This commentary is by Lynn Andrews of Pomfret, an organic farmer, amateur photographer and naturalist.
When I was growing up, my father taught me how to recognize wildlife markings, habitat preferences, the creatures that liked hardwood forests, softwood forests, bogs and fields.
The love and respect for the wildlife and land we shared the property with meant that you carry out what you bring in, no littering, don’t allow your pets to roam freely out of your control, and recognize that every living member of the forest plays an important role in the web of life.
In his commentary Feb. 3 (“Vermont’s hunting traditions deserve respect”), Will Staats is correct that the self-serving ideology of understanding what wildlife need and how they behave drives the desire of those intent on killing or “harvesting”wild animals.
Mr. Staats may feel that his behaviors as a trapper make him somehow more qualified to regulate wild places, but his feelings are out of sync with current environmental protection methods that constantly guard against population declines, habitat contamination and loss of habitat corridors altogether.
And contrary to his personal belief that a running or hiking trail violates wildlife habitat, clearly it is less impacting than a steel-jawed trap that will cripple or kill any sorry thing that gets lured into it — traps that the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department refuses to allow signage for on public lands, hence the regular occurrence of a dog becoming permanently harmed when out on a hike with his or her owner after stepping in one.
The hunters, trappers and hounders who make policies about hunting, trapping and hounding in Vermont have convinced themselves that a naturalist with the same ecological education as Mr. Staats himself simply cannot be one of the rule makers. That’s a very odd perspective.
Why is it two people with the same comprehension of wildlife and ecology are not considered equal at the moment of legislative decision-making? How does chasing down a bear with a pack of dogs or clubbing a fox to death inherently imbue a greater understanding of wildlife conservation?
Mr. Staats acknowledges that climate change is here and that Vermont will undergo an increase in its population. Surely as someone who spent the better part of his life advocating for the rights of hunters to hunt and trappers to trap, the changes happening in the wild landscape are of the utmost concern and warrants immediate action.
If the weather in 2022 follows the pattern of the past decade in Vermont, it will be very hot — likely the hottest ever. Vernal pools will dry up sooner. Ponds will heat up more, causing unbalanced sexes in amphibian populations. More algae blooms, more invasive species, more ticks, more diseases, more changes to food sources in the wild places with increased droughts and bouts of excessive rainy periods.
Another thing I learned growing up is that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Why not err on the side of caution? Instead of extending trapping seasons and extending hunting seasons, as has been Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s approach over this past decade, roll it back so today’s children have hope of the same Green Mountains we have in this moment. Behave as though the last catamount is about to disappear.
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February 14, 2022 at 12:47AM
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Lynn Andrews: Behave as though the last catamount is about to disappear - vtdigger.org
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