CALL TO END AERIAL GUNNING OF WILDLIFE

[nosmokes]

But it's so sporting!
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original-peer


For Immediate Release: June 11, 2007
Contact: Carol Goldberg [phone]

CALL TO END AERIAL GUNNING OF WILDLIFE —

Two More Federal Agents Killed in Questionable Program


Washington, DC — The U.S. Department of Agriculture should stop sending its people up in aircraft to shoot coyotes, according to a petition filed with the agency by 27 conservation organizations. Pointing to two more deaths this month, the organizations argue that aerial gunning, as the practice is known, is excessively dangerous, demonstrably wasteful and biologically counterproductive.

On June 1, 2007, two federal agriculture agents died when their plane crashed during an aerial gunning trip in Wayne County, Utah. Pilot Joseph Harris and gunner Glen Stevenson routinely flew on aerial hunts. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

This brings the death total to 11, as well as 27 injuries, from aerial gunning accidents.

The groups contend that aerial gunning is inherently risky because pilots are often distracted, flying at low altitudes with little margin for error. In the 27 recorded plane or helicopter crashes, pilots have flown into power lines, trees and land formations.

“As a wildlife management tool, aerial gunning makes as much sense as using tactical nuclear weapons to root out prairie dogs,” stated Jeff Ruch, Executive Director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). “USDA needs to take this latest tragedy to heart and rethink the wisdom of this entire program.”

Aerial gunning is part of a $100 million a year USDA program called Wildlife Services that kills more than 1.5 million animals a year. In 2005, Wildlife Services claims to have killed 34,056 animals by aerial gunning, including badgers, bobcats, red foxes, grey wolves and even domestic housecats.

The groups also argue that the coyote hunts do not provide relief to ranchers as studies show that the coyotes compensate by either bearing larger litters or permitting more animals in the pack to breed.

“Killing coyotes ironically results in more of them – they’ve figured out how to adapt to over 100 years of extermination campaigns thrown at them,” said Wendy Keefover-Ring of Sinapu noting that the strafing operations are supposed to protect livestock from predation. “There are a whole range of less dangerous, less expensive and more effective means for controlling coyotes than calling in the Air Force.”

The groups signing the petition to USDA also include: AGRO: A Coalition to End Aerial Gunning of Wildlife; Alaska Wildlife Alliance; Animal Defense League of Arizona; Animal Welfare Institute; Big Wildlife; Biodiversity Conservation Associates; Center for Biological Diversity; Center for Native Ecosystems; Cougar Fund; Forest Guardians; Great Old Broads for Wilderness; Great Plains Restoration Council; Humane Society of the United States; In Defense of Animals; The Larch Company; Mountain Cats Trust; Oregon Natural Desert Association; Prairie Preservation Alliance; Predator Conservation Alliance; Predator Defense Institute; PEER; Sagebrush Sea Campaign; Sierra Club; Sinapu; Southern Rockies Ecosystem Project; Western Watersheds Project; Wildlife Damage Review

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complete release including links to related sources here

[KansDem]

1. What's the justification for killing Fluffy?

Aerial gunning is part of a $100 million a year USDA program called Wildlife Services that kills more than 1.5 million animals a year. In 2005, Wildlife Services claims to have killed 34,056 animals by aerial gunning, including badgers, bobcats, red foxes, grey wolves and even domestic housecats.

Maybe not wanting to return home with a full clip?

[Man_in_the_Moon]

5. house cats are extremely destructive

Im serious, feral housecats cats are a plague.

[LiberalFighter]

2. Let the NRA run the program

[HEyHEY]

3. What am I supposed to do with my Sunday evenings?

[KansDem]

4. Man!!! They even killed five mockingbirds in 2005!!!

USDA table of kills for FY 2005

Bastards! How do they explain this sin to Scout?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

6. We should also outlaw...

Rocky Mountain Highing, Big Bopping, and Aerial Skynyrding, which have also been shown to lead to fatal plane crashes.

[Howardx]

7. that sounds like a very cheney thing to do n/t

[Lorien]

8. Not only a costly and immoral program, but a totally idiotic one

nature abhores a vacuum, so once one animal is removed from the ecosystem nature will find a way to fill the void with another animal. In my city, for instance, the killing or removal of raccoons and opossums is discouraged because doing so promotes "population shifts" among the species which can cause the spread of disease (such as rabies). Pest control services work on "exclusion" (keeping the critters out of your home) instead of removal to keep the populations stable and healthy.

The killing of wolves is what has caused the overabundance of coyotes and the dwindling numbers of foxes. Foxes and wolves eat huge numbers of mice and other rodents, so they are very beneficial to many types of farmers. Wolves will kill coyote, but not foxes, while coyote will kill foxes. Removing the top predator causes an imbalance in the entire system.

[Edweird]

9. It's killing for the thrill of killing. That's wrong. Get their asses to Iraq if they want to shoot

things from a helicopter. Things that shoot back. Now THAT'S "sporting".