Reader warning: I'm not a hateful or angry person. I do have some strong opinions on some things, and might tend to getting a little judgy in some circumstances. This is one of them. This isn't a great quality. Not intending to get on a high horse here. I just apparently get upset when people don't hold themselves to more creative standards and constant life learning. That sounds awful!!! It's about ethics. Feel free to skip to my next posting.
I've been disappointed in my favourite podcast for some time now, and last night was the culmination. I won't bother to go into every situation they've described, but my I will just say that my disappointment stems from their apparent need to shoot every wild animal that they encounter. The husband is a skilled hunter, and I don't have a problem with that. What I have a problem with is that they think the way to solve predator problems is to just shoot them. I don't agree.
The case last night was shooting rabbits simply because they girdled some trees and bushes. I'm angry here so I'm going to throw some words around like stupid, ignorant and lazy, which I don't usually do. Maybe I'm a little bit annoyed with humans right now. (I'm annoyed at many of the people I've seen posting on a goat site on Facebook. Many irritating behaviours shared there, but the one that's getting me now is that people are losing young goat kids to cold weather. It's February people. You shouldn't have bred your does knowing that they would kid in the middle of winter! It's stupid, and risky, so now your animals are suffering and dying. (sidebar--I know that we have both done stupid things here on this farm that have led to suffering and dying, just so no one is thinking 'wow what a hypocrite') I also know that breeding accidents happen. So be prepared, no matter what your situation.)
Back to the podcast. The hosts are two highly intelligent people, with several good years of farming under their belts. What I don't understand is how they have fallen into the lazy farmer way of managing 'pests' (whatever your definition of pests may be). How about just protecting your trees the way orchardists and other farmers do? How about putting some of your big brain activity into prevention, not just 'yay me, I got the critter and saved the day'. Nope. There will be more rabbits. There will be more skunks, rats, raptors, foxes, mink, stray dogs and cats, bears, cougars, deer, raccoons and possums. How about learning some prevention? What if you don't always have a gun around? What if you can't get ammunition? What if the animal evades you? What if the animal is protected under law? What about the ecological services that animal provides that you will definitely miss out on if you are intent on extermination?
My challenge to people who believe that shooting things is the solution, is to think beyond that moment. And this is coming from someone who prefers instant results and instant gratification. Last year we had to cut down one of our most beautiful crab apple trees, because it was girdled during the winter. All part of learning to live in a different climate.
I guess what it comes down to is that I admire people who are creative with finding solutions, and especially creative when it comes to minimizing our impact on the natural world. Shooting animals is not a sustainable solution. Perhaps this is why I've now 'gone over to the permie dark side' (permaculture). It really appeals to the ecologist in me, and learning techniques to work WITH nature. But people, some of us more than others, seek solace in revenge. It's pretty normal. But it doesn't solve the problem or prevent us from further hurt.
That we could ever control nature...Arrogance! A truly awful human trait.
"And he piled upon the whale's white hump, the sum of all the rage and hate felt by his whole race. If his chest had been a cannon, he would have shot his heart upon it." Moby Dick
No comments:
Post a Comment