The DEC's numbers say they are way down as well. I was unable to hunt for 17 years and returned 2 years ago and could not believe the difference. Not even close to what it was.
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What do you think attributed to the decrease in numbers? I bet it is a combination of poaching and predation
[/quote]Well quite frankly in my area it has been Mennonites and the way that they rape the land. They cut down every hedgerow in sight, knock down every tree they can put a saw to and plant to the very edge of the road not caring that they are endangering both animals and drivers by their practices and that they are destroying habitat. I drive for a Mennonite and he is one of the very few I know that gets mad when he sees his own people doing this. Then you have so called regular farmers here that have started to do the same.
You then add predators and modern farming techniques/equipment that no longer leave as much behind as some older styles did as far as say maybe ears of corn that may have fallen to the ground with older style combines that the animals would eat or other farm equipment for gathering grains that is newer and gather more efficiently than in years gone by and there is not as much left laying in the fields as in older times and that all adds up.
Progress is not always the best thing, it means the farmers make more and are able to gather more but that means the animals suffer the consequences.
Back to the predator thing you figure in that 17 years that I was gone was when the whole anti fur thing was going on full bore so many people stopped trapping or hunting fur bearers because the money dropped out of it so yes they took a toll on all our wildlife as well.
Also there have been a lot more homes going up and land cleared for that in my area and I am sure all areas and that comes back to the whole habitat thing.
All that adds up. I really don't think that poaching has put as hard a hit on wildlife as all the things mentioned above. Not that it has not hurt it at all.
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