Home › Forums › Campfire Forum › Elk and eneregy
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What? Tearing up public lands wildlife habitat and building miles of new roads isn’t appreciated by elk? Who’d have guessed! But of course we need that energy, as China is thirsty to import our natural gas and we have to get to the hunting grounds somehow, eh? So let’s top off the tanks on our muscle trucks and trailers full of ATVs, put the pedal to the metal and let’s go huntin! 👿
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We need to start doing those kind of “studies” they are getting paid for reporting the blindingly obvious.
Speaking of muscle trucks–read somewhere recently that you can upgrade your truck horn so when you push it out comes–you ready for this—elk bugling.:twisted: Yes sir the latest in back country skills.
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Decades ago, various conservation groups tried to warn the State of Wyoming and energy developers that extensive, barely-regulated development of the Pinedale Anticline and Jonah Fields would have significant impacts on some of the largest, healthiest mule deer herds in the state (also wintering grounds for pronghorn and elk).
The usual response was given;
“There is no demonstrated link between oil and gas development and wildlife impacts.” This was followed by a slick PR campaign showing mule deer feeding in front of drilling rigs…
When it was pointed out that this was untrue, and that studies detailing negative impacts on wildlife already existed, then the response changed to,
“Well, we’re going to do things different this time. Trust us.”
And then, after a couple of decades of rampant oil and gas development, when a recent study documented that exactly what had been predicted was clearly happening, and that the mule deer population in that part of the state had plummeted by more than 60% in the last two decades (coinciding perfectly with the rise of oil & gas development in the area), then the response from the industry became,
“Well, some of it might be our fault, but you can’t prove that it’s ALL from oil and gas. There might have been other factors too.”
And the response from the governing agency (the BLM) when this study became public? They literally shrugged and said, well, there isn’t much we can do about it now…
How many “studies” is it going to take?
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Not to sound like a reactionary type person, but maybe it’s time to stop the studies and start poking some noses!
I mean seriously don’t people understand that the more you vote for one……. Politician(for lack of a more acceptable and less vulgar term) just because they are for one thing you are for and not for their entire political views, than you are voting away your rights through the political back door.
Without exposure to the general public and nicer people than me explaining in simple terms everyone can understand things won’t change. And I’m afraid(this is my fatalist side coming out) that with today’s me, me, me right freakin now mentality and our kids with their noses glued to these damn smart things, we may be seeing the beginning of the end.
I speak out when I believe someone should and there isn’t any one more articulate than me around, but I have a tendency to get a tiny bit angry and vicious….. So I try to show support to those that present a clear, concise argument that I actually agree with! And there aren’t very many of those out there.
Dave P, Smithhammer, Clay Hayes, and a few others here as well as groups like Back Country Hunters and Anglers seem to have a very similar outlook on issues that I hold dear, so I will let you guys put it eloquently and back you up the best I can.
Wow I don’t normally rant like that.:shock:
Troy
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I should probably also clarify that despite my post above, I’m not one of those “us vs. them, oil and gas companies are evil” types at all. I have friends that work have worked in the industry, and I’m not naive to the realities of our consumption.
I just want to see that it’s done responsibly. And that when information exists warning of negative impacts in sensitive areas, that those warnings are heeded, and compromises are made to protect wildlife, and the activities we love to do (and that many people who work for the oil & gas extraction companies also like to do…). Doesn’t seem like too much to ask.
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I too have friends in oil and gas that live to hunt and fish. I also have family and friends in the logging and lumber industry. I just want to see each done responsibly.
I know how I am, and my meaning, on some, issues may be misconstrued because I word them incorrectly to get my true intentions and meaning across, that’s why I only occasionally chime in on volatile issues.
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SH – Your summary of the history of drilling is well made. It is also a reflection of just about every other industry based on exploitation: Coal, Tobacco, Sludge, etc… What is also well to note is that the same lobbyists represent these groups. Thus it is not surprising that the same playbook is used.
They use the same playbook because it has worked in the past, and people can be counted on to have short memories.
Might I humbly suggest we all join the League of Conservation Voters? From what I can tell, it is the closest thing we have to the NRA fighting for what we are standing on.
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We are hearing the same line on sulfide mining in Minnesota. Yes it has always had a negative impact on the water resources in the past, but we will do it differently this time. Numerous studies show that sulfuric acid will leach from the waste rock for 500 years but the mining companies are saying trust us to take care of it. We have elected officials that are saying, trust them we need the jobs. The really disgusting part is the both parties are pushing for it.:evil:
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Coincidentally, someone recently sent me a link to this related article:
“…A new study by a team of researchers from the University of Wyoming suggests elk respond to energy development much like mule deer.”
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Our legislator was pushed years ago to allow unrestricted use of ATV’s during the fall hunting season on public forest lands for big game retrieval (100-150 LB whitetails). Now virtually every firearms deer hunter comes equipped with a ATV. The deer herd in our northern part of the state has gone almost strictly nocturnal with their movements. My friend and I have a couple cameras out year round. We used to get the majority of our pictures in the summer during daylight hours. It has now flipped we now maybe get 1 out of 10 during what could be considered shooting hours. Those same deer hunters are now claiming the deer herd has been decimated by DNR mismanagement and wolves. Yet there are distinct browse lines in the woods and we in Minnesota have always had wolves.
The state deerhunter organization (MDHA) will never admit that its insistence to allow ATV use during deer season has changed the deer’s behavior just like the Oil and Mining industries will not own up to their hand in habit destruction. They all try to say that vehicle traffic does not bother the animals. I use the analogy of if you are working in your front yard and a car drives by on the street you take little notice. If the car stops it gets more of your attention, when turns and come into to your driveway it gets all of your attention. And if it drives through your living room your run for cover. We are in their living room, and if we keep disturbing them they will do what they can to survive, move during the night or move to a new location all together. When they change locations that usually means they end up with poorer quality habitat. so we end up with less animals. This my friends is exact recipe for getting hunters to the support of enclosed game farms.
Whew that was a long one sorry guys.
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