Well.. Aussies are clubbing things, and it's not baby seals

[indy007]

I thought this article was hysterical, so here it is, cross-posted from Moorewatch.com

Following up on the Australian gun control post from a couple of days ago, I found an interesting illustration of the differences between the US and Australia whilst perusing the news feeds today.  It seems that in Wisconsin here is a slight pest control problem, for which a uniquely American solution has been approved.

Despite passionate opposition from cat lovers, Wisconsin residents supported a plan that would allow hunters to take out wild felines that kill birds and other small mammals.

Residents who attended the meetings of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress voted Monday night to allow hunters to kill cats at will, just like skunks or gophers - something the Humane Society of the United States called cruel and archaic.
Wild, feral cats are to be treated just like any other wild pest.  

Okay, now let’s compare that to Australia, which has a poison toad problem.

Poisonous toads causing a menace across northern Australia should be clubbed to death with cricket bats an
d golf clubs, an MP has said.

David Tollner’s crude tactic has understandably outraged animal rights campaigners.

But the Liberal Party politician said the method for dispatching cane toads proved successful when he was a child.

Mr Tollner, member for the Northern Territory, told ABC radio: “We hit them with cricket bats and golf clubs and the like.

“I think if people could be encouraged rather than discouraged (to attack them) the better the chance will be of stopping the cane toads."

Two similar problems, two totally different solutions.  It reminded me of the difference between Australian and American attitudes towards self defense.  In Australia, if you hear someone breaking in your house in the middle of the night, you should grab whatever non-lethal piece of sporting equipment you can find and try and scare the intruder off.  In America you just shoot the f%*#!@.

[ChickenHawk]

Four!

[Toad]

Perhaps there's another reason for the difference.

I don't know much about poison toads and how quick and agile they might be but I suspect cats are quicker and more agile than poison toads.

Now, go after feral cats with a golf club or cricket bat and tell me how many you manage to connect with. I doubt you will put the hurt on very many, especially if they see you coming. You might be able to bushwack them somehow using a bait and blind but I suspect that would be pretty ineffective too. Feral cats are not exactly stupid.

Toads? I'm thinking a reasonable fit person could get close enough to them to connect with a bat or club.

I think the real reason is that feral cats aren't going to hold still for batting.

[indy007]

Originally posted by Toad
Perhaps there's another reason for the difference.

I don't know much about poison toads and how quick and agile they might be but I suspect cats are quicker and more agile than poison toads.

Now, go after feral cats with a golf club or cricket bat and tell me how many you manage to connect with. I doubt you will put the hurt on very many, especially if they see you coming. You might be able to bushwack them somehow using a bait and blind but I suspect that would be pretty ineffective too. Feral cats are not exactly stupid.

Toads? I'm thinking a reasonable fit person could get close enough to them to connect with a bat or club.

I think the real reason is that feral cats aren't going to hold still for batting.

Actually, it's the lack of guns in Australia to shoot them with from what I've been reading

I can't even pretend to know how to hunt a feral cat with a club. Maybe an unsuspecting house cat... but my roommate's cat already stalks me and you can't see it coming before it tries to filet you.

[StarOfAfrica2]

Ummmm, didnt the Gov. of Wisconsin say no way to hunting feral cats?

[JB73]

Originally posted by StarOfAfrica2
Ummmm, didnt the Gov. of Wisconsin say no way to hunting feral cats?

yes that is correct


but anyway... wanna go hunt this:



not me

[john9001]

can't they just put the toads on the barby?

[Rino]

Originally posted by Toad
Perhaps there's another reason for the difference.

I don't know much about poison toads and how quick and agile they might be but I suspect cats are quicker and more agile than poison toads.

Now, go after feral cats with a golf club or cricket bat and tell me how many you manage to connect with. I doubt you will put the hurt on very many, especially if they see you coming. You might be able to bushwack them somehow using a bait and blind but I suspect that would be pretty ineffective too. Feral cats are not exactly stupid.

Toads? I'm thinking a reasonable fit person could get close enough to them to connect with a bat or club.

I think the real reason is that feral cats aren't going to hold still for batting.

      Well hitting cats with a hook or a slice is going to be a real
bear, maybe Tiger could give lessons;)

[Reschke]

Originally posted by JB73
yes that is correct


but anyway... wanna go hunt this:



not me

While that is a "wild" cat it isn't even close to the same thing. Feral cats are becoming similar in destroying natural habitats as the feral pigs have been doing.

[JB73]

Originally posted by Reschke
While that is a "wild" cat it isn't even close to the same thing. Feral cats are becoming similar in destroying natural habitats as the feral pigs have been doing.

it was a joke...


but please tell me where stray, yes stray not feral, cats ar "destroying natural habitats"?


many of the cats in rural areas are just stray, and are not wildly afraid of humans.

[Reschke]

Yes I know its a joke.

Stray is just the first step to being a feral animal. In fact it only takes one generation of cats to turn feral. When I was living at my parents house we had several cats "stray" from home and all of their kittens were what I would consider wild/feral.  

As for destroying the "ecosystem" they are un-natural predators for many smaller animals in the wild. They tend to force other animals that are natural to the areas such as racoons, squirrels, rabbits, various birds, etc...

There is a similar example Alabama to eliminate wild/feral pigs. The hunting season for them is year round and there is no bag limit. In fact there is another animal here called a nutria which has been declared a nuisance animal and its open season year round. Some states offer a small bounty on the nutria if you can produce the tails to the local game warden.

[StarOfAfrica2]

There's a big difference in my mind though, between feral pigs and feral cats.  Not only are feral pigs destructive to other animals, they are destructive to the entire ecosystem.  Also, you can EAT pigs.  You ever eaten a cat?  And I aint talkin about the last time you went down on your girlfriend/wife either.  Even people who DO include cats in their diet from time to time dont prefer it.  I can name quite a few folks I know who prefer pork to just about anything else.  

To me, if you want to hunt something, it should be hunted for food.  Even if it's part of a "herd culling" effort, it should still be a game animal.  Cats are NOT game animals, no matter how you want to write it up.  Also, the law they wanted to pass in Wisconsin basically let you kill them any way you want to without any fear of prosecution, even if it was a domesticated animal without a collar.  If it showed any fear of humans, it was considered a target for the purposes of that bill.  Hell, my cat hides under the bed when anyone but myself or my wife is in the room.  Alot of cats are wary of strange humans.  And they should be.  And cats are geniuses at figuring out how to slip a collar.

[Redd]

We have been clubbing cane toads for generations, something many of us are not proud of , but yes , it does happen.    

[culero]

Originally posted by Toad
snip
I think the real reason is that feral cats aren't going to hold still for batting.

Speaking from experience, I can recommend teaching good hunting dogs to kill said cats as good fun and pretty effective

culero (sometimes ya have to help a little when trees are a factor)

[TrueKill]

Originally posted by JB73
yes that is correct


but anyway... wanna go hunt this:



not me

who else thinks that that deer is fuged? and a bit stupid