Dear Editor:
As I read the Feb. 21 article, “Outdoors in the Ozarks: Too many”, by Larry Dablemont the first thing I thought of was,”whoa”. In his words and thoughts Mr. Dablemont advocates (actually encourages) the killing of a multitude of animals: skunks, black vultures, armadillos, cormorants and coyotes. That list of species was just the beginning. He continues with species that can go out of control: raccoons, beavers, possums and then he attacks skunks the second time; in the same article. Next on his kill list he promotes an all out war on venomous snakes. River otters round out Larry’s attack list(s) of wildlife.
I am fully aware that sometimes species of certain wildlife can get out of control and can certainly lead to health issues.
In those instances management and control may need to be implemented, however, Larry’s approach to wildlife is very dangerous. He (seemingly) is advocating a war on certain species of wildlife.
Maybe I fit into that “city biologist” title. I did grow up in the city, however, I immersed myself in every outdoor activity I could and also read, read and read even more on every outdoor, biological subject I could find to learn as much as I could; including very knowledgeable people: farm relatives, writers, educators, scout leaders, environmentalists, photographers, ecologists, hunters, fishermen, botanists, mycologists, friends, etc. The outdoor knowledge I have is a culmination of my efforts to learn as much as I could from others as well as immersing myself as deeply into the outdoors as I could in order to learn first hand. So, not all of us who grew up in the city are as naive as Mr. Dablemont seems to indicate.
For well over a decade I was a regular writer and photographer for the monthly newspaper out of southeast Missouri, The River Hills Traveler. I wrote stories that included connecting people to nature, exploring nature, uncovering nature and delighting in nature. Topics covered were varied: streams, frogging, geology, plants, wildlife, seasons, trails, hills and valleys, etc. I tried to write stories to encourage people to get out and enjoy what nature can do for them. I am certainly glad that I did not spend my time writing so negatively about wildlife as Larry did in this article.
Lastly, as I finished reading his article I thought...who made Mr. Dablemont the judge, the person who decides what critters may live and what critters must die in our beautiful outdoor world; in God’s creation?
Greg “Rudi” Rudroff
Rich Fountain
