It’s Survival of the Weak and Scrawny

There is no credability to this article. There is a record system in place that does keep track of just such things and it was established by Pres. Roosevelt. It is called the Boone and Crocket Club. He recognized the importance of keeping track of just such data when he established this record system decades ago, so we have decades worth of data. Many new world records, as far as antler/horn sizes have been set in just the past 15-20 years which contridicts what this article is all about. The data is there...research the Boone and Crocket Club, Pope and Young Club, and Safari Club International records. You will see thses to be a very accurate data keeping systems. Also how can you compare the entire African elephant population percentages to one localized population? Of course there are going to be differences one is the whole, the other is a small sample. On that note if not for hunters and the BILLIONS of dollars they provide for conservation many animals would be in danger of extinction...such as the African Elephant. Once you put a dollar amount for the trophy which was more valualbe than the ivory to the poachers they have come back in strong numbers. Hate to break it to you "green" people out there but hunters are the only true conservationist...they put there money (and time) were their mouth is. Besides...how much more "organic" can you get then providing your own hormone antibiotic free meat than to harvest (kill) your own. Pure protien!

This is some of the most idiotic crap I have ever read this sounds like a PETA PR scam more then a quality Newsweek article. For starters Hunting is not that easy, walk out "oh that ones big shoot it" is not how it goes.
Also please check the Boone & Crocket and Also Pope & Young record books you will find that in areas that are hunted/managed the number of "trophy" animals has increased significantly in the last two + decades.
"To be a hunter is to be a true conservationist" Poachers are not hunters!! they're criminals!!

Bigger is not better when is comes to evolution. Look no further than the ability of bacteria and viruses to constantly evolve an increasing resistence to our over use of antibiotics. The common misconception is that the theory of biological evolution through the process if natural selection is based on "survival of the fiittest." Evolution through natural selection is the ability of an organism (bacteria and viruses to blue whales) to pass on genetically heritable traits which favor survival long enough for the next generation to do the same. As for hunting affecting the overall size of later generations, it is indeed possible. Trophy management (not wildlife management) has not only negatively impacted the physical size of a variety of species but has also disrupted social dynamics within their species (the overharvest of bull elephants for example), which in turn affects the ability to mate and pass on heritable traits.

Newsweek how can you employ some who does not put all the facts into their story? This is one of the most ludacris writings I have ever seen! I am considering not buying or receiving anything from Newsweek . If this is her opinion, then you need to give her an assignment for the next 20 years in the forest.

Oh please where did this boob get his information. Roosevelt was a pioneer in big game conservation. The reason larger animals are getting harder to find is 1 you have these so called hunter(but they are actually just trophy hunters after a huge rack) who are to lazy to spend time in the woods scouting the game they are after. They preferr to be on TV with a taped hunt. As the human population grows so does the need for houseing and that in turn reduces the animals natural habitat. The construction of super mall and highways, farmers plowing down trees and grass for a few more acres all contribute to the decline of any animal species. Legal bag limits were set for a reason, and that was to control animal population. Now poaching on the other hand has no limit because these people have no respect for the animals they kill. Yes I said kill. When you legally hunt you are harvesting the same as a farmer does his crops. Poaching has caused the demise of many an animal species. So Lily get your facts straight before you have any more dirrea of the mouth. This story sounds like a PETA front. I like the PETA sticker I have on my Chevy truck. People Eating Tasty Animals. I hunt to feed my family and teach them the proper respect for the animals which we hunt.

This article is a joke. You can't tell one bit that it was written by animal rights activist disguised as a journalist. The "facts" stated about Bighorn sheep are wrong. Sheep are legal with a 3/4 curl wich is not achieved until at least 6 years of age. A six year old ram is mature. And where is the proof that the size of rams and ewes are decreasing? Ther is none, mature rams weigh the same they did 100 years ago. The real, true conservationists in this society ARE hunters! We do more and spend more money to keep the largest, biggest, most healthy heards of animals in the world. World record antlers and horns are being harvested at a higher rate in the last ten years for all species, INCLUDING ELK, than at any time in history. This article isn't worth the link it was published in!!

Matt Musto

Sport hunting since the turn of the century in 1900 has never made any species extinct - in fact without hunters many species would be extinct. This was clearly an article written by someone who is against hunting and they have no idea of facts - truly all fiction. I would gladly debate this article with anyone on my TV show.... visit our website www.stevesoutdooradventures.com - I will debate anyone at anytime on the show regarding the ethics of hunting and I can truly prove this entire article false and 100% fiction.

Ms. Huang has posted some very interesting observations here. However, observation alone is not science. I am guessing from a city apartment it is difficult to actually see game other than the occasional pidgeon. Leave the science to the biologists.

Trophy taking has become a more popular venture than ever before and no one can argue that. Take into account the amount of revenue that hunting and fishing makes and one will find that it this revune drives many of the small communities in the Midwest and elsewhere. If you are seeking the ideal, prestine environment where all species are at thier genetic peak--take humans out of the picture.

