Duck shooting- give your opinion

[becc]

Now some people might think I'm just some stupid person complaining about duck shooting.
I don't know about the situation overseas, but in Australia- the country that's basically singlehandedly wiped or created more endangered species than any other country
- it's just getting to old fashioned and ridiculous to continue.
Over the last 25 years, the number of waterbird numbers have decreased by 70- 82%, not all these have been the ducks allocated for hunting.
Near my local wetlands, the season's just begining.
They are planning to have mobile help for injured wildlife, but there is alot of concerns that they will not be very useful.
Waterbird populations are really low still in my area and their has been complaints of damage to the land, but unfortunately, the Hunting Advisory Committee has more power over the government than Game Management Unit in the Department of Sustainability and Environment does around here.

Even though I don't approve of duck hunting, I believe at least the government can do is stop the hunting in the last slices of habitats we have in the area.
If they want to continue hunting, why don't they just make their own reserves, breed their own game to shoot?

Do you agree, disagree? What's the situation overseas?

Be open, honest- I won't get offended

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

I have a relative that has a sport hunting TV show. Mostly big game I believe.... I have never watched it. I do know they eat what they kill. I dont hunt but I have no issue with someone that does. I have the skills an the tools to but I don't need the meat an I will not hunt for sport. If at some point I do need the food I'm pretty sure species population will never cross my mind when it comes to feeding my family.

 

[cassie]

Personally, I think duck hunting is a waste of time, money and energy. You can get perfectly good ducks at the meat market that don't taste like fish and are not full of buckshot and pinfeathers. On the other hand, here in the US, duck hunters have done more to improve the habitat and numbers of ducks than anything else

 

[unionwirewoman]

I don't duck hunt ( although I do hunt other game ) . If the situation is really of concern about the depletion of birds , then I would suggest getting a petition in order . I don't know how your government works over there , but here it usually helps if the town can get together and sign a petition to stop whatever it is that you don't like . Make sure you have all of your facts stated . If you can get enough people to sign , then you can take it to your local official ... maybe even farther... to try to let them know how many people are upset by this . Conservation of any game is essential for future hunting . Good luck !

 

[becc]

Quote:
our government doesn't listen to country folk...

 

[lovesduckies]

i am totally 100% against all hunting. it's not fair to the animals. i would be a vegetarian if i didn't hate vegetables so much. i am one of the biggest animal lovers that my family has seen besides my grandma who recently passed. we all serve a purpose to the ecosystem, why can't we just let them be?? poor animals.

lol no i am not a hippie or a "tree hugger" just an animal lover

 

[fowltemptress]

In America hunters are pretty much the ones responsible for the existence of nature preserves and the abundance of game animals, so the the situation you're describing in Australia seems weird to me (other than the general impression I get that everything in Australia is on the verge of extinction anyway - I mean, really, being cut off from the rest of the world really took it's toll there, nothing had to evolve to deal with the type of stuff people keep throwing at it). Do the hunters not understand that in order to have something to shoot, they need to protect the existence of the species they like to shoot? It seems to me someone needs to get that across to the hunters, because they're the ones who are going to have more pull when it comes to movements to preserve wildlife. No one can accuse them of simply being tree hugging bleeding hearts with no sense of reality. I am absolutely in favor of hunting, but a real hunter understands and accepts that, when they notch an arrow or load a gun, they are accepting the responsibility to ensure that what they're hunting will still be around for the next generation of hunters. At least, that's how it should be . . . I can't speak for every idiot who wanders willy nilly through a forest with a gun.

 

[chickencoop31320]

I own two Labrador retrievers... never have gone duck hunting.
It's big in Arkansas where my husband is from...
"Stuttgart Arkansas, duck hunting capital of the world" blah blah blah...
I am all for hunting when you need/want it for food.
I like duck, it's yummy, but I'm not sure I am into waiting in the weed along the river or pond with all the snakes and bugs

 

[twentynine]

If it is a legal hunt, you have no recourse other than trying to get the law changed.


Against hunting--- no I am not.

Do I hunt--- no I do not

But as a previous poster stated it is the hunter that supplies the money and incentive to keep wildlife populations healthy. Stated another way. Mr Hunter spends several $1000 a year, buying license, leasing property, guns, ammunition, camo clothing, 4 wheelers, camping equipment and all things out doors. This makes the wild life worth something, so Mr Senator or Representative sees tax money and revenues coming from wild life existing. Remove hunting-- no licenses sold, no 4 wheelers sold, no lease money, so on and so on.

If wildlife did not provide that source of revenue, why would the gov. go to the trouble of regulating hunting and wildlife populations? Why would Mr Landowner want to keep his property fit for wildlife, he can lease it to a hunter and generate revenue, without hunting, he might sell it to Mr Developer to build a subdivision.

Hunting and healthy wildlife populations go hand in hand.

Look what is happening in Africa. Animal trophies from some species can no longer be importer to the USA. So Mr Big Safari Oil Man, is not going to spend one dime to harvest that species. Mr African Native sees no benefit in keeping that species around, after all no one will give any money for it, that species then becomes a nusiance, not a asset. I believe importation of Elephant ivory has been outlawed, has this stopped the killing of elephants? No! But it has stopped the legal hunting of elephants, the only way Mr African Native can get money from the elephant is illegal/unregulated poaching. Instead of a regulated hunt that takes a trophy bull animal at the cost of $10k to the hunter, all elephants are in danger from poaching, big ones, little ones, male and female.

On the other hand. I have encountered Red Neck idiots who are in the woods with loaded guns, supposedly legally hunting. They shoot anything and everything, they tresspass, have no regard for property, generally unsafe, impolite and down right stupid. I do not consider these individuals "hunters". They are nothing but what they are --- idiots.

 

[nzpouter]

kiwi here... got to be done, paradise duck, canadian geese, mallard... after a while tehir population here gets a wee bit overwhelming... they need to be controled as we don't have that many predators around here..