Man’s technical knowledge and advancement during recent years has been miraculous to say the least. However, man has often been guilty of destroying the very things of nature that enhance his own livelihood. For instance, man has been quick to condemn and exterminate some of the predatory animals without considering the consequences. We must remember that predators help to maintain the balance.
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The fox is a good example. A farmer has a good crop field, but along comes a group of insects that begin to ruin his crop. Nature then sends in rats to the field to help control the insects, but they in turn also eat the grain. Then the foxes come to eat the rats. The farmer decides that foxes are bad for his farm, so he exterminates them. The rats come back, and the farmer is right back where he started.
The point is, each animal plays a very important role on each acre of land. When any one species is eliminated, the balance is upset, and the “wheel of nature” fails to turn properly.
For years, man has attempted to restore the balance by “restocking” his land with game animals. However, this has not always been successful. If there isn’t enough food, cover and water for the animals, they must leave or die. If there are too many animals on an acre of land, disease or some other means will reduce populations to the “carrying capacity” of the land.
In years past, some of the northern states have tried shipping in rabbits to areas that were depleted. Shortly after the stocking period, many of the imported rabbits were found diseased, and the situation became worse than before. In areas where disease didn’t develop, the rabbit population showed no lasting gain. Yes, man is learning the hard way that he must work with nature and have a good understanding of the intricate workings of wildlife.
One of our most important game birds in Missouri is the bobwhite quail. Yet there are few animals that have as many predators working against them as quail. From the time the eggs are laid, the skunks, crows, raccoons, foxes, turtles, hawks, dogs and cats are all working against this small bird. However, with adequate food and cover, quail manage to survive and reproduce.
In areas of poor food and cover, quail become easy victims of predators and harsh weather. Still, man often makes up his mind that only one of the predatory species is doing all the damage and sets out to eradicate that particular species. Again, the results can be disastrous. We really can’t point our finger at one predator and say that it is the problem.
In summary, man has attempted to alter or improve wildlife populations by eliminating specific predators and restocking game animals. It’s true that predators sometimes become “too efficient.” However, that’s usually a sign of poor habitat quality. Wildlife managers and private landowners can have a greater impact on the “balance” by focusing on habitat improvement rather than the animals themselves.
