Whitetails: Behavior, Ecology, Conservation.In many ways this book took a lifetime to produce. Authors Erwin and Peggy Bauer have included 120 full-color photos taken over 50 years of hunting deer with a camera. They show whitetails in a wide range of habitats from swamp and semi-desert to farms and woodlands. Photographs from Venezuela to northern Canada Northern Canada is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics. Definitions and usage Also referred to as the Canadian North or (locally) as the North and at least 20 U.S. states A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States, although four states use the official title "commonwealth". The separate state governments and the federal government share sovereignty, in that an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and depict several of the 30 different subspecies subspecies, also called race, a genetically distinct geographical subunit of a species. See also classification. of whitetails (Odocoileus virginianus). The photos are stunning, in both subject matter and composition, and are magnificently reproduced. But this is more than a coffee-table picture book. It includes a lively, well-written text by Erwin Bauer Erwin Bauer (born July 17 1912 in Stuttgart; died June 3 1958 in Cologne) was a German Formula One driver who raced a privately-entered Veritas in his one World Championship Grand Prix. , with opening chapters on the evolution, distribution, life history, and behavior of whitetails. He tells the fascinating story of these tough, resilient creatures--"super survivors" that have adapted to human impacts on their native environments. This deer, with a population of over 20 million, is the most abundant of New World large mammals. The chapter titled "Antlers antlers metaphorical decoration for deceived husband. [Western Folklore: Jobes, 395] See : Cuckoldry " (same title as a new book by the Bauers, soon to be released) is especially intriguing, with a lively narrative and a remarkable set of photographs of live deer with magnificent racks. "Wildlife of the Whitetail's World" puts deer in ecological context by explaining their intricate relationships with the physical environment and other creatures, especially predators. He puts to rest many of the myths about predators that were used in the past to exterminate wolves, cougars, and coyotes, and describes the serious impacts of environmental degradation Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife. of deer. "This much is certain," he writes. "The whitetail lives on some of the most beautiful, most accessible landscapes of our country, another reason we should stubbornly protect our precious natural environment everywhere at any cost." In the final chapter, "Conservation and the Future," Bauer clearly explains the principle of "biological carrying capacity carrying capacity the number of animal units that a farm or area will carry on a year round basis, including that needed for conservation of winter feed. Usually stated as dry cows or dry sheep equivalents per hectare. " and touches on many environmental problems impacting whitetails. But I was a bit disappointed that he did not stress some of the more controversial issues limiting the ability of wildlife biologists to enhance deer populations and habitats. For example, the growing anti-hunting movement, legislative meddling med·dle intr.v. med·dled, med·dling, med·dles 1. To intrude into other people's affairs or business; interfere. See Synonyms at interfere. 2. To handle something idly or ignorantly; tamper. in such crucial management decisions as the setling of doe-hunting seasons, and inadequate funding for wildlife agencies are serious threats to the future of whitetails. Bauer also missed an opportunity in the brief "References and Suggested Readings" to introduce readers to some important wildlife-management books, such as Aldo Leopold's classic text. But this is not a college textbook. It is, in the best sense of the world, an amateur's textbook--a "lover's" textbook. It will charm and inform the most ardent deer watcher, hunter, or lover. |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion