SocraticGadfly: Do hunters cause reverse evolution?

January 06, 2009

Do hunters cause reverse evolution?

In a story that will surely inflame hunters' passion, Newsweek makes a good argument, complete with lost of empirical evidence, that this is exactly the case.

Shrinking, smaller-horned bighorn sheep in Canada. More tuskless elephants in India and Africa. And, the animals not shot as trophies are the losers, or would be the losers, amongst males for breeding rights. Now, with trophy males dead at the end of a smoking gun barrel, they're not.

Some ideas on my part?

States that don't currently have two-sex hunting of game animals should. And, all states should charge even higher prices to hunt males.

Rather than restricting hunting, either to males of a minimum size if males-only, or with that restriction on the male side, perhaps BARRING hunting of males above a minimum size for at least part of hunting season. Or, only allow big bucks to be taken during bowhunting or black powder/muzzle-loader seasons.

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