Just a quick note on hunter Facebook groups-- last year in California a few
birders started looking at these groups and discovered a Bean Goose and a
Baikal Teal shot by hunters and posted online the same week (!) , which
illustrated how many birds are out there that birders might be missing.
In that instance, I think both birds were shot legally and the posts were
to assist in identification, as they thought they might be a weird hybrid.
Other hunters knew better and were quite excited about them.
On Mon, Dec 6, 2021 at 10:09 PM Kevin Lucas <
vikingcove at gmail.com> wrote:
>
Gary, and other Tweeters whose posts on this thread I've read so far,
>
>
Thank you all for a thoughtful discussion. Your different perspectives,
>
and genuine concerns expressed are inspirational to me. That you've spoken
>
out is brave.
>
>
I've met many hunters who know me as a bird watcher, some of whom have
>
invited me bird watch on their private and hunt club properties, who are
>
quite partial to any duck or goose that's not one of the ordinary ones.
>
I've been shown many pictures of hybrids and back crosses and leucistic and
>
melanistic ducks, and told many stories about them. To "get" an unusual
>
duck is highly prized and sought after. Some very skilled shooters have
>
told me how they've not shot in order to preserve their bag limit chance at
>
a hoped-for rarity. For hunters, seeking a rarity is a powerful force. I'm
>
sure that some hunters shoot rarities, even when prohibited or past their
>
bag limit, in order to "get" a rarity. I'm a hunter, though I've not hunted
>
in many years. I've been told stories by respected guides of them poaching
>
-- yes the guides themselves poaching. I've been shot while hunting --
>
accidentally by a U.S. Army Colonel. I'm also a bird watcher, and I briefly
>
enjoyed the competitive aspects of bird watching -- until I saw illegal,
>
dishonest, and unethical behaviour here in the local scene, heard more
>
stories of such,,had my rare bird finds poached by the perpetrators, and read
>
their dishonest allegations about me; respected competitive bird listers
>
trespass and use playback and spotlighting and falsify checklists despite
>
laws and tribal sovereignty and bird watchers' concerns about rare and
>
sensitive species. As to Gary's, " I would say that a closed goose season
>
is a closed goose season", I'd agree. I also agree with Gary's, "a lawyer
>
or a reluctant WDFW officer might argue differently", adding (to lawyer &
>
reluctant WDFW officer) the possibly inferred red-handed hunter, naive
>
bird watcher, and competitive lister who is protective of the tally of
>
birds they "got" -- to the list of those who would argue "differently." Please
>
don't fall into the simple trap of lumping all hunters with those who
>
purposefully hunt illegally, but please don't fall into the
>
corresponding trap of letting those who purposefully and repeatedly violate
>
laws and codes of ethics get away with it -- by falling for their excuses
>
or lumping them with those well intentioned and always ethical birders that
>
make up the vast majority of bird watchers.
>
>
It's a touch late for a Thanksgiving note I suppose, but I'm *constantly*
>
thankful that I had phenomenally good role models and training for my
>
hunting, so that I became a safe, ethical, and responsible hunter --
>
despite seeing poaching and dangerous behavior in the field that yielded
>
the perpetrators impressive takes. I'm also thankful that as I became
>
entranced with bird watching a decade ago I became able to distinguish
>
which role models to steer clear of and which to emulate, celebrate, and
>
learn from.
>
>
Please report unethical and dangerous and illegal behavior when you
>
observe it, to stop the behavior, and to dissuade others from choosing to
>
adopt it, whether it's by a hunter, bird watcher or lister, motor vehicle
>
driver, or anyone else. Celebrate the gems. Call out the bad apples, so
>
they might be stopped from spoiling the barrels.
>
>
Perhaps the hunter was shooting what (s)he thought was a rare plumaged
>
bird, and thought it was in season. Perhaps the hunter knew better on both
>
accounts.
>
Please try to help discourage the practice, regardless of any argument,
>
genuine or disingenuous, by the hunter or the hunter's supporters.
>
>
If the hunter's identity has still not been determined, a search of
>
Facebook and other social meddling sites could nail it. Perpetrators often
>
brag post about what they "got".
