Diminishing Returns of Wolf Recovery

My college roommate was a student of economics. He later became the controller of a large law firm. He has credibility with me, so I’ll relate a story from my college days.

Bob came in from an economics course and explained the law of diminishing returns to me in this way. The first beer is the best tasting, and each beer after that is not only less tasty, but also has other negative effects. Thus the biggest bang for your buck, is the first beer. With each subsequent beer the cost per unit of enjoyment is higher.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diminishing_returns

After deliberating the wolf conundrum for a while, I’ve concluded that this rule of economics can apply to wildlife management decisions and nowhere does it apply any more appropriately than with the gray wolf recovery.

Even if species have no negative effects upon mankind, the rule of diminishing returns applies, but when species have negative effects upon society, by either threatening man’s possessions or inhibiting his peace and enjoyment, the returns on recovery are diminished at an accelerated rate.

I’d claim this as a great discovery, but surely somebody has beat me to it.

Read Full Post »

Mayberry 2012

(Note: For those who are not familiar with Mayberry, that’s what we call our Sherman Island duck club. We owned it for years and sold it to the State (under threat of condemnation) in the ’90s. Since that time we’ve been in a lease agreement with management of the property our responsibility – until about four years ago. That’s when California decided to put a new program into place. We still have a hunting lease, but do not manage the property. This update may interest those who have followed my duck hunting and property management stories on this blog.)

The Mayberry transformation is complete. There is no longer any habitat that is prime for dabbling ducks and wading birds. The property has been changed from a shallow-water seasonal wetland to a deep-water marsh inhabited by tules (hardstem bulrush) and cattail, but very little wildlife. Yes there are a few river otters, fish and blackbirds, but a census of wildlife would show a fraction of  the inhabitants from just a few years ago. To be fair, it is  a fact that the bulk of migrating waterfowl have not reached the area yet, so things will get better.

I’m on the outside looking in, but the way I understand it, the primary purpose of the ongoing project at Mayberry is two fold – study the subsidence of delta islands and also evaluate carbon sequestration associated with the dense stands of tules and cattail. It is hoped that covering the land with water will stop the sinking of the islands by reducing oxidation of the highly organic soils. And, that a study of tules and cattail will provide insight into ways to improve air quality and reduce global warming trends.

These are lofty goals, but the losses associated with this study are by far more clear, to me, than the gains.

Mayberry looks like a lake.

During  my last three trips to Mayberry, I’ve not spotted a duck on the ponds, not even a coot. The closest I’ve seen to a duck has been a cormorant that landed on the water. The good news, I can take my fishing rod out with me on opening day of duck season.

There is still hope for some waterfowl activity, but it’s sketchy. I’ve been told that there are a couple pair of honkers using the property and the shallow seasonal ponds next door hold quite a few ducks that could possibly flyover Mayberry. Maybe ducks will begin to use the property as the waterfowl migration arrives, but there is very little food for them.

Here’s a photo of a shallow pond next door. This is what we used to see at Mayberry before the ponds were converted to permanent water.

The sad part of the story is that 300 acres of great duck and shorebird habitat has been destroyed. It’s too bad that at least some of the property wasn’t left as seasonal marsh. It would have been a nice compromise and it would have allowed for more use by migratory waterfowl – both game and non-game. Or better yet, they could have left the seasonal marsh in place and converted 300 acres of cow pasture to marsh. I guess the pasture was too valuable.

Thousands of waterfowl formerly used Mayberry as a significant winter feeding area.

The bottom line is that management of the property in is the control of others and I have been blessed with great opportunity to hunt there for many years, so no matter what happens, I will always be thankful that my partners and I have had such incredible good fortune.

The good old days with shallow marsh and seasonl wetland habitat.

Read Full Post »

Aerial Gunning of Wolves is not Hunting

Aerial gunning of wolves is predator control. It is only related to hunting because the method is to shoot the animal. Aerial gunning benefits hunters (both subsistence and sport hunters) by reducing the kill of caribou and moose by wolves. This activity makes more game animals available for human consumption.

Hunting pits the outdoor skills of an individual against wild animals accustomed to being pursued from the time they hit the ground. It is normal behavior for game animals to be pursued and they don’t care whether they’re hunted by wolves or humans, they just know they have to stay alert to survive.

This photo was photographed by Dickie Byrd along the Alaska haul road. Thanks Dickie.

It’s also normal for human predators to hunt. It is how we stay in touch with our instincts and our surroundings. Human hunters require habitat for hunting which benefits all wildlife. This is one of the keys to the success of the North American wildlife managment model, which has been successful in providing habitat for and restoring many animals species that dwindled during settlement days when management was not considered.

