Science Blasts

Assessing the Science Behind Opposition to Mountain Lion Hunting

In 2017, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) released a report titled “State of the Mountain Lion—A Call to End Trophy Hunting of America’s Lion.” In the report, HSUS calls for an end to mountain lion hunting in the United States based on several scientific arguments. These arguments range from citing available literature on demography, ecology, and sociality of mountain lions, to the protection of potential habitat and population sizes across 16 states where breeding populations exist.

Understanding the Decline in Elk Recruitment in the West

SCIENCE BLASTS By John F. Organ, B&C Professional Member © Mark Mesenko Excerpt from Fall 2018 issue of Fair Chase In the Spring 2015 issue of Fair Chase (“A Little Help Fr...

Is Wildlife Management Science-Based?

SCIENCE BLASTS By John F. Organ, B&C Professional Member Excerpt from Summer 2018 issue of Fair Chase A pillar of wildlife management in North America is the notion that it is science...

Wolves, Cougars, Elk, and Deer in Oregon

SCIENCE BLASTS By John F. Organ, B&C Professional Member Graduate student Elizabeth Orning collared cougars in 2013 in northeast Oregon as part of the ODFW wolf monitoring program. ...

Studying Mule Deer in Oregon

SCIENCE BLASTS By John F. Organ, B&C Professional Member Excerpt from Winter 2017 issue of Fair Chase Wildlife managers, hunters, and other conservationists have long been concerned a...

Understanding Bear Predation

SCIENCE BLASTS By John F. Organ, B&C Professional Member Excerpt from Fall 2017 issue of Fair Chase It’s pretty common knowledge these days that black and grizzly bears are very effic...

Who Really Does Fund Conservation

SCIENCE BLASTS By John F. Organ, B&C Professional Member Excerpt from Summer 2017 issue of Fair Chase Those of us in the hunting community take great pride in the fact the dollars...

The Whitetail Rut in Pennsylvania

In 2001 Craig Kirkman took this 163-1/8 typical whitetail deer in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. A legal antlered deer at that time had to have one antler longer than three inches, or had at l...

Managing Whitetail Deer in the 21st Century: Can We Adapt to the Challenge

SCIENCE BLASTS By John F. Organ, B&C Professional Member Excerpt from Spring 2017 issue of Fair Chase Whitetail deer management in eastern North America has had its share of controver...

Wildlife Governance

SCIENCE BLASTS By John F. Organ, B&C Professional Member Excerpt from Winter 2016 issue of Fair Chase Steve Williams, in his “Capitol Comments” article titled “Relevancy of Conservati...