>
>
Good Birding,
>
https://www.aba.org/aba-code-of-birding-ethics/
>
Kevin Lucas
>
Yakima County, Washington
>
>
*Qui tacet consentire videtur*
>
>
>
On Mon, Dec 6, 2021 at 8:22 PM Gary Bletsch <garybletsch at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>
Dear Tweeters,
>>
>>
Thanks to all of the Tweeters out there who have written to me personally
>>
about this event, as well as to those who have been continuing the
>>
discussion amongst the group.
>>
>>
On the *Birds of the World *website, under "Conservation and Management"
>>
of Emperor Geese, there is this information (link pasted below the quoted
>>
material).
>>
>>
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
>>
>>
Management
>>
Measures Proposed And Taken
>>
>>
Guidelines for management of Emperor Geese are presented in the Pacific
>>
Flyway management plan for Emperor Geese (Pacific Flyway Council 2002b
>>
<https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/empgoo/cur/references#REF9427>).
>>
Measures recommended to manage harvest include: (1) Closure of all hunting
>>
when numbers fall below a 3-yr running average of 60,000, based on the
>>
spring survey. Hunting allowed only after population levels rise above
>>
80,000; (2) Enforce harvest restrictions; and (3) Continue support of the
>>
Yukon Delta Goose Management Plan. (The plan is an agreement for
>>
voluntarily reduction in subsistence harvest of several species including
>>
Emperor Geese).
>>
>>
Following amendment of the Migratory Bird Treaty, a system of
>>
co-management exists in which federal, state, and the collective indigenous
>>
community each have a vote for how harvest regulations are established.
>>
Under this current system, Emperor Geese remain one of the few species with
>>
no allowable harvest.
>>
The Emperor Goose management plan also recommends management and research
>>
activities. The highest priorities include: (1) Continue spring aerial
>>
surveys; (2) Continue nesting habitat aerial and ground surveys on the Y-K
>>
Delta; (3) Continue autumn production estimates as derived from air photo
>>
analysis of age composition from flocks along the north side of the Alaska
>>
Peninsula; (4) (4) Initiate study on winter ecology; and (5) Continue and
>>
expand cooperative educational and volunteer programs.
>>
>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>
>>
>>
Conservation and Management - Emperor Goose - Anser canagicus - Birds of
>>
the World
>>
<https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/empgoo/cur/conservation>
>>
>>
>>
The article states that there is "no allowable harvest" of Emperor Geese
>>
at the moment. One might conclude that this species can't be hunted in the
>>
US.
>>
>>
However, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website tells a different
>>
story. Here is a link.
>>
>>
2021-2022 Migratory Game Bird Hunting Regulations (alaska.gov)
>>
<https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/applications/web/nocache/regulations/wildliferegulations/pdfs/waterfowl.pdf4155A7905DF902C099823812178023D9/waterfowl.pdf>
>>
>>
The website states that there is hunting of Emperor Geese in Alaska.
>>
Residents can apply for a special Emperor Goose hunt; non-residents must
>>
win such permission through a lottery. The bag limit is ONE (1) Emperor
>>
Goose per season.
>>
>>
Of course, this has no bearing on the taking of Emperor Geese in
>>
Washington. I wish that our state would have language in the hunting
>>
regulations, such that the only migratory birds that can be hunted be the
>>
ones specifically listed in the regulations. That way, if a wayward species
>>
makes its way here, the bird does not get killed. I would guess that most
>>
responsible hunters would find that reasonable. I don't see why a hunter in
>>
the year 2021 would find it necessary or desirable to shoot, for example, a
>>
Baikal Teal or an Tundra Bean Goose, when there are hundreds of thousands
>>
of Mallard, Wigeon, and Snow Geese for the taking.
>>
>>
In the present case, goose season was closed. I would say that a closed
>>
goose season is a closed goose season, meaning that it would be unlawful to
>>
shoot any species of goose during this time; a lawyer or a reluctant WDFW
>>
officer might argue differently.
>>
>>
Yours truly,
>>
>>
Gary Bletsch
>>
>>
>>
>>
_______________________________________________
>>
Tweeters mailing list
>>
Tweeters at u.washington.edu
>>
http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
>>
>
_______________________________________________
>
Tweeters mailing list
>
Tweeters at u.washington.edu
>
http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
>
--
Steve Hampton
Port Townsend (Qatay), WA
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