Let us not forget to encourage Ms. Huang to pick up a scholorly journal before her next attempt. Maybe it will cure her bias ideology.

This is some of the most idiotic crap I have ever read this sounds like a PETA PR scam more then a quality Newsweek article. One hunting is not that easy, walk out "oh that ones big shoot it" is not how it goes.
Also please check the Boone & Crocket and Also Pope & Young record books you will find that in areas that are hunted/managed the number of "trophy" animals has increased significantly in th3e last two + decades.
"To be a hunter is to be a true conservationist"

This article is a joke. You can't tell one bit that it was written by animal rights activist disguised as a journalist. The "facts" stated about Bighorn sheep are wrong. Sheep are legal with a 3/4 curl wich is not achieved until at least 6 years of age. A six year old ram is mature. And where is the proof that the size of rams and ewes are decreasing? Ther is none, mature rams weigh the same they did 100 years ago. The real, true conservationists in this society ARE hunters! We do more and spend more money to keep the largest, biggest, most healthy heards of animals in the world. World record antlers and horns are being harvested at a higher rate in the last ten years for all species, INCLUDING ELK, than at any time in history. This article isn't worth the link it was published in!!

Matt Musto

Sport hunting since the turn of the century in 1900 has never made any species extinct - in fact without hunters many species would be extinct. This was clearly an article written by someone who is against hunting and they have no idea of facts - truly all fiction. I would gladly debate this article with anyone on my TV show.... visit our website www.stevesoutdooradventures.com - I will debate anyone at anytime on the show regarding the ethics of hunting and I can truly prove this entire article false and 100% fiction.

Why then are new records being set using Boone and Crockett scoring of antlers. This scoring has not changed since the 1950's and yet every year or so a "new world record" is being harvested

Without legal hunting, we would see many of these species die off. We have replaced their natural predetors with ourselves so it is our responsibility to keep the population numbers in check. Today in north america, deer and elk numbers are exploding, thanks to game management through hunting. If we didnt hunt they would starve, because there just isnt enough food for un-managed deer and elk populations.
-Ethan

I am a hunter, I have hunted all my life. Take a hint animals are becoming more intelligent just like us. Look at the human level of intelligence compared to a hundred years ago. Guess what? animals do have the ability to learn and pass it on thru genetics. If you remove all the inferior animals what is left only the superior and as time proceeds, evolution proceeds!

It is amazing the arrogance of some of the most ignorant people. This article is a bunch of scattered thoughts splashed on a piece of paper. "An untusked elephant is considered a loser". That is evolution. It's obvious there was a common denomitator of the casualties of the animals that were being killed and that was tusks and only tusks. So in the natural evolution of things to preserve the species (which is what evolution does) you take out the gene that is being detrimental to the survival of the species. Africa however, should not be thrown in to the mix of sound management practices for the sport of hunting. Because they truly do not have very good management practices. In Africa, it's about the trophy and how much you are going to pay. Some places are like that in the US. But for the most part, there are sound management practices being instilled all over the world for the betterment of the species. It was a down year in Texas for harvesting trophy animals, so instead of taking an animal that is obviously not at his top potential because of a lack of rain, not reverse evolution, you concentrate on reducing the herds and taking those "inferior" animals. Whether that be females or inferior males. I agree with a lot of the people that have already posted their thoughts, if it were not for hunters and their management practices, then there would be a lot of species in North America that would be in very bad shape.

We will see tons of this crap popping up all over the news now that we have one of the most ignorant presidents to take office. He and his fellow idiots will support all this crap. I know there are a lot of people on this side who do care about the world in which we live, but they act as us hunters, etc are only out to destroy. To all of you who fall into the idiot category, do more research on your own. Get the statistical data from more the one source that is biased and see the whole truths to things and stop believing everything people tell you or write. Heck, the majority of history books we grew up to our biased and never told the truth and both sides.
What our world is in jeopardy of is lack of common sense. The majortiy of people are turning into zombies and being led over the clifts. Talk about the blind leading the blind. Quit looking at the front and back covers of the books and read what's inside to gain insight to life.
Maybe it's you type of people that we need to hunt and drop your population and do the world a big favor.

Without legal hunting, these species would die out! We have replaced most of their natural predetors and its our responsibility to keep the populations in check! If we dont keep the populations under control they would starve. We would rather live with Deer and Elk, etc instead of wolves, bears, and other carnivors, so its up to us to be the predetors.

Well I see that you have not entered in the Human factor of population in ares that were once inhabited by animals. With the rise in population humans the free range of animals decreases. Roosevelt was a pioneer in the field of hunt. He set up the first nature preserves for animals and helped set bag limits for animals to be "legally" harvested. Man has lived off the land for centuries and as I said with the rise in the human population where land is converted from prairie to homestead and concrete, the animals lose their natural habitat. DOH. This article sounds like some thing PETA would cook up. I have a PETA sticker on the back of my Chevy truck but it says People Eating Tasty Animals