“How many actually see what is going on within our natural habitats? Well, I do know one thing, if more American’s seen what it is our government agencies are doing on Our Federal Lands, many would be up in arms over several issues.” — John Cox, Cascade Mountains

There are some instances that leave an indelible mark on our subconscious, as a trait of simply being part of the human species – it is called “Fear”. Why should we discuss this situation? Because we have a “refusal-oriented mind-set” to accept Predator’s in our wilderness areas, and the element of discussion here.

This becomes very odd, as Apex Predators enhance an Ecological System and develop, within context, the situation of health and diversity. This “thing” diversity is much more than just a term, it becomes a fact, a quality toward life that is fundamental for all to survive. Diversity enhances our over-all environmental circumstances in a positive manner within a larger landscape of a quality living standard, as well.

The mind-set that frightens us, is the fact of Apex Predators being too much of a “self-willed beast” of prey (i.e. referred to as Wyldeor in Middle English).  It is our “attempt” to compete (our comparable wild-nature of survival aggressively out of control actually), when we consider ourselves prey when it comes to Apex Predators in nature.  We set-aside the fact we are also Apex Predators.  We also would like to ignore the facts we have many similar traits to the predator-species, but we also have a more ignorant or aggressive survival instinct on this planet – a situation of “to hell with everything else, I am taking what I can for me, whether I need it or not” attitude.

As science shows, this does get us into some very questionable grounds, and into messing with nature at a very low-level, no intelligence, and creating the very situations that we wanted to control – Coyote Kill-Offs exemplify this very well, and every time there is a heavy kill-off of the coyote, there is an abundant over-population for coyotes within the next two years – explained by well-founded science and data gathering, the Ecological Habitat, a natural selection sequence, correcting for the kill-off; whereas, the coyotes, when we allow nature to take its course, establishes over time a moderate population of the coyote (this pertains to many other wildlife as well) within the Ecological System, and beneficial to the overall environmental systems health.

Fear Symptoms and Cause

Although, we have the unorthodox ability to deny, within our own minds, such attributes – which saves us from self-ethical or self-moral judgements upon ourselves.  Mostly out of “Fear” and the assumptive quality we do have from ignorance (or not knowing what it is we do not know), but we separate it at times, whether consciously or subconsciously, and actually assume our superiority over all else that exists and lives on this planet – as some type of excuse for our questionable actions. We have to go out and control the deer population, for example, by a kill-off paradigm set of odd principles and older mythical beliefs on what it is to be a man or a woman of. . .? But the system is broken entirely of this so-called Game Management, and it simply remains as it always has been, a non-workable ideology in real-time management, and just bad-science, all to make a few bucks.

This current game management system, in any state, does not account for the “Permit” kill-offs, but rather, how much money was made for the year on the selling of license and permits. For example, when nature correcting for the situation of too many permits issued, to large of a kill-off, and the deer move to a suburban area for safety reasons, conflicts with people begin to develop. Then technology (discussed below) enters the landscape, and birth controls, at taxpayers’ expense develops to relieve the problems, and everyone forgets the “Cause” and reverts to making money off of the symptom – and at the same time the state management of wildlife looks forward to selling more permits for other wildlife, or people getting their hunting permits to do the same things next year.

Then, at the same time, an Apex Predator moves into the area. This due to the symptom of deer moving from their wilderness area, to safety, and near homes in the burbs. Again, the cause ignored in total and once again “Fear” steps up to the plate. The Cougar (or Predator attracted by the deer) is shot and killed due to being too close to human’s. The public led to believe an over-population exists of the Prey animal, which it does not, but then the ability for the agency to make more money on permits, and you can see, this situation only one of many others, how the wildlife kill-off has escalated out of proportion.  And the Cause? Well, that is left ignored, and eventually forgotten all together.

This is a type of odd hypocrisy, when we observe the destruction we impose on this planet, and very distinctive from other species that exist. Predators do not seem to have this quality, but we simply do not consider this, as their survival attributes much different, and some of their qualities unacceptable too us.  Even though we pass a profound judgement on these Apex Predators, the dilemma of reality through good science and observation, is the fact their destructive influence on this planet is “Zero”, when compared to ours.

