Question of the day:What relationship do you have with wildlife? In what ways does wildlife impact your life? What kinds of wildlife live in

your neighborhood?

Man’s early relationship with wildlife

• Hunting- necessary for life– In US- bison, turkey, deer, elk, rabbits, squirrels,

muskrat, fish, etc.• Prior to 1900’s in US, few laws or regulations

were imposed on hunting wild animals, even non-game species were hunted for hides/furs for clothing or trading, furs, feathers.

Bison hunting

Hunting bison from trains

Brink of extinction

Passenger pigeon

Fur trade- Early America

Fur trapping

What is wildlife management?

• The process of keeping certain wildlife populations, including endangered species, at desirable levels determined by wildlife managers.

• It deals with protecting threatened and endangered species, and their habitats, and food sources; upholding laws such as the Endangered Species Act.

• Also, deals with maintaining game species for hunting.

Father of Wildlife Management• Aldo Leopold- – Known for work in conservation and ideas on

wildlife management– Was first ever professor of wildlife management at

University of Wisconsin • “….the art of making land produce sustained

annual crops of wild game for recreational use” Game Management, 1933

Aldo’s Management Sequence• Restriction of hunting (Laws in place to restrict

time and amount of game species taken)• Predator control (elimination of large

predators that consume game species)• Reservation of game lands (Creation of state

games lands, wildlife refuges etc.)• Artificial replenishment (fish hatcheries, deer

replenishment etc)• Environmental controls (protection of habitat,

enhancement of habitat for desired species)

Aldo Leopold

Management in the U.S.• Three main purposes: preservation,

conservation, management• 4 main ways to manage populations of wild

animals.– Make the population increase– Make it decrease– Harvest for a continuous yield– Leave it alone

Examples of Managed Species

Success in Wildlife Management

• Year –to – year monitoring of populations• Adequate legal protection of species• Timely recognition of sensitive species• Habitat improvements- Artificial nesting

structures, other wildlife management techniques (population control)

Role of Laws in Wildlife Management

• Laws enacted to maintain existing species , protect threatened and endangered species.

• Laws began to restrict hunting to those who acquired licenses to do so, and funding for wildlife agencies began to come directly from hunting and fishing license fees.

Wildlife Refuges in U.S.

Issues in Wildlife Management

• Human/wildlife interface• Habitat loss• Hunting vs. no – hunting• Endangered species