Posts: 2,481
Threads: 10
Joined: Feb 2008
Aloha dlnragent:
Is a .410 gauge slug OK? My research on the net seems to indicate it would come up short in the fpe department but all the regs seem to say is it is OK to hunt with shotgun slugs.
Posts: 378
Threads: 7
Joined: Oct 2011
MarkP - The sheep are on Mauna Loa in the habitat of the Palila at 6,000 to 8,500 feet. The seed of the flower has a lethal toxin. The Palila pull of the outer skin of the seed and are able to eat it. They can also eat a caterpillar that feeds on the seeds and metabolizes out the toxins. They only feed on trees with low enough toxins. The main problem is that if the food supply, which has been decimated by the sheep eating the younger trees, is low, the Palila will not mate. Years ago the state should have fenced the area and eradicated the sheep but they have constantly flaunted the feds due to pressure from the hunters. According to one of the top scientists in the park (I don't want to quote without permission) they will be gone in two to five years. The pigs are not a factor. The axis deer are extremelt destructive on Mauna Kea.