ORIGINAL: Screamin Steel
That's an interesting article. The same Dr. Valeruis Geist back in 1988 wrote an article in D&DH magazine listing threats to modern hunting and wildlife conservationand at the top of his list was privatization of wildlife...coincidentally the holy grail of QDM. Nature's motto is survival of the fittest. Trophy hunting preaches survival of the weakest, as we target the largest specimens for the trophy room fireplace. How can this practice which ispolar opposite of mother nature's intention, be good for wildlife? If man still hunted in the true role of a predator, for substance, it would be the weak that we would prey on, just as the wolves, coyotes, lions, and other top predators. Granted, in a state with hunting pressure as great as ours, and such a broad range of desires among hunters concerning what they kill, the effect may be slight, but in some situations regarding ceratin species and locales, it stands that the effect could be severe.
SS I agree that privatizing any wildlife would most often not be good for it. I think whats happening around here in terms of privatization is more the result of landowners privatizing the rights to hunt more than anything else but sometimes, i agree, the latter causes the former.
But that's not what QDM is all about. QDM also preaches taking out antlerless deer and inferior bucks. We are the most efficient predators on earth. I'm sure we can all agree that limits must be placed on hunting any animal. The issues arises with the nature of those limits
QDM is all about keeping a healthy herd. Big bucks are the brass ring on that ride but a healthy herd is truly the QDM goal. QDM is also about managing the habiat for food, cover and sanctuary. AS far as the hunting part, True QDM, which isn't possible in most of PA, involves culling inferior animals and letting the best age. In a true QDM situation, a buck isnt harvested till 5 1/2. By that time, the best animals will have passed their genes on before being killed.
The big problem with PA is that the state is trying to manage on a wholesale level. It'll never be anywhere near perfect on that level.