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AbstractIn the 20th century, the awareness of wildlife conservation had risen dramatically. As a species, humans have been realizing their impact on the world around them. Most of the money generated by hunters and fishers is put back into the wildlife that they harvest. The money is used to either support the wildlife officers who patrol and protect the wildlife or in the scientific research that goes into helping with our conservation efforts. While the conservation efforts may have been needed for the American Gray Wolf, there becomes a fine line between conserving a species from extinction and protecting a species from the natural checks and balances that keep the ecological world in balance. Hunting can be used in the conservation efforts of many species. As they are important to the environment, they are still detrimental to farmers and to their crops and livestock. If the populations of these animals aren’t kept under control, then farmers and homeowners everywhere will suffer.IntroductionA panicked bellow erupts through the herd of cows outside, drawing the farmer from the family conversation at the dinner table. After comforting his children, he throws on his jacket, grabs a spotlight, retrieves a shotgun from the closet, and heads towards the pasture. It is dark and overly chilly for October, but he crosses his yard and swings over the fence as he had been doing all of his life. The cattle, he notices, are all gathered in a corner of the corral, bellowing frightfully. The farmer scans the corral to see a Holstein cow lying on the ground motionlessly. He curses under his breath and walks towards it. The dazed cow’s eyes blinked fearfully and, once he saw the farmer standing over it, the Holstein tried to get up in vain. Calming the cow with whispered words and stroking its head, the farmer realized the severity of the situation and his heart fell in his chest. Deep gashes littered the cow’s rump and sides and blood soaked the cow’s black and white fur. But that wasn’t the worst. Chunks of flesh were missing from the Holstein’s sides and stomach as if something had been feasting upon its flesh. Using the spot light, the farmer noticed paw prints in the dirt much like his cattle dog’s but only bigger, but there were several sets all around the cow. The tracks lead out of the corral in a hurry. It was only when he followed the fleeing tracks with the spotlight that he noticed a figure in the darkness. At first he thought it was his cattle dog, but he quickly changed his mind. It was far too big to be Blu. When the spotlight washed over the shadow on the other side of the corral fence, a pair of vibrant golden eyes blazed back at him while the shadow of the fence shrouded the figure except for the large paws that were visible from beneath the fence. Slowly, his heart pounding inside his ribs, the farmer places the spotlight on the ground so that the light was fixed on the creature. The creature growled and the farmer reacted. He cocks the 12 gauge shotgun, aims and fires. The loud boom is quickly followed by splintering wood as some of the shot hits the fence. The creature had gone without a sound but, enraged, the farmer fires three more shots into the night with a shout. His rage is quickly gone, replaced with sorrow and worry as he picks up the spotlight and scans the area. Farming hasn’t been as profitable in the recent years and his family has been struggling to get by. Every one of his cows was needed to ensure his family’s survival in the coming months. When the farmer concluded that the creature was gone, he turned with his spotlight on the wounded cow and the blood that soaked the dirt. This was one cow that couldn’t be saved, he decided. The damage was too extensive and the cow would bleed to death before a vet could come. Sadly and with mercy filling his heart, the farmer put the spotlight down once again, aimed the shotgun at the cow’s skull and chambered the last round. Boom. Wildlife Conservation vs. Hunting - The Great Controversy Since the creation of man, hunting has been a necessary tool in keeping mankind healthy and alive. Even though today we can get food by driving to the nearest grocery store, hunting is still a favorite pass time and a tool to survival among many different cultures and countries. However, in the 20th century, the awareness of wildlife conservation had risen dramatically. As a species, humans have been realizing their impact on the world around them. This realization has led to the conservation of wildlife while some of our ancestors never gave conservation a second thought. In those days, the resources of the earth were limitless, but we have begun to realize that nothing is limitless. According to poll conducted in 2008, the majority of Americans support hunting and shooting but not necessarily by participation. This support has been growing over the past decade. “Overall, 78% approve of hunting, and 16% oppose. Meanwhile, 79% approve of legal shooting, and only 13% disapprove” (The Future 2008 1). While hunting as a whole may not be declining in favor, the hunting of certain animal species has fallen out of favor. The most well-known of these species is the American Gray Wolf discussed later in this paper. Many animal rights activists and anti-hunting groups feel that hunting is unnecessary and cruel to the animals despite the fact that our ancestors at any day and age hunting in some form or another. Animal activists believe that the animals get nothing out of being hunted. They couldn’t be more wrong.Most of the money generated by hunters and fishers is put back into the wildlife that they harvest. The money is used to either support the wildlife officers who patrol and protect the wildlife or in the scientific research that goes into helping with our