Montana is home to a lot of elk—134,557 to be more precise. Elk reign prominently in our state’s identity and Montana is better for it. Yet, according to the Elk Management Plan put forth by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP), this is 42,419 elk too many. In this article, 2019 Merlin Community Scholar Fellow Thomas Baumeister, discusses the numerous practical and moral challenges of elk shoulder seasons. Read more!
No other species on this planet elicits stronger emotions in us than the wolf. This should come as no surprise. After all, it’s the wolf which has been in our presence the longest, it’s the wolf with whom we’ve shared our ancestral dwellings and whose descendants we keep as pets today, and it’s the wolf who has shaped our humanity and our relationship to wildness like no other. In this article, 2019 Merlin Community Scholar Fellow Thomas Baumeister, discusses the role of adaptive management, pragmatism, and engaged citizenry in wolf conservation.
In these two articles, wildlife management and policy regarding disease control and the endangered species act are explored. While measures aimed at controlling the spread of disease are not as controversial, the de-listing of once endangered species remains a highly debated topic. Article 1 In this article, chronic wasting disease…
In these two articles, some philosophical questions about the morality of hunting are explored. Article 1 In the first article, “Is Hunting Moral? A Philosopher Unpacks the Question,” Philosophy Ph.D. candidate, Joshua Duclos, discusses: Some of the rationales for why people hunt — conservation, subsistence, and trophy/sport hunting What bothers…
The relationship between hunting and conservation has a long, complex history and poses numerous ethical dilemmas. On one side of the argument is the claim that hunting fees help fund conservation; on the other side is the claim that these benefits are exaggerated and that killing game animals is wrong. In between…
