isnt a possibility. In the far forests deer are in decline

There are plenty of deer out here where I am.

Rather heartless of you to prefer "letting animals go extinct" over "letting them be hunted".

Deer are in decline all over. Most states have abandond the 6 deer bag limits of the past. In Oa weve gone to 2, (Buck and doe and there were several years where does were ortected with no hunting )

Pa is probably the state where deer management is most attuned to carrying capacity and herd size trends. Climate change driving CWD is also changing all cervid hunting including moose. Winters arent cold enough to wipe out CWD by seasonal fall-backs,

I'm not aware of any decline where I'm at. I'll admit that I'm not looking at a chart of the latest official population numbers or anything, but I've heard nothing in the local news about any decline.

I still see deer and wild turkeys outside my windows most days.

If they get extinct would be good for me , so that will be better for them to not being used for fun .

You can get the game stats from your state on the web. Ive got several compounded stat pages compiled by Nat Wildlife, evenSierra Club and Isaac Walton foor fish .
Even things like trapping have lwft svere marks on populations of furbearing animals like mink and otter.

I dont mean to distinguish hunting for meat v hunting or trophies. They both exact a decline in numbers and since many large game animals (like moose) have a gestation period like cows, the hunting seasons have hhad to be ajusted an bag limits established so that "harvesting" at least allows a replacement of numbers. The only increase in numbers of speies Im aware of is a few waterfowl, carp fish, and the return of paddlefish and sturgeon.

Im not a big believer in license fees "managing the species". The whole theory of trophy hunting i the artificial selection of the best species and viability of breeding (as well as marked declines in species attributes like size , ).This is a fact much discussed in ecology and genetics journals. Then, on top of everything, weve got a Chronic Watsing Disease(CWD) of ALL cervids that is speeding along on the wings of climate change. Its happening so fast that, we can do studies that show the comparison of how species could "outrun" the ice advances during the 4 Pleistocene ICE AGES. CWD is occurring waaay faster than ice advance so the populations arent having time to "Move North" and avoid CWD by colder winters. NY's moose population, a feature that was proudly announced 30 years ago, is almost a thing of the past (and its not hunting related up there), But Maine's moose population IS till hunted and numbers are in wild decline. Bison arent even a game animal anymore, they are a hybrid cross with a cow with absolutely no hybrid vigor. Grizlies are gone (almost) from the lower 48 and in decline in Alaska and Canada (where hunting is highly controlled)

Hows your state's moose population (I believe you are in MICh yes??)

Kenai brown bear have been havily managed with hunting by a state controlled lottery. Thi is a separate sub specis that has undergone a genetic "bottleneck" with mainland brownies . Today there are an estimated 200 sows , 200 boars and a few hundred cubs . Citizens can shoot brownies (in defense of life). That seems fair, but the incidence has been reportedly too high and many of these shootings , when investigated, show some bit of possible skulduggery.

Will we see these magnificent guys go extinct in the midst of one of the most highly regulated hunting programs around??
I think we need to ban all grizzly hunting ,Kenai Brownies, Forest, an Barren Ground Grizzlies altogether.

We have to admit to our intercession with "wild" life should not be a force in their demise. We should larn from whaling or passenger pigeons or Carolina parakeets and Fla Egrets.

I really have nothing to say about game farms, because they have to manage theor "poduct". But remember, they buy up specimens for breeding from sources where the overhunting ahd already caused a species decline. White rhinos are(as pf 2016) extinct in the wild. WHY?? poaching and legal hunting. Even Botswana is seeing its well managed herds on the decline. In that case its overpopulation of people using species for "bushmeat"

Yes, I'm in Michigan. I have no idea what our moose population is.

Miichigan Moose are about 400 totl pop. Brainworm, a fatal affliction transmitted from whitetails (who are immune to the parasite) to moose has been the most responsible for the moose crsh. Reintroduction of Canadian moose has been moderately successful so discussions about a lottery-based hunting season was begun around 10 yyars ago. I dont know what th Mich DNR has decised at this point, but 400 moose is hardly sustainable hunt population. I wonder what the cost is to reintroduce and manage mich moose??? and where does this money come from?? Small game licenses? General fund?

ATLANTIC STURGEON (killed off to the edge of extinction because of a "caviar Rush" that lasted until the fish stock were depleted in the 1920's), are making comeback all over the EAst Coast. I was at a Delaware Bay talk by the De and NJ DNRs about turgeon an they netted a short-face turgeon in a fish survey.It was over 14 ft long and looked like a goddam log.
Theres like 25 species of the fish an all were hunted for caviar. In the Delaware and Chesapeake watersheds they were a "canary" species that, besides overfishing, succumbed to metals pollution in the ater column and the sediment (Lead and chrome 6). Cleanup of the two estuaries nd restoration of bottom grasses has helped a number of species including sturgeon. There will probably never be a market hunt in the continental US in our life time but Im sure Russian trawlers will be cruising our continental limits to try to find them now that weve had all the good news about thir amazing recovery

That’s all.fine about Bullwinkle but what about the status and whereabouts of Rocket J. Squirrel?

squirrels r like rats, they abide an conquer. The fact that they have eyes on the side is why they get whacked in the roads because they turned around in mid scurry.
Squirrels aint bad eating though, taste like guinae pig. Disassemble them an cook em in a sauce they are wonderful for a fall supper .


I believe Rocky J was a flying squirrel. Not enough dark meat on them.

Whew! Was concerned for his wellbeing. Gotta love the little critter. Also, Bullwinkle sure had a rack on him - for a guy, that is