Yet, we accuse the Apex Predators’ for many things, just as we do Wild Horses or wolves or other wildlife. We neglect to look at ourselves as a species, because after all, we are so advanced over all the other species on this planet, aren’t we? Hypocrisy is when we have lost the ability to look at ourselves within a truthful context, and to “truthfully” not see the good things we are destroying. As a society, this alone can be a very devastating circumstance, as we see with the current kill-off (ignorance combined with hypocrisy) of Wild Horses as well as many Apex Predators. This mind-set, of necessity supposedly, is destroying our Ecological Habitats on our Nation’s Lands, and Our Federal Lands.

The problem? The wolf, the Cougar, or the bear can, and sometimes does compete with us directly, and that frightens people. Or, the fact they even exist in the mountains or deserts we inhabit for entertainment or exploration, adds a dimension of “fright” when thinking about those “perhaps” situations of running across an Apex-Predator.

Wild Horses and Human Conflict Predation

A good example of how ignorant Human Predation, and how we excuse it, is the current on-going tragedy of America’s Wild Horses. Living in the wilderness or within their natural environments on Public Lands has become tragic for them . . . The reality? Well, in truth, the horses much more safe living with Apex Predators within healthy ecological habitats and nature’s process of life, and breed controls derived from a natural biological circumstance, developed on a natural basis. Nature and the natural process is well defined, and moderation within nature’s populations becomes a process human’s simply do not, nor obviously, understand at all; although, seen quite prevalent from those of us who observe the natural progress in action (note: I have explained the natural moderation of wildlife within two previous writings, based on excellent science and observations of wildlife by many biologists, independent researchers, and research scientists, to include myself, so I also speak with first-hand knowledge).

But what must be kept in mind during management planning, is the fact of a firm “diversity of wildlife” in order to work naturally, which must be “all inclusive” and made available within the Ecological Habitats being developed. This is simply good management, so unlike and in contrast with the “broken” wildlife and lands management systems of today, and from state to state.

When we look at the reality, there exists far more interference, far more death and abuse, and far more non-reality controlled-technology within our human species management actions and within our natural areas, contrary to a functional and natural environment or to actually develop a healthy ecological habitat.  Yes, it is our motivational instinct, our “Fear” that remains the driving force of today, toward this thing we call “Economic Ecology” or what some refer to as the destruction of our Natural Environment. Another issue can be made in the matters of “Competition” within this false Economic Ecology standard of today, that in reality merely favors industry over all other species, and look-out, because it is all inclusive of the human species as well.

The Wild Horses simply a tragic victim of this “Fear” based on a competitive mind-set, that in reality is more of a symptomatic (and symbolic which is also useful here as well, for our future as humans on this planet) or collusion at reducing competition and all the things that come with that situation — calling Wild Horses “livestock” or “Feral” within a demeaning context – remains a travesty of terminology and indeed very condescending – which we do before killing others in wars, or whatever the circumstance to harm or even kill someone, a person or animal, as an affirmed excuse for the ignorance.

But the Opposition-Complex of life is always a blink away from ignorance, and it becomes a choice rather ignored in today’s competitive world, and that is, the actual reality of survival and learning how to get-along, so to speak, rather than kill-off other species hatefully, or competitively (which due to technology, “competition between wildlife and human” is no longer a definable term for such travesties as hunting or trapping).

We find this to be yet another level of profound ignorance, that is not only destroying our wilderness environment, but conclusively destruction of ourselves and upon this planet.  And when we are gone as a species, the world simply replenishes itself, and with nature over time (nature’s time), so if it could form any type of conclusion, it would probably be – good riddance to the human species. . .

Antiquated Mind-Sets and Technology

One of the travesties of this entire discussion is the fact, within an Economics Ecology, we form technology before we catch-up, so to speak, within a mental mind-set with our surroundings or our natural environment. Yes, we simply ignore it, and more comfort derived from older and antiquated mind-sets toward nature, as if a challenge to explore it, or hunt or trap, especially with our new, and expensive technology of weapons or devices to get out there. The truth is, we do not update Wildlife Management or Land Management paradigms with current technology, that would create a positive environment for all.

Because of the technology, or the daily use of it, as well as the barrage of advertising for its very necessity to life and a must-have for life-giving quality of life (supposedly), we have things imposed upon our mind-sets, whether we know it and acknowledge it, or not.  We then find the necessity to go and experience nature with our consumptive technology – which includes modern guns and ammo of efficiency, as well as expensive motorized vehicles that must be used — RV’s the price of a home in suburbia and many a simple human-species park in nature (gas and diesel very expensive as well to get there) and in reality, simply watch television inside, otherwise why pay so much for them if not used.  Yup, common-sense out the window, replaced by . . .

