The Three-Minute Outdoorsman: Wild Science from Magnetic Deer to Mumbling Carp

46. A Converation about Hunting in the Netherlands

t h e t h r e e - m i n u t e o u t d o o r s m a n 180 coast of the United States during early May. During autumn, they were hunted in the United States during migration. This hunting greatly reduced populations, and although hunting is prohibited, the species has not recovered to prehunting levels. Apparently habitat degradation on the breeding grounds and migration routes will not sustain hundreds of thousands of birds anymore. I am reluctant to say that because we don’t hunt shorebirds in the United States, no one should. And we lack solid data to show that shorebird hunting in Guadeloupe and nearby islands actually affects populations. But clearly if everyone adopted Guadeloupe’s position, allowing indiscriminate shooting of Whimbrels, the bird would be in big trouble. So, I conclude that Guadeloupe and Martinique should do the right thing and ban this activity, or put in place and enforce small bag limits, just as we banned shooting of these birds as well as other species, like Common Loons. The fate of the Eskimo Curlew and Passenger Pigeon ought to be poignant enough lessons. 46 a conversation about hunting in the netherlands I recently visited friends who live in the small Netherlands country town of Gaast, which lies just south of the dike that divides the Dutch Wadden Sea, about two hours northeast of Amsterdam. Here on reclaimed land are agricultural fields with lots of grazing sheep. In these fields, my hosts and their colleagues study large shorebirds, such as breeding Black-tailed Godwits, and other birds that use the area as a “refueling site” during migration. My friends have banded the local birds for years, resulting in a fine database from which they learn about the birds and threats to their existence, which include, not surprisingly, intense agricultural practices. A N I M A L S A N D U S 181 Of course, agriculture often attracts species, like geese, that overextend their welcome. I climbed a short observation tower, which offered a great view of the landscape, and counted many species of birds that don’t live in North America. I noticed many Graylag Geese, which would occasionally fly near my vantage point, sometimes stopping to feed in the agricultural fields. As this was July, I had already started thinking about the early goose season in Minnesota, and so found myself plotting where I would put my decoys and station myself, if it were the hunting season for graylags. I picked out a location with cut fields on either side of a small channel with some tall grass. I figured that it would be a good ambush spot for geese coming from several directions to check out my decoys. That evening I was at a reception, and my host, who knew of my addiction to hunting, hooked me up with a local guy who was also a hunter (and spoke English). He had been told about my penchant for bow hunting. Our first topic was a house cat that was just across a fence, hunting native birds and rodents in an adjoining pasture. I mentioned that the cat might be a fair target, and he asked, “With a gun or a bow?” I knew then that we would hit it off. I asked him if he hunted geese, thinking that if there were as many geese in the hunting season as I had seen earlier that day, a return trip with my sons might be worthwhile. He said he had hunted ducks and geese, so I thought things were looking up. I mentioned that I had seen a place nearby that could be a great spot to set up a decoy spread. Things then, so to speak, turned south. He said, “We are not allowed to use decoys.” “What?” I replied. “You’re kidding, right?” “No, they’re illegal.” Not using decoys would certainly change the equation. I thought about my setup spot and figured it might not work for just pass shooting. I asked how hard it was to learn their calls. “We’re not allowed to use calls,” my new acquaintance said, “They’re illegal, too.” No decoys, no calls—I didn’t ask the obvious question, “Then why do you bother having a season?” t h e t h r e e - m i n u t e o u t d...