Re: The Hunt

[Sue Brown <sbrown@wamedes.com>]

>
>In Ohio they are also a big problem and now to add to it turkeys, we have so
>many they are ranging in flocks of up to 200 and they eat everything green
>and love mushrooms- very devastating to us mushroom hunters.

---------

> Some thought on hunting...no one in my family hunt.  We moved from the
> Pacific NW to Southern Wisconsin and I was originally 'shocked' at all the
> deer killed during the hunt.  After living in a farm community for 3 years
> and driving the back roads 100 miles rt to work I now am very glad the
hurt
> is here!!!  I see all the devastation the deer over population cause to my
> neighbors crops and the 45000+ car accidents they cause each year,



While deer over-population isn't a huge problem in Washington (too many
cougars, I think) and neither are wild turkeys, a cougar over-population is
becoming a very threatening concern.  I don't know how many riders and
their horse have problems with turkeys or deer...a cougar can be an
entirely different situation.  

Since the west side of Washington is one of the fastest growing areas in
human population, homes are continually being built and continually
encroaching on the wild life's living area, pushing the population back and
raising the numbers per sq. mile while decreasing the food available.  At
the same time they are doing this, a ruling was passed that outlaws the
hunting of cougars using dogs to track, saying it was an unfair advantage
to the hunters.  Now the cougar population is too large for it's area (the
hunters alone have a much tougher time tracking the animals without the
dogs) the cougars are hanging around their old home areas looking for
food...and ending up in people's back yards.  The news has been reporting
several instances this year of cougar attacks on dogs and children in these
fringe suburban-type neighborhoods.  There is a huge population of horses
in this area and lots of riding out in the foothills, and I haven't heard
of a horse being attacked yet...BUT, as the houses continue to creep
further into the hills and the wildlife is pushed further back, I can see
where there this could be a happening. 

I grew up in north eastern Minnesota and deer hunting was an accepted past
time.  During my 30 years in Minnesota, I spent many years as a fairly
consistent vegetarian (have relaxed a bit over the years and now eat fish,
poultry (and infrequently a cheeseburger or similar) on a regular basis)
but I stayed fairly realistic during that time in the sense of controlling
the population of wild life.  Before (in Minnesota,) it was the threat of
deer on the roads and attacking the farmer's crops...now I see the cougar
population problem as more of a threat to other mammals, humans and horses
included.  Now it's a more personal concern.  I wonder how long it will be
before they allow dogs back into the cougar hunts?!!

Sue



sbrown@wamedes.com
Tyee Farm
Marysville, Wa.


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