Another senseless child killing

[cowboydoc]

I agree with you Gerard. I sometimes wonder if this world wouldn't be a whole lot better place if the animals were in charge.

 

[cstocks]

Maybe we could do a little space travel and get caught in a time warp.... end up in a world where apes rule... Sound familiar?/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

And you can rule out cats. Too much indifference.

Dogs? They'd make us chase sticks and beg for treats. No thanks.

I guess I will stick with being the dominant species a little while longer./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Ozarker]

I'll take the bet. Show me the data on attacks by fools with handguns in that area over the same period.

 

[Chuck52]

Now Ozarker, play fair! Harv didn't say "attacks by fools with handguns", so his statistics would include accidents with handguns as well as attacks. There might have to be some kind of arbitration about the "fool" part.

Chuck

 

[stovepoker]

As a NY taxpayer, environmentalist, outdoorsman, and hunter, I am ashamed at the lack of attention that New York State pays to the safety of its citizens. The populations of Bear, Deer, Coyotes, Cats, and others have been encouraged to grow with absolutely no regard to human safety. For years there have been many close calls in the Catskills, North Country, and Southern Tier. The State's response has been to protect the rights of the critters. I guess they were here first. Absolutely nothing has been done to mitigate the risk of human/animal encounters. I'm talking about deer being allowed to live where they can jump off overpasses onto the Interstate highways, Rabid raccoons being allowed to overbreed in urban areas until they "burn themselves out", Bears being allowed to rummage thru municipal garbage and rural kitchens without control, etc. If you live in the North Country, try putting down a bear that has just ravaged your house. You'll be in for a rude awakening when you're standing before a judge. This latest unfortunate incident could have been prevented.

 

[Ozarker]

I'll accept attacks, accidents, both or any other combination.

 

[MDNY]

My comments were directed at the second article not the first. The second article had a link pertaining to a bear "attack" in Alaska where a mother black bear that was shot due to "agressive behavior". She was in fact protecting her cub who was nearby in the woods.

The incident pertaining to the 5 month old child was in fact a sad and tragic loss of life. I wish the parents had been able stop the attack even if that meant killing the bear so be it.

My comments in general have to do with the fact that as human beings we act as though we are the supreme creatures on the planet. Well we are not. Just because we can walk upright and talk and carry weapons doesn't mean we are the most intelligent.

My views are molded and shaped by my life experience and from my enjoyment of the wilderness and seeing wildlife. I would prefer to not nearly being shot because some masshole thinks I am a deer on my property that he is illegally hunting on. My wife & I will not enjoy our property this winter until hunting season is over. Just because the previous owner allowed it doesn't mean I do. I fully respect the rights of those who hunt as their right to do so.

I bought land with the intent of minimal destruction for our home to be built on. We cleared about an acre, and will begin replanting some trees, put in a pond and provide for the wildlife by putting out seed, nuts etc. for the wild critters. This is done because I enjoy nature.

I realize my views are my own, but I do not condone cruelty to animals and I do not condone the senseless killing of either animal or human which ever the case may be.

 

[JoeR]

My disclaimer: This is only an opinion


Unfortunately, we (humans) have created the problems with the animals. Urban sprawl has encroached upon habitats. Numerous people who live in the large city areas buy summer homes in the rural areas and then they like to feed large amounts of household scraps/leftovers to the deer and the bears; therefore, creating a very dangerous situation in which the animals become dependent upon humans for their food. This creates an unbalanced animal habitat in which the land now supports more deer and bears than it should. The same people who feed these animals then start to complain about their gardens being trampled by deer, and find bears eating their garbage, and deer jumping in front of their car. They start to realize the need to reduce the population, but discourage hunting. Meanwhile they continue to feed the animals and the problem grows larger. We have foolish people in Florida who like to feed the alligators, then the alligators are no longer scared of humans and bite off someone's arm looking for food. Once again, these people scream to protect the alligator... Once these animals are no longer afraid of humans they become a threat. This is when the animals become a little too comfortable around people and expect handouts, and both the humans and the animals will become victims. Yes, we (humans) are to blame since we encouraged the behavior of these animals, yet, we must correct the situation. Laws should be enforced that stop people from initiating the contact with the wild animals. The only other feasible solution is to allow hunting of the overpopulated species, which would bring the numbers under control. After the population of these animals is brought under control, the animal to human encounters would probably be reduced to normal levels.

Joe R.

Note: I am not a hunter or environmentalist...

 

[Ozarker]

<font color=blue>She was in fact protecting her cub who was nearby in the woods.</font color=blue>

So what is your solution for that situation? Should the man have simply risked being killed?

<font color=blue>Just because we can walk upright and talk and carry weapons doesn't mean we are the most intelligent.</font color=blue>

Yes, it means just exactly that. If deer were intelligent they would gang up and run hunters out of the woods. Instead, they continue with the same instinctive and predictable behavior and are successfully hunted by a creature with less instinctive ability but far more intelligence.



I'm not a hunter. I am a wildlife population control specialist.

 

[MDNY]

Maybe the fisherman shouldn't have been there to begin with. Must we invade every piece of woods on the planet and call it ours? Maybe the wilderness belongs to the wildlife.

I disagree with your second comment. If you equate intelligence with the ability to communitate then chimps, apes and other (ancestors) are as equal, yet we continue to slaughter them so someone oversees can have a stronger version of a cultural viagra pill.

Maybe the deer have figured out that ganging up won't work since we will just bring in bigger and more powerful guns. Heck if GW Bush has his way the forests will be gone, the artic preserve will be plundered and the soil will be contaminated.

Again I am not a hunter. I will defend my family from animal attacks that occur, but I will also protect the wildlife from senseless slaughter so some guy can brag how he shot a new fawn dead with his high power gun.

I also agree with the post above that humans have created the problems. How many homes do we need in Lake George, the adirondacks and other dense wooded areas. People want to see the cute animals, but they don't want to be the one to blame when they cause the problem due to feeding them scraps, not covering their trash, cleaning up their fish entrails etc.