Dear HCN:
One does not have to look
very far or deep to discover that hunting is a sport for insecure
egos and has nothing to do with sound biology, ecology or science
(HCN, 12/11/95).
Our game and fish agencies are
for hunters by hunters and their feet have to be held to the fire
to even think of non-game species which compose virtually all of
our wildlife species. In fact, their definition of wildlife is
synonymous with target.
It is interesting to hear
that game species populations are in such great shape, but they
never tell us that non-game species have seen a concomitant
decline. If wildlife biology was a science rather than a sport the
efforts would be 90 percent for non-game and 10 percent for
game.
In the process of supplying ample targets
for the minority, non-game populations are often harmed and habitat
degraded.
If there is such good science involved
in game management, why do our wildlife agencies and organizations
continue to violate conservation biology principles by introducing
and maintaining exotic species? Instead of improving habitat, much
of wildlife management creates prime habitat for exotics and
hunting and little else.
Randy
Bangert
Flagstaff,
Arizona
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Hunting attracts weak egos.
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