It takes guts  for Sarah Palin to do the right thing for her constituents regardless of mindless attacks by far left groups who have little first hand experience with wildlife. We’re not talking about the family dog, we’re talking about animals that can overpopulate and subsequently decimate game herds.

Although I haven’t been directly involved in wolf control, predator control generally involves cases where the a predator population has risen to a point where it is out of balance with the management plan for an area.

The areas in Alaska where these activities occur are remote and unreachable during the time of year when wolves are most vulnerable – winter. That makes them more vulnerable and saves the users/taxpayer money.

This is not sport. This is management.

Read Full Post »

Mule Deer Foundation Approves CA 2008 Projects

Draft Minutes of CA TAC meeting Wed Sept 3, 2008, 10:30 AM

Location: Foster’s Big Horn Grill, 143 Main Street, Rio Vista CA

Present: MDF Staff: Bob Meulengracht, Fawna Gregory, Brian Lake; CDFG: Mary Sommer, BLM David Burton, USFS: George Garcia, COHA: Rick Bullock; MDF Volunteers, Rich Fletcher – State Chair, Joe Sunderland  - Sacramento Chapter

1. Reviewed and approved minutes of 2007 meeting.

2. Update of funding sources by Bob Meulengracht, status of MDF staff and chapters in CA. He also reviewed the status of the MDF project endowment fund. Bob also reported that MDF will shortly be funding COHA $10,000.

Funds available for projects totaled approximately $42,000

From the following sources:

2008 Chapter Rewards: $33,675

2007 Chapter Rewards: $5,400

Conservation Partnerships: $3,000

Reviewed the status of 2006/07 and 2007/08 projects.

2006/2007:

Hope Valley: Invoice not yet received. Must be completed or extended by December 2008.

Oak Flat and Oak Flat add on are underway but not complete.

Fresno fawn mortality study complete and funded for approximately $20,000.

Basin habitat Enhancement: Complete and paid.

COHA received $4,000

San Bernardino habitat project: complete, but invoice not received.

2007/2008:

Hwy 89 project: $7,600 paid for cameras.

Basin Aspen Enhancement: Will be done.

Hallelujah Junction Wildlife Area: Nothing until ‘09

Granite Stewardship Project: 2009

Hume/Deer Herd Telemetry Funded for $1,700

Camp Nelson Monitoring project: Funded for $1,600

Redding Chapter funded the Amadee Guzzler project for $6,500

Reviewed 2007 TAC letter to USFS and response from USFS, regarding overgrazing of the Jawbone-Rosasco Allotment, Status of approved projects, completion reports.

4. 2008/09 Project funding discussion

a. new proposals – Mountain Star Deer Habitat Enhancement (USFS) approved for $10,000, East Side Guzzler Rehab (USFS) approved for $$3,000, Lack Creek Restoration (BLM) approved for $2,500, Mendocino National Forest Blacktail Deer Study approved for $10,000, Choachella Canal Monitoring plan approved for $8,000. Not approved for funding: Verdi GPS purchase, East Chocolate Deer Drinker, Age at First Reproduction Study.

b. holdover projects approved: Mendocino Oak Ridge $4,000, Genesse Black Oak $3,000

5. Five-year project plan for MDF in CA. The TAC supported the concept of creation of a Five-Year plan for CA deer. Rich Fletcher will take initial steps to create an outline.

6. Summer of 2008 fire events. The committee discussed this and agreed that it makes sense to attempt to incorporate existing burns into long range project planning.

 

Read Full Post »

The Kingfisher and the Falcon

 

The kingfisher was perched upon a stump protruding four feet above the lake surface. From this lake location near the mouth of the river which fed the impoundment, he commanded an excellent view of the water below, where smallmouth bass minnows hid amongst rocks of the lake bottom. His gaze was unyielding as he remained motionless.

 

The morning light exposed his target and in an instant, like a thrown spear, he plunged headfirst into the water, but his quarry was too quick and the fisher extracted himself from the water, shaking water from his wings, as he maneuvered back towards the perch.

 

Out of nowhere, a more ominous predator streaked towards the kingfisher. Barely avoiding the falcon, the flying fisher dove back towards the water and disappeared into the safety of the lake waters, beyond the peregrine’s reach.

 

Unable to remain in the water, the kingfisher leaped skyward again and flew at full speed up the river in search of an escape route. The faster peregrine circled and attacked again and once more the kingfisher dove. The kurplunk of the bird hitting the water caught the fisherman’s attention and he gazed at the two birds astounded by the scene in front of him – one bird maneuvering to escape and the other with bloodshed on its mind.

