[pct-l] OT: Predator Control in Wilderness - comments due by 8/7

[Bob Bankhead]

Because (IMO) misguided wildlife management policies have allowed the ursine (and other species) population to grow far beyond the level which their natural environment can support. Consequently, the bears have to look for alternate food supplies if they are to survive. Fortunately for them, there are a lot of clueless and/or careless humans about, who leave their coolers, picnic baskets, food bags, garbage, etc readily accessible.

Bears are just as lazy as we are; why hunt through the wilderness all day with no guarantee of finding a meal when you can get a virtual smorgasbord of goodies easily enough from the humans whenever you want and with only minimal risk to yourself? As Yogi (the bear) says: "Smarter than the average bear".

Nature has perfected a means to balance the population - it's called the law of supply and demand. When times are good, plant life is abundant and the populations of insects and other prey species explode as they take advantage of the bounty. With their short gestation periods and large litter sizes, this growth is fast.

Suddenly, the predators have a more than adequate food supply. The old, the weak, and the young don't starve; both adults and young grow and remain healthy. The predator  population increases slowly until its demand for food exceeds the available supply of prey (or until the supply of food for the prey species declines, forcing their decline a well) . Then the decline of the predators begins as once again starvation and competition take their toll.






----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Aaron Wallace 
  To: pct-l at mailman.backcountry.net 
  Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2006 2:55 PM
  Subject: Re: [pct-l] OT: Predator Control in Wilderness - comments due by 8/7



  ...because there's such a big problem with *predators* in Yosemite and
  SEKI...?  The killer deer (a boy was killed by one in Yosemite, after
  all)?  The car-eating marmots of Mineral King?  The golden bears (no,
  wait, they're extinct...)?  It must be the mosquitoes (sometimes, you'll
  swear you're being eaten alive by them).

  >   ----- Original Message -----
  > HALLELUJAH !
  > Finally, someone's on the right track. 
  > Pass this on to the National Park Service - especially 
  > Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia NPs.
  > 
  > The days of controlling people because we can't (or refuse 
  > to) control the animals may be finally coming to a close. 
  > Can't happen soon enough. I'll be emailing in support of it.

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