As we deal with technology and industry daily, from turning on a light, to our showers, to our computers and television or phones, among much more.  Our subconscious tells us survival is based around whether our “mobile phone” is working or not. And if it is not, it is the end of our world as we know it.

Now we are starting to connect the dots, so to speak, of our mind-sets with nature.  To actually assume we may run across an Apex Predator within a visit to the mountains or desert environment, is too extreme, or beyond imagination, or our reality-based mind-set of survival and surrounding ourselves with technology, and it is technology that makes us safe?  Is it, really?

So, is hunting and trapping popular among some of the more “fear-based” individuals? When actions speak much louder than words, absolutely, this group is afraid of everything, and by damn they will let you know they got a gun. The guns and knives, bows and arrows, and everything else nothing more to them than artillery to protect themselves (the competitive-complex combined with the “Fear-Complex” is very disgusting at times, to many people, especially when you have those slobbering on themselves while ranting all cougars and wolves must be killed because they kill elk and deer and cattle and . . .).

The Apex-Predator, called the “self-willed beast” of prey, or Wyldeor – perhaps we should start taking a look at ourselves, at what our society has become, and rather controlled by outside influence, to do nothing more than destroy our natural habitats, and for very bogus reasoning, based upon ignorance mostly, combined with a heavy dose of hypocrisy and greed.  And how do we know this? Watch what happens if the television goes off during a Super Bowl, or the World Series, good luck on that outcome.  The burden of proof well established – and lord knows, if the mobile phone goes bad, or breaks – look out!

Cause and Effect of Wildlife Kill-Off

Basically, and very truthfully, the mind-set of this situation is mostly not of keeping up with technology, but the refusal to grasp a common-sense approach toward nature, or what is referred to as a healthy mental-state-of-mind to a non-competitive and all-is-connected on this planet — and living by sharing our planet with all other living beings of all types. Taking only what is needed, is something learned within nature, something of a survival technique accomplished by all wildlife in a natural setting, and apparently, by our actions and mind-sets, the human-species does not understand what so ever.

Using technology to better our environment, is something else, obviously, the human species (or those in administrative and responsible position managing our lands and wildlife) simply do not understand – but what is also obvious to many, is that ignorance is a choice.

The fact is this, we have a lot to learn from nature. People like Walden or John Muir, or many of the others, found going living within or going into the mountains a living experience – without guns and ammo or bows and arrows, by the way . . . and there existed far more Keystone Predators at that time than now.

Then we go to Leopold, and his lessons learned from actually a wolf-kill off experiment in science and research, that devastated an area in total.  It was only bringing the wolves back to that same area that saved it. Often, I have found, when discussing wolves, hunters will bring up Leopold and his wolf kill-off, but apparently, they did not read the rest, where the wolves come back to save the ecology, and Leopold’s mind set? Well, it was Reversed, and conservation toward wolves becomes a scientific fact or a positive paradigm, and an ecological habitat enhancement, as well as a new look at Keystone Predators. But today, and with all the negative mind-sets, it is obvious we learn nothing from history, apparently, which equates to ignorance, and from several mind-set-complex situations that become detrimental to many a human.

So why the Wild Horse kill-off, and why are so many simply making excuses to compete with one another to profit from the tragedy of this kill-off, and pretend what they do is saving the Wild Horses?

We can easily state, through evidence of actions based upon the lie of over-population of Wild Horses, which is a lie of lies, but technology and genetically altered this and that for birth control, based from the lie of over-population. . . In reality, is greed and materialism at its worse, as a motivational instinct, as we see almost daily now – but this is merely the symptom, and we find “Fear” the cause.  History show us this, repeatedly, as well.

The tragedy of tragic events, especially for Apex Predators as well as the Wild Horses, which are pray wildlife as well as of significance historically, shows us what? Well, that ignorance and “Fear” are of no value what so ever, and nature suffers tremendously. As well, and under the guise of all of these falsified terms and methods, supposedly to control, but in reality, destroy our nations landscapes and wilderness areas, as well as the wildlife, these people, government agencies and their contractors/supporters, make large profits. Time to rethink our relationship with our government, our non-profit corporations, our industries, our Natural Environments and our Living Wildlife — right now, before it’s too late.