wildlife conflict

Coyotes, rats, others, adapt amid human isolation trends in urban areas

How are abundant and urbanized wildlife adapting to shifts in human presence? Some species feel the strain while others thrive.

Rash of fox attacks in Maine prompts trapping program

There have been more than half a dozen fox attacks in the area in just six months, with one unfortunate Bath resident being attacked on two separate occasions. The rash of fox attacks in the mid-coast of Maine has prompted formal action from at least one town, according to reports.

In absence of trappers, Arkansas issues cull permits

For many in the hunting/conservation worlds, the announcement of Arkansas’ predator permit is a double edged sword. While the permit allows for a restoration of conservation balance, it also raises concerns with the socially perceived wanton waste of natural resources - the furbearers themselves.

Just ban it all: California’s latest “fix” for invasive nutria

The state is already seeking to ban the primary mode of “dealing” with the nutria issue (trapping), and is now on a warp-speed course to remove all incentive for anyone to trap the animals in the future (via a fur usage ban). Since the state has done such a “bang-up job” of banning two primary modes of helping to control the persistent fur-bearing rodent, the only thing left to do is ban the craftily little unwanted guests themselves.

Bear management: An “unbearable” moral conundrum

While the regulated hunting and harvest of abundant black bear populations relies on conservation-minded modes to administer a selective seasonal hunt, nuisance black bears desperate for a meal or causing public safety issues are dealt with when the damage takes place - regardless of time of year or the scientific merits of removing such individuals from the landscape.