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Is Kate Wong Wrong About the Python Challenge?

December 12, 2012 | By Barbara Baird

Sometimes, you can learn a lot from the comments that follow an online story (even here on Realtree.com). Often entertaining, sometimes educational, these posts usually swing from one end of the opinion spectrum to the other, no matter what the subject.

So when Kate Wong with “Scientific American,” expressed her disdain with the latest plan put forth by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, that being to hold a month-long Burmese python catch-and-kill contest beginning Jan. 12, 2013, you can bet the some of the comments appear, well, venomous. Others squeezed hard on her naivety regarding wildlife and the ecosystem.

The facts: We have reported here on the problem with the burgeoning population of Burmese pythons in the Everglades and other places in Florida. Here’s what the Conservation Commission proposes for its inaugural Python Challenge:

Anyone over the age of 18 may register for the contest

Registrants must take a 30-minute online training course on how to detect, capture and humanely dispose of said snakes

The contest is also open to those who already hold a python permit

The contest begins on Sat., Jan. 12 at the University of Florida Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center in Davie

There is no fee for registering

Contestants may register throughout the month

Python Pickers are eligible for the Grand Prize of $1500 for the most Burmese pythons captured and $1,000 for the longest python, on Feb. 16 at Zoo Miami

Pat Lynch - South Florida Water Management District Wong, in an article titled “Why Florida’s Giant Python Hunting Contest Is a Bad Idea,” is worried that contestants will not properly identify the snakes and that the snakes will be mishandled. She further wrings her hands and writes, “And obvious human safety concerns aside, can someone who has never handled snakes before really be counted on to kill a large constrictor humanely in the heat of the moment? Check out those euthanasia guidelines -- they're more complicated than you might think.”

I bet “Scientific American” loves the response to Wong’s opinion, which numbered more than 2,500 in two days. Several of the readers noted that Wong offered no other ideas other than a Debbie-Downer attitude about the whole thing.

My favorite comment (and I admit, I did not read all 2,500+), came from Frank, who wrote, “Kate Wong, nice editorial. If you do not like the contest, do not enter it.”

My feelings exactly.

What do you think? Do you like the idea of a contest to kill more Burmese pythons in Florida, or is there a better solution?

And No Partridge in a Pear Tree

December 10, 2012 | By Barbara Baird

You’ve heard the words at least a hundred times, but really, can you remember all 12 items in the popular, 200-year-old English Christmas song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas?”

Who’s dancing again, the lords or the maids? Almost everyone, though, remembers the last line, “and a partridge in a pear tree.”

Gray partridge courtesy of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Flickr Stream If trends continue in merry old England, the partridge will only be a bird sung about in a carol. Partridges, along with turtle doves (of which there are three in the song), are on the decline. “The Guardian” reports, “Partridges and turtle doves are disappearing from the countryside at such alarming rates that without urgent action the species may cease to exist in the UK outside the verses of the festive classic, scientists have warned.”

According to the Wildlife Trust in the U.K., the grey partridge sits on top of the list of Great Britain’s most endangered species. “The Guardian” reported that partridge numbers went down almost 30 percent, and turtle doves plummeted almost 60 percent between 2005 and 2010.

And why? I’m sure you can guess. The Wildlife Trust of the United Kingdom listed these factors:

Break in food chain caused by the increased use of insecticides and herbicides, killing the insects that are vital for the young birds' diet.
Vulnerability of young to predators as they have to travel farther to find food
Intensive farming has led to fewer suitable nesting sites, e.g.: hedgerows and other habitats have been destroyed or degraded causing increased predation.
Population numbers are susceptible to wet weather during late spring which causes death to young.
Reduction in spring-sown cereals, which cause a loss in winter stubble fields that could be available as a food source.

Various conservation and other wildlife organizations are working to protect the partridge and turtle dove populations.

What about the other birds listed in the song?

According to “The Guardian,” some of the birds mentioned also are in decline, while others are doing just fine.

Three French hens – France has seen a decline of 20 percent in the poultry market between 1998 and 2011
Four colly birds (What? You thought it was “calling birds?”) – Those are actually blackbirds, and we all know you cannot get rid of them
Five gold rings – Probably “five goldspinks,” or goldfinches in English, which have increased more than 120 percent since 1970
Six geese a layin’ – Greylags and pink-footed geese are good, but the white-fronted goose is in decline
Seven swans a swimmin’ – No problem, in fact, they doubled their population since 1983

Oh, and for the record, if you were to purchase all 12 items, full retail, it would cost about £67,000, which today equals $107, 334.

