Re: [at-l] In season

[Owen <jrowen@ibm.net>]

Chuck - 
I'll add something here - I haven't hunted in over 30 years (not since
my time in Nam). But those who don't like hunting might consider this -
I think the population of bears in Pennsylvania is about the same or a
little greater than that in the Sierras and adjacent areas in California
(I'll check the numbers when I get a chance).  The difference is that
bears are hunted (a 3 day season per year) in PA but not in either
National Parks or National Forests in California.  And the results are
obvious - a MAJOR bear problem in the Sierras (such that some people are
pushing for MANDATORY use of bear canisters through the Sierras) while
PA has an occasional single problem bear.  As Ginny points out - it's
probably also related to the deer season in PA as well.  Bears are
perfectly capable of learning from that. 

There is also the problem of deer populations that have gotten so out of
hand in areas that don't allow hunting, that, for example, an area that
is capable of supporting 40 deer per acre might now support 400 - badly.
Disease, starvation, death by car accident (and coincident deaths of
drivers and passengers in the vehicles), destruction of the forests (no
seedlings grow where the deer population gets too large) - the problems
of overpopulation are rampant.  With few natural predators left, the
only solutions are human ones. 

The bottom line for a thruhiker (or future thruhiker) is this - how many
of you want to be told that you HAVE TO CARRY a 2 or 3# bear canister. 
You might also want to consider that the size of a bear canister REQIRES
that you carry a larger (and therefore heavier) pack. It will add 5-6
pounds to your pack weight.  

Fro those who don't like hunting, don't do it.  But don't get all het up
about the people who are out there keeping the deer, bear, moose, etc
population under control after the farmers and ranchers in this country
have killed off the major predators that used to do the job. There are
few enough of them (both hunters and major predators).  Too few to do
the job that needs to be done.  

Walk softly,
Jim

PS - Hunters don't wear orange for turkey hunting because turkeys are
VERY color sensitive. As for coon hunting - it's done at night and
orange isn't any better than any other color in the dark.
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