The U.S. Forest Service and Blue Ridge Electric Co-op are working together to set up an area for hunting doves. To achieve their goal they are erecting fake power lines close to food sources to attract the doves for perching and providing an easier shot.
This is intended to improve the dove field. It sounds like the article is trying to sell this as the same idea as the 60 minutes special on how hunting endangered species helps to save the endangered species.
If you saw the special you will see how off the mark this project is.
First, Blue Ridge Electric Co-op is a non-profit organization. The U.S. Forest Service is a government organization which means it is not profit driven. Yet, they are mimicking a profit modeled project? What could go wrong?
Second, the dove is not an endangered species. The article does not mention the hunting model. How many birds can be hunted. How much each bird costs when shot. How they will keep the flocks at a healthy size.
Since the doves are not an endangered species, and these entities are not profit driven, what does it matter if they slaughter all of the birds? They can bring in more. Doves are plentiful and the U.S. Forest Service has our tax dollars to bring in more doves if necessary.
This is of course voicing a worst case scenario. Blue Ridge is known for its environmental stewardship and many of its employees are hunters and fisherman, so they were interested in helping set up this project. But this is on federal land. It will be run by the U.S. Forest Service, a government entity. What could go wrong?
Maybe the discriminatory practise that is going to be put in place will prevent all of the birds from being slaughtered. What sort of discrimination would that be? This dove hunting field is only for youths and the mobility-impaired. I guess if your hunters are inexperienced or lame there is less chance of the marks being hit. Flock size remains healthy.
Who dreams this stuff up?
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