conservation efforts. The Idaho Fish and Game Department spent $77,253,273 on wildlife conservation (Commissioners 2001 6) in 2011. This money was not only used to pay the personnel that work for the department but it also goes into the education of the public for wildlife conservation and into individual conservation techniques practiced by the state of Idaho. The major point of hunting that most activists fail to acknowledge is the fact that hunting protects the species on the endangered species list by hunting those of higher populations that infringe on their habitat. We will explore two important animals in the State of Idaho and explore how hunting helps in the wildlife conservation effort by controlling populations. WolvesThe American Gray Wolf has been in the news media spotlight concerning conservation since January 1995 and January 1996 when 66 gray wolves were transplanted into the forests within Yellowstone National Park. The intention by ecologists and conservationists was to supplement the Idaho Gray Wolf packs with more breedable animals (Holyan 2011). Time and care had been taken to identify a string of wolves that were the most similar to the Idaho wolves. According to the 2011 Idaho Wolf Monitoring Progress Report given by Idaho Fish and Game Department, as of April 2009, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department delisted the Gray Wolf from the Endangered Species List in the Rocky Mountain District (a district comprising of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah and parts of Oregon and Washington). The only state in the Rocky Mountain District that they were not delisted was Wyoming (Holyan 2011). The Gray Wolf was then turned over to the individual states within the district for customized conservation efforts. The Idaho packs, having interbred with the wolves over the years from the 1995 and 1996 relocation, have flourished and even expanded their area. These packs are no longer restricted to areas around Yellowstone National Park. As their population exploded, their territory also had to expand to accommodate the growing packs. A factor for this dramatic population growth is the abundance of natural resources and land area. With a population of about 1,584,985 (US Census), Idaho is one of the least densely populated states in the United States. Idaho has large tracks of unpopulated land with an abundance of natural game and land types. According to Jerry Wolff, a member of the department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Oregon State University, says, “In carnivores such as wolves… distribution and abundance of resources apparently determines foraging efficiency which, in turn, determines optimal territory size and the number of breeding territories available within a given area” (1997). With the abundance of natural resources in the form of food and open land, the wolves have thrived which leads to expanding territories. The lack of natural predators for the wolves also aids in their growing populations. Idaho is the home naturally of many carnivores. Grizzly bears and Cougars are the most infamous carnivores in the state, but these mighty predators don’t make it a habit to come across a wolf pack. With a wolf pack averaging at 6.5 adults in 2011 (Holyan 2011 8), a pack is a force to be reckoned with and the solitary grizzly bear and cougar are greatly outnumbered in a fight. Although fights occur between these predators over food and territory, these predators don’t hunt wolves a food source. According to the 2011 Annual Wolf report, “71 cattle, 121 sheep, 3 horses, 6 dogs, and 2 domestic bison were classified by USDA APHIS Wildlife Services as confirmed wolf kills. Nineteen (19) cattle, 26 sheep, 1 horse, and 1 dog were considered probable wolf kills” (Holyan 2011) in 2011.While the conservation efforts may have been needed for the American Gray Wolf, there becomes a fine line between conserving a species from extinction and protecting a species from the natural checks and balances that keep the ecological world in balance. Hunting can be used in the conservation efforts of many species. The wolves are a prime example of how hunting has helped maintain a natural balance with Mother Nature. The State of Idaho opened up the first wolf tags. Between 2010 and 2011, the estimated wolf population decreased ~4% (Holyan 2011). However most animal rights activists do not see these numbers, but they see us destroying wolves for sport when in fact we are destroying some wolves to protect our property and livestock. “Most residents of the United States and Europe live in cities and are far removed from food production. They did not grow up on farms nor do they know anyone who has livestock. They may not have much sympathy for the rural people who are losing livestock to expanding wolf populations. The efforts to reduce wolf numbers in Norway attracted world-wide opposition in spite of the justification that the wolves were being hunted to protect livestock” (Ericsson 2004 2). White-tailed DeerThere are thirty-eight subspecies of white-tailed deer and are the “most adaptable deer in the world.” They live under the most diverse weather conditions because their habitats range from the tropical forests of Central and South America to Canada. White-tailed deer can live in grasslands, wilderness areas, suburban/urban areas, and forests. The white-tailed deer that live in the northern areas are larger than the ones that live in the tropical areas. They differ in antler development, weight, and body size (Rue III, 2003, p. 96).Over 6,250,000 white-tailed deer are harvested each year thus making it the most managed wild animal in the world. The overall population increased to about 30 million white-tailed deer in the United States alone. They are most disliked by gardeners, farmers, and suburban homeowners