Wisconsin Rethinks Opening All State Parks to Hunting

December 7, 2012 | By Barbara Baird

Last year, the Wisconsin legislature passed the Sporting Heritage bill. Some of the measures in the bill included a $5 license to first-time hunters and trappers, online hunter education and trapper courses and opening all state parks to hunting and trapping.

Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

According to "The Capital Times," the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is reeling from the realization that it must accommodate not only hunters and trappers, but also cyclists, horseback riders, bird watchers, hikers and marathon runners. (You could probably throw in a few family reunions, weddings and birthday bashes, too.) Although the soft adventure folks pay about $18.5 million for their share of usage fees like camping and parking permits (compared to hunters’ paying about $40.2 million in hunting license revenues), they speak with a large and loud voice.

After all, the parks belong to them, too.

We know that Wisconsin is not replacing its hunter population. That's obvious by the “hunter replacement ratio,” which is the ratio of hunters who quit or die being replaced by fresh blood. Elementary, or even modern math dictates that the number needs to be 1.0 to stay even. Across the country, the ratio is purported to be around .69. In 2000, Wisconsin’s number was .53. And things are not looking up. Granted, that study that gave Wisconsin a .53 for Families Afield was conducted in 2000. "The Capital Times" affirms the trend, and reports that in 1996 Wisconsin residents purchased 656,546 gun deer licenses. In 2011, they purchased 585,736. You do the math. In fact, "The Capital Times" reported, "One recent report from UW-Madison’s Applied Population Lab projects the number of deer hunters in the state could fall to 400,000 by 2030."

Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources On Dec. 11, the Natural Resources Board will meet and discuss ways to accommodate hunters, trappers and recreational sportsmen. The board may decide to shorten some seasons or designate certain areas off-limits to either hunting or recreating. Although in the case of rifle hunting, liability insurance and roped-off areas would have to be huge numbers.

I like to hike, run and ride horseback. Would I want to do those things in close proximity to where people are shooting? Heck, no. Would they want me running or galloping through their hunting grounds? Of course not. And, would I want to have to look for coyote traps along a hiking trail? No way.

It sounds like the board will have a very interesting meeting – trying to refine a big fat measure that makes no one happy. Good luck.

Bob Costas: A Hoplophobe's Havoc

December 4, 2012 | By Barbara Baird

First, Fox News sports columnist Jason Whitlock wrote, "If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today." Then, NBC announcer Bob Costas, in his own half-time performance at the Chiefs and Panthers game last Sunday, repeated it – like he meant it.

Belcher, the 25-year-old linebacker for the Chiefs, killed his girlfriend in their home in Independence, Mo., and then drove to Arrowhead Stadium where he committed suicide on Saturday morning, Dec. 2. He is the sixth NFL player to kill himself in two years, leading some to speculate that head injuries sustained in a contact sport like football might be one of the main reasons Belcher acted in such a violent way.

On Monday, Costas clarified his on-air editorial from the day before, saying, “I do not think the Second Amendment should be repealed and I do not think, under reasonable circumstances, that people should be prohibited from having guns … I think most reasonable people think we do not have sufficient controls on the availability of guns and ammunition.”

Whenever these tragedies happen, those of us who believe in the Second Amendment brace ourselves for another onslaught by anti-gun advocates, who don’t believe there are enough gun laws in the books, and who continue to whittle away – piece by piece it seems – with legislation and regulation.

Meanwhile, hoplophobes' opinions, such as Costas’, remain top center news this week.

Coined by the famous firearm training and father of modern combat pistol techniques, Col. Jeff Cooper, the word hoplophobia derives from the Greek word hoplites, which means weapon. In his book, "Principles of Personal Defense," Cooper described hoplophobia in these terms: May cause sweating, faintness, discomfort, rapid pulse, nausea, sleeplessness, nondescript fears, more, at mere thought of guns. Presence of working firearms may cause panic attack.

