Hunting or pesting or depredation, which do you do?

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Traxx

Traxx

Member
Aug 2, 2021
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Tejas, United States
So for me, I hunt and pest. Granted most of my hunting is done with PBs or a Bow and rarely with air, and all of my pesting is done with air. Since I don’t use my property for profit nor have permissions for farms or ranches I don’t do any depredation. 

To Me, hunting is going into the animals environment to kill it for food or sport. 

Pesting is to protect your home or property from animals

and depredation is to protect crops, livestock or your livelyhood from animals. 

If you have a different definition, please share. 
 
Hunting & pesting for me. In the last several months I have been concentrating on controlling squirrels in my yard. I have more in the yard than in the woods. They have a longer life in town/cities because there are very few predators and consequently they produce more young. Thus the problem with high squirrel populations in a municipal setting. Eventually they get in attics, gnaw wires in automobiles, etc.
 
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I hunted for a few years with powder burners. Just grouse and deer. But I don’t do that anymore. So now I’d say I “pest”. I / we can’t legally hunt with an air rifle in my state. I do my research on what we have for invasive animals and I focus on those. 
Here are a few. 
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Your three categories are sound with a possible clarification. Many avian species (crows and vultures for example) are protected by international, migratory bird treaties. Other pests and game animals are protected by local, F&W regulations that define hunting seasons for population or harvest control. Often, predation is an exception to these rules and otherwise-protected species can be culled. As a farmer, this is an important distinction. And as a hunter or pester, it can give you an opportunity to take a game animal that otherwise would be off limits.

Interesting thread. Thanks for the OP.
 
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To Me, HUNTING is going into the animals environment to kill it for food or sport. 

PESTING is to protect your home or property from animals

and DEPREDATION  is to protect crops, livestock or your livelyhood from animals. 

If you have a different definition, please share.
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Traxx,

very interesting post. 👍🏼 I have thought quite a bit about this, from different angles and positions.... 😊



I find it interesting that there are three different terms to describe activities that for some people all come in the same package, so to speak, it's all ONE activity to them, not three.

They might not want to distinguish three different purposes for when they go and do that activity. 

So, what do we call that one activity...?



Now, if the term "hunting" is already taken for that activity by defining it by its narrow purpose of "killing animals 'for food or sport'" — then what term is left for those people to describe the collective activity of all these three (without wanting to distinguish between these purposes)? 🤔



I'm interested in what others think! 👍🏼

Matthias


 
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Well, Jungle. The 3 terms are related but not the same.

In general Hunting usually is associated with getting a license to hunt game animals. Let’s take our favorite Airgun target animal. The squirrel, which can be a target for all three terms. 

The squirrel has a season, a limit and requires a hunting license. At least in Louisiana and Texas. 

It also can be taken to prevent damage to your home and property. Be careful how you do it in city limits, you can get a visit from the Boys in Blue or Game Warden. 

They can also be taken when damaging your agricultural business etc. granted you will still need a permit and be able to show damage to your crops etc. to be able to get the permit. 

So, if I go out in the field/hardwood bottoms and hunt squirrels and Mr Game Warden asks to see my hunting license and I tell him I am pesting, he will throw the BS flag and give me a ticket. Same if I am in the middle of a hardwood bottom and try to claim that the squirrel is depredating my agg business.

Copied form Texas parks and wildlife. Still trying to find a definition for pesting there. 

The depredation permit may be issued to individuals who have evidence clearly showing certain protected wildlife is causing serious damage to commercial agricultural, horticultural, or aquacultural interests, or presents a threat to public safety (e.g., airport runways).



So all this is not to be throwing a wrench in the works, or calling anyone out or what ever negative thing ya’ll may think I am doing. I am just curious. I actively do 2 out of the three and approach them very differently. 
 
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Well put^^^^


For me:

Hunting. Wearing orange and buying a tag to be legal. Shooting game in season to make meat.

Pesting. Any means needed to exterminate or remove animals doing damage in barns property or home. 


Depredation. To me, is the removal of any animal that is destroying standing crops. It would also include coyotes, fox, coon, weasels or any number of critters after my chickens. 

I believe it’s all in the shooters mindset at the time. Or what he thinks should be done for any given circumstance.


 
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I enjoy shooting crows and magpies. Not sure what you'd call it, other than fun.
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Yes, CHunter, 😊

good point on mentioning a recreational purpose: killing animals for fun. 

Other recreational purposes might be: stress relief, being out in nature, the thrill of the chase, watching spectacular kills ("glory kills"), etc. etc.



The economic purposes* that segregate different forms of animal killings mentioned in the OP obviously don't have room for these. (*The economic purposes of: meat, protecting the home, protecting crops).



🔸 I suspect that the recreational purposes are much more important to a majority of AGN members than economic purposes. The economic purposes seem to simply justify that we kill animals (for recreation). (Personally, I don't have a problem with that. 👍🏼)



Keep it coming. Very interesting. 😊

Matthias




 
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