It is my opinion that allowing recreational hunters into National parks is in the best interests of our native fauna. I personally know a large number of people that are keen to help eradicate some of the feral beasties that are damaging our wild places. For example, someone mentioned the Warrumbungles – a friend of mine used to shoot for NP and in one 4 day helicopter shoot they rid the park of 1500 feral goats. Can you imagine the damage that number of goats would do in a single day to the fragile flora of that NP? Yet most of us casual birders who walk the trails there would never see on because we don’t see most of the truly wild spots. We are limited by time and accessibility to the NP trails. I’ve seen the pictures and videos of foxes digging up mallee fowl mounds – who wouldn’t want to see the foxes eradicated? Why would we take the alarmist stance of suggesting hunters might actually target mallee fowl? All the hunters I know love the bush and the Australian animals in it. Another guy I know shot a feral cat on an outback billabong. In its stomach were 30 netted dragons, 2 earless dragons (endangered) a native mouse and bird. He counted 35 other feral cats at the one waterhole. It’s easy to sit in the city and conjure up all kinds of extreme examples of people that have done the wrong thing. The truth is, out there, ferals are out of control… over 40 000 000 pigs in Australia (some say over 100 million). Why can’t we all work together? I worry for bowra station – where many of us have been and loved – now run by us conservationists – have we got the budget to control the already crazy number of cats in places like that where the threated redthroat and halls babbler roam? My 2 cents… ===============================
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Shoot me down if you will… But I believe that if you allow any old gun happy larrikin with a shooters license into a National Park to ‘control’ feral animals, no good will come of it (especially if it becomes legal for 12 yr olds to also participate) What happens if none show up? Surely the odd Cocky or King Parrot wouldn’t be missed?? Ferals need to be dealt with, certainly, but I’m happy for my tax to go towards professional shooters employed by NPWS that perhaps could be paid by way of ‘commission’ ie: so much per feral animal presented at end of day! ===============================
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On ya Wes
Wes and others,
As we’ve seen from the birds that are shot during duck killing season, Rex hunters come in a variety of styles.
Your friends sound semi-professional and I applaud their efforts. However rec hunters are also people who can’t tell the difference between a mallard and a swan or a freckled duck. It also includes people who leave an animal wounded, not dead.
The use of professionals is very different to the use of people hunting for fun.
Cheers
Storm
It is my opinion that allowing recreational hunters into National parks is in the best interests of our native fauna. I personally know a large number of people that are keen to help eradicate some of the feral beasties that are damaging our wild places. For example, someone mentioned the Warrumbungles – a friend of mine used to shoot for NP and in one 4 day helicopter shoot they rid the park of 1500 feral goats. Can you imagine the damage that number of goats would do in a single day to the fragile flora of that NP? Yet most of us casual birders who walk the trails there would never see on because we don’t see most of the truly wild spots. We are limited by time and accessibility to the NP trails. I’ve seen the pictures and videos of foxes digging up mallee fowl mounds – who wouldn’t want to see the foxes eradicated? Why would we take the alarmist stance of suggesting hunters might actually target mallee fowl? All the hunters I know love the bush and the Australian animals in it. Another guy I know shot a feral cat on an outback billabong. In its stomach were 30 netted dragons, 2 earless dragons (endangered) a native mouse and bird. He counted 35 other feral cats at the one waterhole. It’s easy to sit in the city and conjure up all kinds of extreme examples of people that have done the wrong thing. The truth is, out there, ferals are out of control… over 40 000 000 pigs in Australia (some say over 100 million). Why can’t we all work together? I worry for bowra station – where many of us have been and loved – now run by us conservationists – have we got the budget to control the already crazy number of cats in places like that where the threated redthroat and halls babbler roam? My 2 cents… ===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org =============================== ===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================