Hunting has been a hot topic in Scituate lately, so I was not surprised to see this sign appear in someone’s yard.
Here in Scituate, they are considering a ban on hunting while on the other side of the city, in Weston, the pendulum has swung the other way and they are considering allowing hunting. There are impassioned arguments on either side of this debate, with hunters advocating for their sport and wildlife management while opponents point to the potential for tragedy.
My sincerest hope? That everyone involved in this decision-making process listens carefully and thoughtfully to all of the facts and that any resulting debate is respectful.
http://www.stuartmcmillen.com/comics_en/st-matthew-island/
In ecological terms, plants grow as much as water and microclimate allow. Herbivores eat as much vegetation as they can. Predators eat the herbivores, which prevents over-population. An overall patch pattern prevents the herbavore population from going too low; over-consumed patches make them targets while under-consumed patches hide them. This is an over-simplification of course, but the gist of why it might be a good idea to allow hunting, namely that the predators have all been exterminated, so a healthy ecology requires humans to now play that ecological role. Unfortunately, technology makes humans too efficient in this role, so achieving a balance gets complicated.
No simple answers. We live across the street from a recreation area where hunters release pheasant they’ve raised just to hunt them. Our home has been peppered with shot when someone has aimed in our direction, forgetting how far it goes. On non-hunting days we’ve picked up beer cans left along the side of the trail. I’d be more tolerant if I could trust that all hunters respect the seriousness of their pursuit – they’re out to kill, after all – and be careful, conscious, and above all aware of what they’re doing.