Cormorants

[Gun Nut]

Zoli 16ga is definitely a challenge, and he seems to likes to set some pretty narrow limits. That he views my personal hunting ethics as hypocritical may says more about him than does me, but that's okay too. I do have some more information for him to chew on.

Let me begin with the word “cull,” From the Random House College Dictionary: - v.t. 1. To choose; select; pick; gather the choice things or parts: 2. to collect; gather pluck. - n. 3. act of culling. 4. Anything picked out put aside as inferior. The Eskimos believe that the wolf was an ally in the hunt for caribou. The wolf would remove from the caribou herd the diseased and weak animals, leaving them with health and strong animals for their food supply. Hence their view that caribou feed the wolf and the wolf kept the caribou strong.
Back on the farm I raised chicken, in the fall I would cull the cockerels and the pullets, the pullets were kept for egg production, with the exception of maybe one to keep the pullets active, the rest of the cockerels were used to provided table meat. The MNRF likes to use the word cull to describe the removal of animals from the deer herd to bring population into line with the supply of habitat resources for over wintering. There goal is to separate out enough animals to protect the integrity of the breeding herd. With wildlife, of course, separating out (the meaning of cull) often means killing off.
However cull can be apply to other aspects of life. For instance corporations do culls. They separate out and remove seemingly non productive elements within the organization. In that manner, resources can be made available for more productive element to survive downturns in the economy, sadly one the most recent example has been GM.

The Cormorants are, of course, is our focus. I believe it was point out to me that the Cormorants in the Great Lake Basin were at such a low ebb that they might have been able to worm their was on to the Endanger Species List. Then something happen and biological switch was thrown, leading to a population explosion. When it happy our club. conservation director, raised a couple of concerns the one, of course, was that of the tree destruction around their nesting areas, the second was the impact on the game fishery. The fear was because of their abundance they would out compete the game fish population for the ground fish in the lakes. A campaign began to locate their nesting sites in order to oil their eggs. Then shoots were attempted in certain areas in order to reduce their numbers. Apparently both endeavors have only resulted in a marginal impact.. Why?

My guest is that there is an abundant food supply, and a lack of completion for it. I have to imagine when their number were low in the Great Lake Basin, they nested further north where they competed for the available food resources with the various diving ducks species . The Great Lake Basin may only been a fly pass until some event interrupt their migration and landed them in the Basin to discover its rich resources, so they stay and began nesting..

My reason for thinking this. Back in the early seventies I was involved in an ethology course, in which I was required to research and write a paper. The subject could be on anything that was relevant to the field of study, and of our own choosing. Being hunter bird migration seem to be shoe-in. In my research I came across on article on the migration of geese. The article told of a very disappoint group of southern goose hunters. In that year, the geese migration came to an abrupt halt in the Delmar Peninsula area. The geese settled in and wintered. Farmers in the area were experimenting with a new type of corn harvesters, the machines appeared to have left more corn in their tailings than ended up in the corn bins. The geese prove themselves opportunist.

You don’t stop hunting because you grow old. You grow old because you stop hunting.
- Gun Nut,

[Snowwalker]

I don't kill animals I don't eat.
Simple.

Then your fine with your livestock breaking legs in holes, or having your Lambs, Calves and kids( baby goats) killed well the Ewe, Cow, or Nanny is trying to give birth?

[MikePal]

I don't kill animals I don't eat.
Simple.

Then your fine with your livestock breaking legs in holes, or having your Lambs, Calves and kids( baby goats) killed well the Ewe, Cow, or Nanny is trying to give birth?

That's the problem when people are removed from rural live and grow up in the confines of suburbia, they lose their grasp on reality.

[MikePal]

The MNRF likes to use the word cull to describe the removal of animals from the deer herd to bring population into line with the supply of habitat resources for over wintering. There goal is to separate out enough animals to protect the integrity of the breeding herd. With wildlife, of course, separating out (the meaning of cull) often means killing off.

I've said that on here many times and still some Hunters refuse to grasp that that is what their role is during the fall hunts. If we don't assist nature in culling the deer, the entire herds survival becomes endangered.

[jaycee]

That's the problem when people are removed from rural live and grow up in the confines of suburbia, they lose their grasp on reality.

Over my many years of hunting 61 into 62nd., I have "culled " many groundhogs, cotton tailed rabbits, jack rabbits, pigeons, ducks, geese, grouse, deer, moose,starlings, crows, cowbirds, , coons, coyotes, possums, sparrows, squirrels, rats and mice. and some that I have probably forgotten about.
Some of these have been of the edible variety which we enjoyed , others were not., hides of the fur bearers were also not wasted as they were sent to North Bay Fur Auctions.

I suppose that in johny,s eye,s I am a bad guy because I have killed animals that I/We didn't eat.

[Snowwalker]

I've said that on here many times and still some Hunters refuse to grasp that that is what their role is during the fall hunts. If we don't assist nature in culling the deer, the entire herds survival becomes endangered.

Over my many years of hunting, I have "culled " many groundhogs, cotton tailed rabbits, jack rabbits, pigeons, ducks, geese, grouse, deer, moose,starlings, crows, cowbirds, , coons, possums, sparrows, squirrels, rats and mice. and some that I have probably forgotten about

There is a major disconnect when it comes to the public and it's understanding of culling Vs Hunting Vs Management. In the case of an area having a few more deer then is healthy for example, were the MNRF decides that the over population can be solved by issuing a few extra tags.

The funds from the sale of the extra tags, a few more tanks of gas and motel/hotel rooms and meals, help the MNRF and the local economy. BUT the public campaign against allowing MNRF to issue more tags sways the public and the Political pressure to Manage the deer and not let hunters shoot them wins out.

So now the MNRF announces that they have given a Wild Life Management Company a contract to "Stabilize" the local deer population and the public is all cheers and smiles because they saved the deer.

Company sends five shooters in to area and a number of deer are killed and thrown in the local dump.

Oh and the company bills the MNRF a few million to do it. Guess were your's and my Hunting and Fishing License fee just went?

[MikePal]

So now the MNRF announces that they have given a Wild Life Management Company a contract to "Stabilize" the local deer population

In regards to deer I have never heard of an 'contract agency' doing this. They usually get the First Nation (treaty rights) go in and cull the required deer for the meat.

On farms they let 'agents' of the farmers 'cull' nuisance deer that are destroying crops, but again I do believe the meat is taken.

Back in the day, before political correctness, they used to have bounties on gophers etc to cull down the numbers.

[jaycee]

In regards to deer I have never heard of an 'contract agency' doing this. They usually get the First Nation (treaty rights) go in and cull the required deer for the meat.

On farms they let 'agents' of the farmers 'cull' nuisance deer that are destroying crops, but again I do believe the meat is taken.

Back in the day, before political correctness, they used to have bounties on gophers etc to cull down the numbers.

Did The MNRF, NOT BRING IN "Snipers from New Zealand a couple of years ago , to cull the deer on Point Pelee, or Rondeau Prov. Park " ?
There were pictures/articles in the newspapers regarding this incident with a large outcry from the public.

[canadaman30]

Seen a couple a week ago counted 22 this morning on my property sitting in a maple tree over looking a pond
can we shoot them yet legally?
the tree is already showing leaf thinning

Used to shoot them on sight or they cleaned out the fish in the pond and move on to the neighbors. Don't see any use for them around here....

[GW11]

I don't kill animals I don't eat.
Simple.

You must find yourself in a real moral dilemma when it comes to setting a mouse trap... or do you eat them too?

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk