Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conferences


Date of this Version

February 1991


We gather here and reflect on successes in wildlife conservation, restoration, and management; and make plans for more beneficial actions. Significant achievements have been madein public education and wildlife management, as shown by increases in some wildlife populations. But a continuing pressing challenge involves responding to some wildlife population declines, as well as wildlife damage and nuisance situations, as the human population increases and dominates the landscape.

As you well know, management successes involve imagination and dedication of people, such as those gathered here. Your efforts play an important role in helping to manage wildlife, and provide associated outdoor recreational opportunities. Obviously, management includes striking a balance between the land's ecological carrying capacity and public acceptance in various geographic areas.

Hunters and other wildlife enthusiasts know that maintaining and enhancing habitat-working for wildlife-is the key to thriving wildlife populations. They also know that annual surpluses can be cropped in delineated management units to ensure that the populations are perpetuated, while holding them within limits of habitat, and tolerance of landowners and others.

Today those well-founded principles and actions are being challenged severely by a small, vocal, highly-organized and well-financed group of people-the animal rights extremists. They oppose allowing people to use animals for any purpose.