wildlife mana-whatwhere??

[Dusty]

I'm curious how many of you actively participate in wildlife management. I don't mean by whacking a skunk or two and making some riduculous claim about saving the world from rabies or sumesuch nonsense, I mean really trying to make a difference.

If so, how?

Do you know who your local furbearer biologist is? Know him/her personally?

Ever remove a nusiance critter just to help out? (Those of you who make a living at nusiance critters are exempt from this question.)

What do you do with carcasses? Have you ever checked into the possibility of donating them to a museum/agency/university?

Would you do any or all of these things if you were provided the opportunity (I realize there isn't a museum or F&G office in most towns)?

Do you know what F&G does in your area (ie, tagged animals, counts, introductions, etc.)?

Have you ever volunteered your time to an agency to help with management?

One of my goals on this forum will be to help educate people on how they can play an active role in making sound wildlife management decisions. I find most people (and, sadly, many F&G depts) don't have a clue what happens or how decisions are made. Most wildlife managers really do want your opinion on how things should be managed; the ones that don't shouldn't be wildlife managers. These people are spending a nice hunk of your tax dollars. You owe it to yourself to provide them some guidance.

[coonwhacker]

can't really say how I am trying to make a difference.

Yes I do know my local biologist personally.

Yes I remove nusance animals for property owners during fur season and sometimes when asked will remove some at other times.

Chuck them in the trash. Never thaught about donating. There is a university that teaches wildlife biology 10 minutes from my home. I will check into that for the future.

never given oportunity to donate time but would if it arose.
mike

[trappincoyotes39]

I can say yes to alot of these, I too have a college degree in wildife and natural resources. I have been a part of Wetlands for Iowa, Raptor Rehabilitation, have done nusiance wildlife control, still do NW Iowa Wilidlife Control .
I eat some of my catches, have not donated as no school close enough to donate. Teach furbearer classes at our local school district.
Yes I know our State Furbearer Biologist, and am a memeber of NTA and the ITA.
Have donated time and money to the cause of wildlife and wildlife management.
Could always do more but our most precious gift of time is a tricky one!

[trappnman]

Mn new furbearer biologist is a real gem- John Erb.

John is another that was born and raised hunting, trapping and snaring. I've run a few traps with John and his knowledge and views impress me.

One thing he says- biologists are fools not to listen to trappers and other men that are in the woods daily- they know part of the puzzle- and there is a lot of truth in that.

Some trappers look at Wildlife management people as their enemies- and look at everything they say with distrust.

I disagree- the more we work with the agencies- the better off both we and they are. And to take part in research programs again benefits us all.

Knowledge is indeed power....

[coyote]

spending my career managing the forests of Pennsylvania.

started off in a fire tower, worked my way up (or is it DOWN!) to Forest Technician with a wildlife agency. from there I was promoted to forester, working with both private and public landowners.

habitat management...it ROCKS!

I also teach PA's Hunter/Trapper Education Course.

FWIW.

[briankroberts]

Yes I do know my local biologist

Yes I've removed a nusiance animal to help out

All my carcess's get buried, can't even give them away,I've checked with the DNR and they don't need any at this time.

I would gladly donate them to a facility that used them in pro fur research.

Yes I know what DNR does in my state, they've released turkeys, otters and do numerous counts, the river otters are coming off of the T&E list thanks to they efforts and Bobcats came off about 4 years ago, this year there going to try and implement a season on both.

I work with my area bioligist very closly on furbearer issues and am taking him along on the line this year to give him a trappers point of view.....B.....

[James White]

I know to much about many state DNR's and fish and game departments...So I have to keep out of this not to get anyone in trouble..lol

[Dusty]

Please, James, jump right in!

You'd be amazed at some of the rumors I hear - even about projects that I've worked on - by people who think they know something they don't.

I've never figured out this fascination with finding conspiracies and incompetence with agencies, but it certainly exists. These "black helicopter theorists" (all the helicopters I use are yellow or white, BTW!) must make the stuff up themselves, because I often hear exaggerations of stories only a couple days after the real event happened - not near enough time for the rumor mill to have done it's thing.

There must be something that causes this lack of trust. Maybe it stems from the agencies you've worked with, or ones like them? Whatever it is, it certainly makes life hard on both agency people, who spend way too much time dispelling rumors, and the general public, who've heard all sorts of rumors about agency folks and tend to be a little hesitant to share their good ideas.

[kevinupp]

I'm currently in school for wildlife management at PSU.

I know a few of the biologists in the area.

Yup removed a few bats for friends over the years. You guys that do that professionally definately got my respect.

I donated some of the skulls and hides/pelts to a friend who runs an outdoors class for kids.

Yes I do know what animals have been tagged. Also got to do a ride along check during a fawn mortality study.

I get volunteered by PSU every semester....lol

[bblwi]

Yes I do know our WI Fur biology person and our local DNR fish and wildlife biology staff person.

I have a Wildlife Ecology B.S. Degree and natural Resource managment degree along with my Agriculture degree.
I do do animal damage control work during the legal seasons. I do provide some cage traps for farmers to provide them opportunities during the off season also.

All carcasses are taken to the local slaughtering house and a rendering route person picks them up.

This is a lisit of the current areas that I am working in with wildlife management
I am the chairperson for a 70 sq. miile priority watershed and I also coordinate the WAV. Water Action Volunteers for the volunteer monitoring we do each year for the last 7 years.
Work with a sr. fish biologist annyually to do fish and plant surveys on a large flowage to determine drawdown managenet and fish stocking.

Have served on a 9 county and Oneida Indian Nation Glacierland Resource and Development Council to help determine resource management. This is my 10 year on that council.

I do my own wildlife population estimates on my trapping line each year as to age, sex, density etc. These are not statistically controlled but I find them fun and informative.

I do work with our local NRCS and soil & water staffs in helping to setup BMPs for livestock and nutrient management plans.
Lots to do and it is fun to do.

Bryce

[FWS]

You'd be amazed at some of the rumors I hear

No I wouldn't, it's easier and less time consuming to accept a conspiracy theory than it is to actually research an issue.

[MChewk]

Hi Ya Wiley!!!!

[trappnman]

Mike....Close- but no cigar LOL

I'll get Wiley on here sooner or later.

3 conspiracys around here I have personally heard:

1) when the dnr was collaring deer- they took helicopters and moved those deer out of the area.

2) when a few wolves were shot a few miles frm here- the dnr was secretly transplanting wolves to the Whitewater.

3) My cousin Mike was the big bear man in WS- he was accused of capturing his collared bears at night and transporting them around the state to make his statistics look better.