because the deer destroy farm crops, gardens, ornamental shrubs, and orchards (Rue III, 2003, p. 105).The white-tailed deer cause about 500,000 accidents per year; 200,000 of these are injuries and more than 200 are human deaths. The accidents cause more than a billion dollars in damage. Most of these accidents happen during the months of May, June, October, and November between the times of 2 and 3 am. These months are during the dispersing of yearlings in the springtime and the rutting season during the fall (Rue III, 2003, p. 105).In 1993, declines in the mule deer population in southern Idaho led to the Idaho Fish and Game Department to instigate conservative deer hunting seasons. However these declines weren’t experienced by the northern white-tailed deer populations. As a result, long deer hunting seasons were maintained (Idaho Fish and Game 2005 p. 45).In Idaho, hunting opportunities are liberal and can take place during the November rut period because the white-tailed deer live in “relatively dense forested or riparian habitats” and their mortality rates are low (Idaho Fish and Game 2005 p.45).Because the long hunting seasons were maintained for the white-tailed deer, the Idaho Fish and Game Department opened a statewide white-tailed deer tag. Idaho hunters can be more flexible now because there are two different deer tags available. One is a regular deer tag which is valid for both white-tailed and mule deer. The other is a white-tailed deer tag which is valid for just the white-tailed deer (Idaho Fish and Game 2005 p.45).It is difficult for the Idaho Fish and Game department to estimate the composition and population size of the white-tailed deer because of the nature of their habitats and secretive nature. The Idaho Fish and Game department “established a white-tailed deer tag and modified the mandatory report system to evaluate white-tailed deer harvest better” (Idaho Fish and game 2005 p.46).To help keep track of how many deer are harvested, the state of Idaho is “split up into seven white-tail data analysis units (DAUs)” (Racheal 2010 p. 1). In 2008, over 68,000 hunters killed over 19,000 white-tailed deer (Rachael 2010 p. 1). To help with the management of the white-tailed deer, the Idaho Fish and Game department has implemented a goal to have at least 35,000 hunters and a harvest of at least 8,700 white-tailed deer. Each of the DAUs in Idaho has their own management goals (Racheal 2010 p. 2).White-tailed deer are preyed upon by bears, cougars, wolves, bobcats, coyote, dogs, and occasionally foxes. Parasites and diseases also plague the white-tailed deer. Northern deer take a huge toll during the harsh winters. The death toll can get up into the hundreds of thousands (Rue III, 2003, p. 105).Some diseases that plague the white-tail are epizootic hemorrhagic disease, and the meningeal worm. Epizootic hemorrhagic is most common in the late summer and early autumn and stops after the first frost. There isn’t any effective treatment or means to control it. The spread of this disease to other white-tailed deer is unknown (Halls 1984 p. 786). The meningeal worm is less harmless than the epizootic hemorrhagic disease unless the deer are the carriers “to other highly susceptible wild ungulates such as elk, moose, mule deer, and pronghorn” (Halls 1984 p.786). This worm is spread by the whitetail as they expand their range into places where these “wild ungulates” (Halls 1984 p.786) live. One of the many problems that presents itself when trying to monitor and manage the white-tailed deer population is poaching. A reason why it’s a big problem is because “it cannot be assumed that poaching occurs in a density-dependent manner” (Halls 1984 p. 785). ConclusionHunting is important for wildlife management, particularly for wolves and white-tailed deer. As they are important to the environment, they are still detrimental to farmers and to their crops and livestock. If the populations of these animals aren’t kept under control, then farmers and homeowners everywhere will suffer. The Idaho Fish and Game Department has implemented different wildlife management plans for wolves and white-tailed deer. So far they have proved successful in different ways.ReferencesEricsson, G., Heberlein, T. A., Karlsson, J., Bj?rvall, A., & Lundvall, A. (2004). Support for hunting as a means of wolf Canis Lupus population control in Sweden. Wildlife Biology, 10, 269-276. Retrieved April 3, 2012, from 20WB Support for wolf hunting.pdfHalls, L. (1984). White-tailed deer: ecology and conservation. Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books.Holyan, J., Husseman, J., Struthers, J., Thomas, B., & White, C. (n.d.). 2011 Idaho Wolf Monitoring Progress Report. Idaho Fish and Game. Retrieved March 1, 2012, from fishandgame.public/docs/wolves/reportAnnual11.pdfIdaho QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau. (2012, January 17). State and County QuickFacts. Retrieved April 3, 2012, from Fish and Game. (2005). White-tailed deer plan 2005-2014. pp 45-46. Retrieved from fishandgame.public/wildlife/planWhiteTailDeer.pdfIdaho Fish and Game Director's Annual Report of the Comission 2011. (n.d.). Idaho Fish and Game. Retrieved April 3, 2012, from fishandgame.public/about/2011annualReport.pdfRachael, J. (2010). White-tailed deer. Retrieved from III, L. (2003). Encyclopedia of deer. White-tailed deer. pp 96-105. Minnesota: Voyageur Press.The Future of Hunting and the Shooting Sports: Research-Based Recruitment and Retention Strategies. (2008). US Fish and Game. Retrieved April 3, 2012, from dnr.state.il.us/NRAB/children/Future_hunting.pdfWolff, J. O. (1997). population regulation in Mammals: an evolutionary perspective . Journal of Animal Ecology, 66, 1-13. Retrieved March 1, 2012, from the Jstor database. ................
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