As trophy hunting in Africa diminishes, so does protection from poachers and game conservation. It sounds counter-intuitive, but regulated trophy hunting is, at present, the best way to preserve game habitat and support animals.
Article is long but worth while. Starts as follows:
RUVU MASAI, Tanzania – In October 2018, around 20 of Africa’s most respected wildlife research, management, and conservation experts quietly convened at a meeting in Johannesburg to discuss an urgent problem: trophy hunting. They were concerned not about the much-maligned industry’s continuation, but about its decline—specifically, about how the disappearance of trophy hunting might harm Africa’s wildlife.
This probably sounds illogical. Trophy hunting in Africa has been vilified on social media and in news outlets. It is the punching bag of numerous (mostly Western) celebrities, animal rights activists, and politicians. Many people feel disgusted when they see a photo of a privileged white hunter hulking over the corpse of a beautiful animal—and understandably so. “There’s a majestic, dead lion, there’s blood coming out of it, and there’s some leering idiot right behind it,” says Adam Hart, a biologist at the University of Gloucestershire. “You’ve got this unique, almost perfect storm of your victim and your villain. The framing of it doesn’t need any explanation.”
The problem, however, is that simplistic memes and incendiary headlines that condemn the practice obscure a more nuanced truth: Conservation is not free, and trophy hunting revenue preserves more wild land in Africa—and thus, more animals—than do areas with stricter protections, like national parks. “Work in conservation areas requires money,” says Victor Muposhi, a conservation biologist at the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “Trophy hunting has been a critical source of funding for that, and if it’s taken off the table, then the whole of Africa is going to suffer.” [Reply]
Chopped a silage field near the house and have 50-150 geese coming in every morning and night.
Them removing the early goose season is painful. I can't even grill the evening steak or have a beer on the deck without being taunted by the bastards. :-) [Reply]
Originally Posted by ghak99:
Chopped a silage field near the house and have 50-150 geese coming in every morning and night.
Them removing the early goose season is painful. I can't even grill the evening steak or have a beer on the deck without being taunted by the bastards. :-)
Choot em off da deck!
Seriously though, why would they do that? Geese over the years have changed their patterns. So much so, back in the 50'-70's shooting a Canadian goose was like finding the golden egg. Now they live here year round and are a nuisance. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ptlyon:
Choot em off da deck!
Seriously though, why would they do that? Geese over the years have changed their patterns. So much so, back in the 50'-70's shooting a Canadian goose was like finding the golden egg. Now they live here year round and are a nuisance.
I don't remember their reasoning for changing.
Originally, we killed the hell out of the golf course geese off farm ponds during the early season and then moved to the early silage fields during the end of the early season. Now, we can't really start until the silage fields are all fed out and the golf courses are paying people just to scare them off. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ghak99:
Chopped a silage field near the house and have 50-150 geese coming in every morning and night.
Them removing the early goose season is painful. I can't even grill the evening steak or have a beer on the deck without being taunted by the bastards. :-)
Just blast one. Just one. It'll make you feel better. And hopefully you don't get caught. [Reply]
Curious if anyone’s ever collected acorns offsite to use as bait for deer? My dads got 60 wooded acres that border 500 plus of public. I’ve got a 1 acre foodplot and an acre and a half plot. I’m putting in a small maybe 30’x30’ kill plot in a nice evening stand on a creek that I can hit after work until the time change. I was wondering about collecting acorns from the two oaks at my house and 5 at my in laws to save on corn.
I should note that I’m in Oklahoma, it’s very rocky and my food plots don’t do super great but I do it to keep up the herd health. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Dunerdr:
Curious if anyone’s ever collected acorns offsite to use as bait for deer? My dads got 60 wooded acres that border 500 plus of public. I’ve got a 1 acre foodplot and an acre and a half plot. I’m putting in a small maybe 30’x30’ kill plot in a nice evening stand on a creek that I can hit after work until the time change. I was wondering about collecting acorns from the two oaks at my house and 5 at my in laws to save on corn.
I should note that I’m in Oklahoma, it’s very rocky and my food plots don’t do super great but I do it to keep up the herd health.
Get you a small square bale of horse quality alfalfa and spread it around. Way cheaper than corn and works nearly as good [Reply]
What’s everyone using for cellular cameras? I’m fed the **** up with spy point, their website and garbage customer service. 4 cameras set up for monthly billing. Two will auto renew, two will say the transaction failed every time. It’s the same card! So today I thought maybe the amount isn’t enough. It was 5$ a camera to upgrade for unlimited during the season. I added 50 hd photos or something to get the total over 20$ thinking maybe it was flagged or something. The hd photo charge goes through the camera transaction fails.. customer service is always hours on hold. Then they call you back at the worst times. I always miss the calls. [Reply]
Some European countries are looking at banning various trophies from Africa, such as tusks from lawfully hunted elephants. Germany, for example, was the most recent country to propose such a course of action. Botswana then stated that they would send Germany 20,000 elephants. I think Germans might change their mind about the hunting of elephants if 20,000 were suddenly loosed in Germany.
Originally Posted by frozenchief:
Some European countries are looking at banning various trophies from Africa, such as tusks from lawfully hunted elephants. Germany, for example, was the most recent country to propose such a course of action. Botswana then stated that they would send Germany 20,000 elephants. I think Germans might change their mind about the hunting of elephants if 20,000 were suddenly loosed in Germany.
As we are getting closer to that time of the year I am wondering about others hunting setups.
I have a ground blind that I used last year along with a new elevated stand which I just ordered a new blind for.
What is your favorite hunting setup, blind, ladder stand, climbing stand, or saddle? [Reply]