Hoplophobes such as Costas and Whitlock try to make us believe that our current access to guns and ammunition lead to more crime, a position that scientific research studies have disproved repeatedly (for example, see John Lott’s treatises on the subject). If we begin to realize that this problem, hoplophobia, exists as a disease, perhaps we can truly address the knee-jerk reactions to gun violence in this country and get psychological/medical help for the true hoplophobes (as opposed to those who are merely led astray by hoplophobes in the media and politics).

On the other hand, should we follow the hoplophobes’ lead and try to outlaw buildings more than one story tall in order to satisfy acrophobes?

What's Really Keeping Hunters Away from Southern Arizona?

November 28, 2012 | By Barbara Baird

This headline caught my eye: "Only on Fox (Tucson, Ariz.), Tucson Border Activity Has Hunters Avoiding Southern Arizona."

Phoenix resident Jackie Berry of Team Young Gunz after a successful hunt in 2012 Women in the Outdoors Coues Whitetail Camp, held from Nov. 9 to Nov. 11 and co-sponsored by the National Wild Turkey Federation and the Arizona Elk Society. Photo courtesy of AZGFD After reading the report, you might believe that illegal aliens, smugglers and bandits crossing into three counties in particular -- Cochise, Pima and Santa Cruz -- are the main reasons whitetail, mule deer and javelina hunters are not applying for tags from the state-run lottery hunting system.

Not so fast, says Mark Hart, Tucson-based public information officer for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. In the Fox News' article, Hart mentions that the main reason for increased border crossing is because about 15 years ago, the Clinton administration tightened border controls in San Diego, Calif., and El Paso, Texas. That means bandits, smugglers and illegal aliens prefer to enter the country through Arizona.

Hart, in a conversation with me on Nov. 26, said that public perception is that hunting in those counties might be more dangerous than hunting in other places in Arizona. He also said that there are some monster whitetails and mule deer there, and that javelinas are ripe for the picking. Meanwhile, Fox News reported, "With all the illegal activity on the border, hunters are chasing game elsewhere. Making it tough for establishments down South who are starving for business."

And then, Hart said something really interesting, which contradicts the Fox report. According to Hart, when the Arizona Game and Fish Department offers the leftover tags from the lottery draw as over-the-counter sales, they sell out. In fact, this Mon., Dec. 3, the department will offer leftover javelina tags, including non-resident tags for about $200. They may be purchased online.

Hart also mentioned that recently the AZGFD recently held a women's whitetail hunt near Arivica and a juniors' deer and javelina clinic near Amado. And annually, Boy Scouts and other volunteers are in the area cleaning up "layup" places (where illegal aliens change clothes, shave and get ready to head north). So, I ask, how dangerous is it, when women hunters and Boy Scouts are running around down there?

The article also states that some of the locals feel that an increased presence by law enforcement and in the past, the National Guard, is another reason why hunting sales have decreased in the area. Although Hart mentioned that a U.S. Border Patrol chase interrupted a Boy Scout outing there at one time, he did not believe that increased law enforcement and National Guard presence in the area impeded hunting. In fact, he said that when you increase the presence of law enforcement, that since the numbers of illegal aliens and others crossing goes down, it leads to more hunting.

Hart gave this advice in the article for hunting southern Arizona:

Let others know where you're going and when you're returning.
Carry a GPS unit and know how to use it.
Avoid suspicious areas where there's lots of garbage.
Avoid abandoned cars and back your vehicle into a parking space.
Be reluctant to render aid to someone who appears injured.
Contact the Border Patrol is you see suspicious active at 1-800-BE-ALERT.

Another valuable piece of information from Hart referred to route preferences. He said drug smugglers like mountainous ridge tops so that they can stay up and away from easy access. Illegal aliens like to flank the mountains, as a map to future employment.

So, as always, hunters need to be vigilant.

Would I go down there to hunt?

In a heartbeat. How about you?

Barbara Baird is a freelance writer in outdoor and travel markets. A former small-town newspaper editor and reporter, she constantly hunts for news headlines you need to read. Barbara also publishes Women’s Outdoor News online and pens columns for the National Wild Turkey Federation and Shooting Sports USA. Hailing from the Ozarks of Missouri, this avid hunter is now mentoring the second generation of hunters - her own little bevy of Realtree-wearing grandchildren.

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