 

The kingfisher appeared over matched as it climbed and dove only to climb back into the air again. The fisherman was certain the kingfisher’s demise was imminent, but after a series of dives and recoveries by the kingfisher, the peregrine became perplexed by the its inability to catch the long billed diving bird and gave up the pursuit to seek a better opportunity for the acquisition of breakfast.

 

Read Full Post »

The Ecology of Fear

Researchers in Oregon have concluded, after extensive research, that prey species have a fear of predators and that prey species move away from their mortal enemies in an effort to survive. They have also concluded that this natural system has an important relationship to the success of other plant and animal life.

Impressive conclusion?

Interesting how a bit of research can lead to statements by politicians who are too eager to use science as a basis for social sculpturing. In our local paper (on a front-page feature article no less) Tri-Valley Herald reporter Suzanne Bohan uses the research to support her own conclusions.

” YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK – More fear of fangs is what’s needed to revive hoof-worn Western lands.”

What’s wrong with this? From what I see, the research related to this subject is most applied to wolves. There are and have never been wolves in Yosemite.

Bohan then goes on to apply the “Fear” theory to mountain lions. Then she concludes that we don’t have enough of them and we need more lions in the park for the benefit of botanical success.

Horse poop. Mountain lions are at equilibrium in California. Our habitat cannot support any more mountain lions. If you want to save the flora and fauna of Yosemite Valley, remove the tourists. They are what keeps the mountain lions away. Lions don’t like people.

Lions do move deer around and it is a benefit for the ecosystem. Human hunters do the same thing. After removing the tourists, we can then insert human hunters to assist the lions. The result will be a much improved Yosemite.

I’m all for it.

Read Full Post »

Sportsmen Testify Before State Senate Appropriations Committee on Behalf of SB1172

SB1172 creates California Fish and Game Commission oversight over expenditure of funds generated from sale of all tags and stamps issued for take of big game animals in California including funds generated from Fundraising Tags, deer, elk, bear, sheep, antelope and pig tags as well as upland game bird stamps.

 

This video shows the testimony of Senator Dutton who authored the bill, Mark Hennelly of COHA who sponsored the bill and various conservation organization representatives who testified on behalf of the bill. Since this hearing the bill has passed through the Senate and will soon be tested in the Assembly.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ICRsvptSfNg

Read Full Post »

Callippe Silverspot Butterfly

 Another Bay Area endangered butterfly is the callippe silverspot. The reason for its decline is clear. Its habitat is grasslands in San Francisco and other cities surrounding San Francisco Bay.

In the Livermore Hills we find a variety of callippe butterfly that is similar. As with the callippe silverspot, this callippe butterfly is associated with violets and we have plenty of them on our ranch.

Here’s a photo of a callippe taken by my brother, Rob. The butterflies commonly utilize the nectar of the buckeye trees in spring. This one is perched on a buckeye blossom.

Read Full Post »

Do High Gas Prices Mean Fewer Mallards in 2008?

Looks like ethanol production is causing more than just a shortage of corn for cattle feed. Not only is the price of gas going up, but so is the price of food. Increased food prices means more corn and wheat production this year.

 

These prices are good for farmers, in fact they may be too good as far as duck hunters are concerned. As corn and wheat prices rise, farmers till and seed more and more marginal ground. The news from Ducks Unlimited is that North Dakota alone will lose about 15% of its Conservation Reserve Program lands to tilling this year.

 

Therefore, a couple million acres of habitat will be put back into production. With changes on this scale, Ducks Unlimited is concerned that duck populations will be drastically impacted.

 

Without habitat for nesting and water for brood survival, ducks perish. Will we see a reduction in duck numbers and bag limits this coming season?

 

I guess we’ll find out next falll, but a reduction in duck numbers is probably what radio personality Tony Bruno calls “a stone-cold lock” or maybe its just a lead-pipe cinch.

 

We’ll find out come October.

 

Read Full Post »

First Fawn – First Rattler

Saw a pair of fawns yesterday. First of the year for me. Whenever I see my first fawn of the season, I can’t help but count back to the date it was conceived. I’ve been told that the blacktail gestation period is about 7 months. Various internet sites say it’s about 200 days. That sounds about right.

So, an April 20 sighting would mean the fawns were conceived no later than September 30 meaning that the breeding could have taken place during the end of last hunting season. Yes, I guess there was some rutting going on.

Also saw the first rattlesnake of the year this weekend. He was cold and motionless, but ready to spring into action as soon as the weather warms. Our ranch hosts plenty of rattlesnakes and we see them primarily in May and June. That’s when we survey for Alameda whipsnakes. We don’t find a lot of whipsnakes, but we do see quite a few rattlers.

Read Full Post »