Hunting is Not Effective in Controlling Herd Populations

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Recommended: How hunting benefits wildlife

Among the variety of reasons provided for the continuation of hunting we find an appeal from the standpoint of conservation presented in the form of population control. While there is information regarding the effectiveness of hunting towards the goal of population control, there is also research that would suggest otherwise. This information lends a degree of plausibility to the notion that population control methods such as hunting constitute more of a risk than initially thought.

Deer herd populations are controlled by a number of variables. For the purposes of this essay we shall be examining the effects of population numbers based on the availability of food and the male to female ratio. Briefly examined is the severity of winter casualties.

Winter Attrition

The first variable we should explore is one that we will return to a number of times in the course of this article. In climates that experience winters where vegetation is adversely affected deer herd populations drop because of a process referred to as “die-off” [1]. Winter die-off is where the old and/or weak segments of a population succumb to the elements such as cold and starvation. Winter die-off helps to alleviate food shortages for the surviving members of a population and has the effect of eliminating weaker genetic lines. By eliminating some members of a population whose genetic code causes them to be among the least adaptable, future members will be better able to survive. This is what is referred to as natural selection and it insures that the future population will be equipped with the traits that are best suited for survival.

Food Availability

Food, and its availability, is another factor that relates to the nu...

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...the United States. 2012. Humane Society of the United States. 1 December 2012.

< http://www.hsus.org/ace/Article_Printer_Friendly?Content_ID=12043 >.

5 - Potts, Brenda. 2012. Illinois Game and Fish Magazine. 28 November 2012.

< http://gameandfish.about.com/library/weekly/aa111501a.htm >.

6 - Missouri Department of Conservation. 30 January 2012. Missouri Department of Conservation. 24 November 2012.

< http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/hunt/deer/deer_hunting/intro.htm >.

7 - Missouri Department of Conservation. 25 April 2011. Missouri Department of Conservation. 24 November 2012.

< http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/hunt/deer/ deertxt.html >.

8 - Alcorn, Jeremy. “Project Deep Woods: A Survey of the 2010 Archery Deer Season.” VeganVanguard.com. 4 Jan. 2010. 4 Jan. 2013

< http://www.veganvanguard.com/issues/ethical/archery_survey_2010.html >.

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