I thought raptors were what the sheeting on my roof were nailed to?

This!!

I for one, could care less about hawks eating muskrats. I don't care about wolves eating deer and elk. They are predators, it is what they do. Like Les I do get offended when a hawk, coon, neighbors dog or cat is after my chickens though.

No one denies that most raptors can kill a muskrat. The critical thinking part is knowing how many actually do. Seeing a single raptor kill a single muskrat isn't really good evidence that all raptors of that species feed on muskrats. Raptors, like all predators, are opportunistic but we must manage in a way that accounts for the species preference, not the exception to the rule.



I was a bit critical of the people on this board and I'm sorry for that. However, it makes me so happy that you say my name three times! What is actually happening is a difference of world view and how it is applied to managing our resources. The prevailing view is that man is at the top of the ecosystem and should dominate it through whatever means are necessary. This is also the view that got us to where we are, for better or worse. If you're a raptor, that is good and if you're a muskrat it's bad.

Continue to blame the raptors, that is fine with me. Very few have listened to my advice that we should look at ourselves as the principal cause of muskrat declines. Instead we see that everything else has a greater impact on the environment than us and choose to impose our will where we see a fault needing correction. How has that worked for water quality in the gulf of mexico? Nitrates in ground water? Muskrat populations across the eastern US? Controlling weeds in agricultural fields?

Clark

Care to discuss what has happened with snowshoe hair populations in Northern MN Clark?

I know nothing of snowshoe hair populations.

Clark

There are pockets of hares, and other places devoid. I believe it's a natural 10 year cycle, and has nothing to do with raptors.

I have to agree with Clark and YukonJeff,

All of you should be aware that number one in wildlife populations is Cover.
And for some species its different kinds of cover at different times of the year.
Pheasants are a good example, nesting, winter and cover for rearing chicks. You need all types.
Without any of them you won't have Pheasants.

In my area there is less cover than 50 years ago. Cleared fence rows, mowing ROW and fools who own 10 acres in the country and mow every inch. Most of the places I used to hunt 35 years ago are useless to wildlife now.

Another little point I'd like to make is how did rabbits, muskrats and whatever else ever survive 300 years ago when there more and various predators around? In Wis. we had Lynx, wolverine, wolves across the whole state and yet we had more prey species than we do now such as Elk and Bison.

YukonJeff is right in that man has done more to harm the populations of muskrats and pheasants than predators ever will.

The rest of you guys are an Anti's wet dream. Talking about killing hawks, eagles, owls and other predators, such ignorance.

Do yourselves a favor and read about the Kaibab Forest and how mans eliminating predators ruined the habitat for deer.

Birds of prey enjoy a luxury,.most predators don't!

Dirty...why cant man be the predator for deer ?

he can.
Do we manage the deer herd to match the carrying capacity of the land or do we manage the herd to make hunters happy?
Or maybe we should manage the herd to make the farmers and Ins. companies happy.
Or maybe we should manage the herd to make the foresters and landowners who like to grow timber happy.
Or do we manage the herd so there is lots of deer around and all the tourists are happy and the tourism business is happy?

Everyone has an opinion on how many deer is enough. Fact is there are too many deer right now so man isn't doing a very good job at it.
Politics and human nature make a mess of it. We can't agree how big the deer herd should be. I pity the DNR having to deal with it all.

My .02 we should manage for the carrying capacity of the land taking into account that when deer are damaging the habitat there is too many. Which is what is happening right now.

Bring back DDT.lol

Pretty interesting opnions on here, sure hope some folks on here homestead and grow all there own food and trap nothing but their own land or public. Bashing farmers and land management practices. Bet theres not more then 2 or 3 people if that who've made comments have ever seen the area in question but there sure are alot of experts on here.

Not cool what he did but the numbers that on one piece of land thag small shows something is out of balance. This area is next to a huge wildlife area and migration stop on the Pacific fly way, huge feed source for a couple months both spring and fall however redtials dont move and decimate the local population of resident small game in between migration times. Not much of the farming practices in this area that have been mentioned in other posts in this area, lots of fallow feilds and fence rows.

Bino-bubs enjoy feather watching,..but until they're made aware of implications and or cumulative application,.nothing will change. They gather by hundreds to view thousands on hawk ridge,oblivious to its sum of impact!

Not bashing farmers just the ones that shoot birds of prey. Why in world would they anyway I am sure they eat their share of mice and rats as well as snakes and other small rodents that might help farmers.

And the reason they seam to be on every telephone poles is because all the trees have been cut down and corn/soybeans planted instead.

Not a soybean growing in a thousand miles of this place like i said, before making comments know the area and dont paint all farmers with the same brush. I only pointed out a obvious imbalance with the numbers but also gave a possible reason as to why.

I don't care what area your in its not ok to shoot raptors anywhere in the US
The numbers are not out of balance they are migrating through.

I don't care what area your in its not ok to shoot raptors anywhere in the US
The numbers are not out of balance they are migrating through.

Not a true statement!

OK show me your Fish and Game study showing overpopulation and I will show you migratory routs of hawks through North America

Have they done a study on over population?,..I plead oblivious? Please foretell your migratory observations as I'm only aware of that which I'm observant of. My observation indicates an increased expansion.