> This reminds me of a story I read some time ago.
>
> Many years ago, I believe it was in the 1950's, a family was travelling through one of our national parks (it may have been Yellowstone, but I honestly don't remember) and saw a mountain lion eating a deer that it had killed.
>
> Well, they were pretty appalled at this and raised a big fuss about it. Eventually, the park gave in and brought in hunters to rid the park of all predators.
>
> You can imagine what happened. The deer population, unchecked by their natural predators, swelled so much that the land could not suppoprt them. The deer began to die of starvation. After all was said and done, there were far less deer in the park than there had been before the predators were killed.
>
> I make the personal choice to only hunt what I am going to eat, but there is a very real need for the sport of hunting. Without hunters, wildlife populations would reach the point that the land would not be able to support them and they would starve to death.

I agree with your point, but your story suggests the opposite: That natural predation worked, but human hunters ruined the balance.

But what do people expect to see when you put a lion and a deer in the same place?

> Hunters are often portrayed as murderers who only want the heads of animals to mount on their walls, yet throughout American history hunters have been one of the most active groups in wildlife preservation and conservation. There is also a large organization here in Texas (and maybe in other states too) called Hunters for the Hungry. It's an organization that hunters can donate their kills to and the meat is used to feed people at homeless shelters, YMCA's, etc...I have donated many a deer to them over the past several years.

I know duck hunters have been credited with saving valuable wetlands as well as many species of ducks. Good work without a shadow of a doubt.

This is where I get a little confused: You make a consious choice to only kill what you will eat, and you donate kills to Hunters for the Hungry.

How do you have anything left to give them after you've eaten?

winter"probably being to litteral"mute