David CazaresThe moose, a freakishly large mammal, is in the news today. And so is the capybara, a freakishly large rodent.
In our Today’s Question feature we asked:
Minnesota’s moose population is in sharp decline, but the DNR says hunting is not the reason. State officials would like to ban the feeding of deer, a practice that concentrates deer and exposes moose to disease. Should Minnesota suspend moose hunting?
Here are some representative answers:
“Yes. It is a natural resource and we are in possession of a fragile population that is not growing.”
“30 years ago I had the good fortune of working with the Forest Service out of the Sea gull Lake area and what I learned is that the State and Federal Biologists really do tend to know best, so if they’ve collaborated and figured out strategies and plans, I would encourage us to respect them, that they are doing their best for the moose and deer, they know more about it than we do, and I haven’t hunted for 20 years.”
“We should stop baiting everything: deer, bear, waterfowl. Moose: we need to find out what’s happening, should have LONG ago! There’s no “sport” here. Like shooting a cow. Do those who can afford moose license REALLY need moose meat?!?!?!?!?!”
“Yes…. Gotta make sure there are Moose for our grandchildren to see that aren’t hanging on a wall. I’m all for responsible hunting, but the Moose is not sustainable game.”
“Simple: distribute lottery tags.. issue 25 winners out of 1000. The state will profit & the lucky few will enjoy their hunt. Most rocky mountain states have a similar draw.”
“NO, its already a lottery once in a life time hunt. and IF you get drawn, there is no guarantee you will get one. VERY few moose are taken by MN hunters every year.”
A personal aside: About a year ago, my brother in Spokane, Washington hit a moose in his Volkswagen Passat. His car crumbled, and the moose just ran off. My bro says the moose looked as big as a giraffe.
And now, on to the capybara, the largest rodent in the world. Folks in Paso Robles, on California’s central coast, had the pleasure of sighting one of these beasts.
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