August 06, 2007

Roadkill, 'Bambinos,' and Lyme Disease

Eric at the Classical Values blog makes a persuasive case about hunting, roadkill, and Lyme disease's spread.

It is not mentioned here, but I have also seen the case made that fire suppression in Eastern forests has also created a more tick-friendly environment. Up through the 1600s, many Eastern forests were burned by Indians to create a more open environment for hunting, travel, and agriculture, resulting in fewer, larger trees. (On the west side of the Appalachian Mountains they were also able to encourage buffalo to graze and thereby be hunted.)

Lyme disease is not a big Colorado problem--yet. We get along fine with our hantavirus, bubonic plague, and West Nile virus. (Hat tip: Querencia)

Update: Here is a little more on the deer-car collision problem.

When I first moved to Fremont County, Colorado, in 1986, the district wildlife manager said that one deer or elk was killed nightly somewhere in the county.

Intelligent fencing is about all that works in high-risk areas.

1 comment:

SRM said...

Hi Chas,

Thought you might be interested in the efforts to build a wildlife bridge over I-70 near Vail by some of the conservation groups I work with. Though not a viable solution for most areas, it is a great idea for those locations with heavy traffic and many wildlife collisions. See a photo of what it will look like and an article about it at http://www.restoretherockies.org/wildlife_bridge.html

SeEtta
Canon City
www.SEColoradoBirding.blogspot.com