On Sun, 17 Aug 2008 11:51:10 -0400, Dave LaCourse
wrote:
On Sun, 17 Aug 2008 09:09:10 -0500, wrote:
why don't you see if you can
get your fellow Patriots there in Mass to agree to give up the entire
state for the owls (and hey, other critters, too).
Sounds like a wonderful idear sic, Richard. Afterall, Mass
residents, especially in the wealthy (read "liberal*) towns of
Lincoln, Weston, Sudbury, and Wayland voted to outlaw all trapping of
animals, and won't allow hunting of deer.
This, IMO, isn't the same thing. The premise that the population of
spotted owls is lower than it once was is a purely objective one. And a
complete clear-cutting of every tree from Arctic Circle to the tip of
the Baja would not be good at all. OTOH, the suggestion that cutting
but a single tree will result in the complete loss of all life is
equally ridiculous. So, somewhere in between is the reasonable amount
of cutting that should be allowed and the amount at which the **** hits
the fan. Apparently, the low-20-something percent is a defensible
number and one suggested about from the literal day Clinton took office.
But the laws of which you speak, generally, are done more as "feelgood
legislation" in no way related to anything objective, such as deer or
coyote being "endangered species." IOW, these laws are there more for
the people than the animals, although laws preventing shooting (and by
extension, hunting) in populated areas are in the interest of public
safety. If spotted owls are an otherwise-viable species that man's
actions are endangering AND man can reasonably alter his actions to
eliminate or reduce that endangering, then, IMO, it is man's duty to do
so. OTOH, given that the owls have some 30 million acres of de facto
protected habitat (incl. the aforementioned specific 6.5 million acres),
I think it's reasonable to at least suggest that 1.5 million of it might
be better used for man's needs.
So now, the poor little Puh Puh Puppies of said towns are being
eaten, EATEN, by coyotes, Buffie's little kitty cats are nowhere to be
found, beaver are damming little streams causing minor floods, deer
are eating cultivated shrubs, and rabid racoons and fox are quite
common.
I don't know the specific communities of which you speak, but I'd offer
that the puppies and kitties and cultivated shrubs are what is being
introduced. Prior to that introduction, _VERY_ few cared what the deer,
coyote, beavers, raccoons, foxes, etc. got up to, and so, nature
balanced it all out.
Hell, send them there owls. We gots lots of places for them and they
would make feathered fine fare for our coyotes (saw two on the hill
behind the house last week. With no enemy, they are thriving!)
A 22LR HP in an accurate rifle and a baby bottle nipple can be used
rather effectively to solve a coyote problem in an area where common
sense, both community-wise and, um, residentially-specific, is in short
supply.
HTH,
R
Dave