Lets hunt a species for which we have no data for

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
Surveys for the Appalachian Cottontail should be prioritized to determine the current
distribution and abundance of the population.

They have no idea how common or rare the Appalachian cottontail is but you can still hunt them.

Thanks NCWRC
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
They have no idea how common or rare the Appalachian cottontail is but you can still hunt them.

Thanks NCWRC
You made this same exact post 2-3 years ago, whats the matter couldn't get the pot going then?
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
If you knew anything about how things work you would understand that it is all about money, what brings them in the most gets the biggest part of the pie. Now just how big of piece of the pie do you think the Appalachian cottontail gets, a few crumbs?
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I'm glad you approve of bad wildlife management.

I figured you would being a former WRC employee.
You ever hear this quip, if not you would do well to study it:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
 

shadycove

Twelve Pointer
CRC, are you a qualified wildlife biologist with a degree, or have any schooling/training that would enable you to quantify "bad" or "good" wildlife management?
I'm pretty sure that your answer would be "no". Soooooooooo, how do you know bad from good.
 

Ldsoldier

Old Mossy Horns
They have no idea how common or rare the Appalachian cottontail is but you can still hunt them.

Thanks NCWRC

Ah, yes, that's the reason WRC staff was collecting hunter harvested rabbit heads this season in the mountains. Brandon is gathering data on them. As far as being able to hunt them, a ban on hunting Appalachians would effectively be a ban on rabbit hunting in the mountains. Unless YOU can tell the difference between an Appalchian and a regular cottontail while he's running full tilt boogie with a pack of dogs on his :donk:donk:donk. Note: the only sure fire way to tell is to clean the skull and look at it. The ears are helpful as well.
 
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sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
^ Exactly. You have two options to attempt that: 1) tell all of the rabbit hunters to hold their fire when they realize that the brown blur running by is an Appalachian (good luck), or 2) close rabbit hunting completely in all counties that might contain Appalachian cottontails.

Or possibly CRC has another well thought out plan to curb the incidental take of Appalachian cottontails, since he is upset that we can still hunt them. Since this is "bad management", I'm curious what "good management" would be in this particular situation. Specifically what regulation would you enact to solve this problem?
 

DRS

Old Mossy Horns
My thoughts are if they are still enough there to kill(significant number) while hunting, they are probably doing just fine.
 
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CRC

Old Mossy Horns
My thoughts are if they are still enough there to kill(significant number) while hunting, they are probably doing just fine.

Nobody knows that though.

The surveys should have been done years ago.
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
Answer Sky Hawks question. What is the best management plan?

Easy.

Close the season for taking Appalachian cottontails.

If that also means closing the season for Sylvilagus floridianus as well, then so be it.
 
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CRC

Old Mossy Horns
http://houndsandhunting.com/march-sneak-peek-3/

The Endangered Species Act is one of those programs that is often questioned, as well as state programs that mirror the Act on a smaller scale. Here in the eastern U.S., from New York’s Hudson Valley, south through the Appalachians into Alabama, state wildlife agencies, prompted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and several international watch groups are asking questions and making assumptions about the range and abundance of the Appalachian cottontail, Sylvilagus obscurus. Unlike the plentiful Eastern cottontail, Sylvilagus floridanus, the Appalachian cottontail is limited to high elevations with coniferous and heath (laurel, rhododendron, blueberry) habitats. It is found in forest openings and clear-cuts and old growth forest with sufficient ground cover.

It is likely in coming years we will see states list the Appalachian cottontail as threatened or endangered. Depending on the results of current population surveys, we may even see the species listed as threatened or endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
 
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nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Ahhhhhhhhhhh, in case you didn't realize it we are not in Pa.

It is not out of the realm at all for an animal to be scarce even on the brink of being listed in one state and yet just a few hundred miles away in another there be a viable population. Especially when we are talking about rabbits, something that has such a high natural mortality rate and hunting has such a low impact on anyway.

Maybe you ought to start a bunny hugger site.
 
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CRC

Old Mossy Horns
Idealists are fascinating. They have no grasp whatsoever on the concept of reality…

What reality?

That these surveys of appalachian cottontails should have been done years ago?

Why were they not?

I'll wait for an answer.
 
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CRC

Old Mossy Horns
Ahhhhhhhhhhh, in case you didn't realize it we are not in Pa.

It is not out of the realm at all for an animal to be scarce even on the brink of being listed in one state and yet just a few hundred miles away in another there be a viable population. Especially when we are talking about rabbits, something that has such a high natural mortality rate and hunting has such a low impact on anyway.

Maybe you ought to start a bunny hugger site.

Well considering NC has no data on how abundant they are......................
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Well considering NC has no data on how abundant they are......................
You have any data on how abundant they are not, in NC that is. Didn't think so. Just as a FYI the last grey squirrel study in NC was in the 50's so maybe they are the next to become extinct according to your line of thinking.
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
You have any data on how abundant they are not, in NC that is. Didn't think so. Just as a FYI the last grey squirrel study in NC was in the 50's so maybe they are the next to become extinct according to your line of thinking.

Silly comparison but I'd expect nothing less.

I have seen some rabbits that looked a lot like appalachian cottontails on the Pisgah National Forest once.

Hey maybe Wake and Davidson Counties are full of appalachian cottontails. Maybe the NCWRC should survey Uwharrie..........
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I have seen some rabbits that looked a lot like appalachian cottontails on the Pisgah National Forest once.
Probably like all that buck sign you saw, yet you never connect. :rolleyes: You 'see' and 'hear' a lot. You don't produce much of anything but hot air.
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
Silly comparison but I'd expect nothing less.

I have seen some rabbits that looked a lot like appalachian cottontails on the Pisgah National Forest once.

Hey maybe Wake and Davidson Counties are full of appalachian cottontails. Maybe the NCWRC should survey Uwharrie..........

Maybe you shouldn't comment without professional experience?

Again, I ask your credentials and how the study should be done.

A PROFESSIONAL in the wildlife field has told you there's no way to know until they're dead. If they're not showing up in hunter surveys where the should, they're in trouble. If they do, they're not.

That's reality.

Go dig some crawlers and catch a couple trout rather than digging links.
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Maybe you shouldn't comment without professional experience?

Again, I ask your credentials and how the study should be done.

A PROFESSIONAL in the wildlife field has told you there's no way to know until they're dead. If they're not showing up in hunter surveys where the should, they're in trouble. If they do, they're not.

That's reality.

Go dig some crawlers and catch a couple trout rather than digging links.
Prolly lost the truck chart, without that I doubt he could catch a disease. LOL
 
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