Eating Hawaii invasive species

[MarkP]

A century ago the mountains on Oahu and probably other islands would probably have looked like an alien landscape to those of us who know them today due to completely unrestricted grazing by feral and introduced ungulates. The negative impact on watersheds was recognized and rather no-holds-barred eradication efforts were made which reversed the trend. Then in the 60s priorities changed from managing the watershed to managing the game for hunting, much to the dismay of forestry officials. Cut to the modern era when hunters tried to introduce a notoriously damaging species, axis deer, here on Hawaii, and all across the mainland feral pigs are spreading with sometimes devastating consequences for both agriculture and native species in part because hunters are intentionally spreading them. Here in Hawaii there are stories of areas that have been fenced off to protect native forest from pigs, where somebody has gone in and cut the fence.

Hunters are actually part of the problem.

[AaronM]

Axis deer aren't on the Big Island contrary to urban legend. The pork we have here was introduced centuries ago. Fence cutting is not a hunting issue, it's a hiking issue.

If we really want cut down on the ungulates then we should do away with hunting restrictions like seasons, take methods and licenses. Of course Hunter Education classes should still be mandatory and possibly even expanded.

Hunters are the solution if unleashed from the bureaucracy.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Fence cutting is not a hunting issue, it's a hiking issue.

Citation?
I’ve hiked a lot.  I’ve hiked with many people.  
Not once did anyone carry a wire cutter.

[MarkP]

https://www.biisc.org/pest/axis-deer/

Axis deer on the Big Island were real back in 2012. The pigs the Hawaiians brought were a smaller and less destructive breed. They were later cross-bred with European wild boars when hunting for sport became a thing.

[AaronM]

If an area that you had access to for decades suddenly became fenced, you might hike with a wire cutter.

Axis deer were hunted too successfully here to ever populate effectively. If I recall correctly, the last ones were harvested in Ka'u.

Polynesian pigs arrived in Hawaii about 1500 years ago, european boars arrived about 200 years ago. Today's feral population numbers can hardly be blamed on modern hunters.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

If an area that you had access to for decades suddenly became fenced, you might hike with a wire cutter.

But if an area you had hunted in for years became fenced, you wouldn't by the same logic carry a wire cutter along with your guns, ammo, etc?
It's good to see your creative fiction is back up-and-at-'em, AaronM! Now, what about your research capabilities and citation?

[AaronM]

"But if an area you had hunted in for years became fenced, you wouldn't by the same logic carry a wire cutter along with your guns, ammo, etc?"

Of course you would.

[Chas]

Um.... Hiking, I'd just find a way to jump over or get through the fence without damaging it. That way they wouldn't resort to more extreme measures... but I guess that's just me.

[MarkP]

https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2015/06/22/nr15-91/

"Aroutine inspection of the fencing by NAR staff from the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) revealed that vandals had cut through multiple sections of fence at intervals of 5-10 meters top to bottom."

Yeah, definitely hikers 'cause hikers hate conservation.

The deer in Ka'u were not harvested. They were systematically eradicated while the numbers were still low enough to make that possible. I am a very infrequent hunter myself and I lament the loss of hunting opportunities but at the same time I think it is important to see the situation for what it is.

[AaronM]

The situation is that if we want to deal with the ungulate population and their associated impact on the environment, then we need to embrace and enable the hunters.