[AGL] local controversial story of birder jailed for shootingferal cats

[michele mason]

Oh, Lord,  mm	

On Nov 14, 2006, at 1:51 PM, Wayne Johnson wrote:


> The life of the average Pacific Coast sea gull is two and one half 

> years.  They die from starvations.

>  

> wgJ

>> ----- Original Message -----

>> From: Frances Morey

>> To: survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the 60s

>> Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2006 11:38 AM

>> Subject: Re: [AGL] local controversial story of birder jailed for 

>> shootingferal cats

>>

>> I once heard a comment that in the animal world there is no such 

>> thing as dying of old age. In the wild animals adjust the population 

>> to the available food supply. Out in Westlake hills some people feed 

>> the deer. Others hate them for it and shoot the deer.

>> Frances

>>

>> michele mason <yaya.m at earthlink.net> wrote:

>>> Connie, note the new address. I had same problem. Called Bastrop

>>> Humane Society who hooked me up with a lady who pays for coupons to

>>> neuter/spay at the clinic at 51st and Cameron. It took a good deal of

>>> effort and time, but I finally grabbed all but one and had them 

>>> fixed.

>>> I feed the remaining male, hoping to get hold of him. Luckily, I've

>>> found no bird remains, but he's a pretty good ratter, so he gets to

>>> stay. I realize this is not much help for Shiner, unless you can 

>>> locate

>>> a similar set-up in your area. Plus, maybe someone around here is

>>> dealing with the same problem.

>>> Taking them to other farms really doesn't change anything, except 

>>> maybe

>>> lots of folks can afford fewer numbers. It may be possible for

>>> neighbors to join the effort and ya'll find a vet who'll give you a

>>> deal. Otherwise, I'm afraid shooting may be last resort. I hope not.

>>> Good luck, Michele

>>>

>>> On Nov 14, 2006, at 8:10 AM, Connie Clark wrote:

>>>

>>> > His version of the story is on the texas birders list serv, #281

>>> > excerpt: "I find the issue of respect for life as challenging as 

>>> any.

>>> > I say this as someone who catches Cottonmouths on my property by 

>>> hand

>>> > and releases them unharmed in wilderness areas, someone who 

>>> replaced a

>>> > shotgun with a camera years ago, thus bringing on his dad's ire, 

>>> and

>>> > someone who just shed tears over the passing of Ed Bradley. Maybe 

>>> I'm

>>> > just real tired.

>>> > The ethical dilemma is pitting the life on one cat against the 

>>> dozens

>>> > or hundreds of small, wild animals it will kill in its (short)

>>> > lifetime. And piggybacked on that is the "real" cruelty of the 

>>> death

>>> > they normally receive, from starvation to disease. Study after 

>>> study

>>> > reveals this. For me, it is clear, though I am by no means immune 

>>> to

>>> > the emotional, while trying to hide in pure logic, science and

>>> > pragmatism."

>>> >  

>>> > Jim Stevenson is, as the article below says, is a naturalist writer

>>> > and photographer in Galveston, and founder of the a birding group 

>>> down

>>> > there.

>>> >  

>>> > I am faced with the same dilemna at our farm near Shiner.  A

>>> > well-intentioned neighbor layed two kittens on FarmerKen out 

>>> there. 

>>> > We didn't get them to the vet fast enough, now there are about 100

>>> > feral cats.  Kenneth has begun trapping them and hauling them off 

>>> to

>>> > someone else's farm, but they are still quite a nuisance to the

>>> > wildlife in my opinion.  Shooting them seems like the only way out!

>>> > Advice welcome - CC

>>> >  

>>> >

>>> > Stephensons story in toto:

>>> > http://listserv.uh.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0611&L=texbirds&T=0&P=29981

>>> >  

>>> > from the Houston Chronicle

>>> > Nov. 11, 2006, 1:35AM

>>> > Birder claims past cat killings

>>> > Man charged in shooting of stray admits deaths of dozens more in 

>>> '99

>>> > Web posting

>>> > By KEVIN MORAN

>>> > GALVESTON — An ornithologist charged with animal cruelty in a fatal

>>> > cat shooting this week is a self-professed cat hater with a killing

>>> > record that goes back to the time he arrived in one of the world's

>>> > best birdwatching areas on west Galveston Island a decade ago.

>>> > Wildlife author and photographer Jim Stevenson said in a 1999 

>>> Internet

>>> > posting that "there were cats out the wazoo" when he built his

>>> > isolated island home.

>>> > "And I'm sorry if this offends, but I sighted in my .22 rifle and

>>> > killed about two dozen cats in about the first year," the 

>>> passionate

>>> > birdwatcher and professional birding guide wrote. "When we allow 

>>> feral

>>> > cats to roam free, we might as well be out there with BB guns 

>>> plinking

>>> > away at the songbirds ourselves."

>>> > Stevenson's arrest Wednesday stirred cat and bird lovers whose

>>> > passions clash frequently across the nation and world. It has 

>>> raised

>>> > anew long-fought debates about what damage feral cats do to 

>>> wildlife

>>> > and how to stem the population growth of wild cats.

>>> > Stevenson's alleged cat shooting Wednesday surprised most who know 

>>> him

>>> > or follow his writings, even those who know about his antipathy for

>>> > cats. Others responded differently.

>>> > "I'm not surprised at all," said Kathi Richardson, one of about a

>>> > dozen Galvestonians who regularly trap feral cats for spaying or

>>> > neutering, then release them and feed the colonies the cats form.

>>> > Richardson said Stevenson expressed his hostility toward cats in an

>>> > article he wrote in the Galveston Ornithological Society magazine 

>>> he

>>> > publishes. Stevenson founded the society.

>>> > "I was appalled and I sent a copy to the national humane society,"

>>> > Richardson said.

>>> > Others who know Stevenson's aversion to cats said they thought

>>> > shooting cats was out of character for the man they know.

>>> > "Jim Stevenson is not a bad man," said Dori Nelson, chair of the

>>> > Seabrook Eco-Tourism Committee, for which Stevenson conducted a

>>> > birdwatching walk Nov. 4.

>>> > "He loves the environment and all its wild creatures and is truly

>>> > repulsed by people who don't share his attitude."

>>> > Nelson said she hopes the charge against him isn't true. "I know 

>>> where

>>> > Jim is coming from, but it's wrong to get out there and take

>>> > pot-shots."

>>> > Trish McDaniel, a former director of the Animal Shelter and 

>>> Adoption

>>> > Center of Galveston who has gone on birding excursions with 

>>> Stevenson,

>>> > said he is "exciting to be around when you're learning about birds 

>>> and

>>> > wildlife. He knows his stuff."

>>> > McDaniel said she doesn't approve of feeding feral cats but she

>>> > doesn't believe in shooting them either.

>>> > On Friday, Stevenson said he would have no comment until he hired 

>>> an

>>> > attorney. But, within hours of his jail release, he posted a 

>>> message

>>> > headed "what actually happened" on the Web.

>>> > He stopped short of admitting he shot a cat. He described spotting 

>>> a

>>> > limping cat on the beach at San Luis Pass and said it is "well

>>> > documented" that crippled predators pursue easy prey.

>>> > "I believe this was the case here, and I was very concerned about 

>>> how

>>> > many endangered, threatened ... (birds) would succumb to it,"

>>> > Stevenson wrote. "That was Wednesday morning and life hasn't been

>>> > terrific since."

>>> > Stevenson, 53, a Tallahassee, Fla., native and former high-school

>>> > teacher there, faces a sentence of six months to two years and a

>>> > $10,000 fine if convicted of felony animal cruelty, chief assistant

>>> > Galveston County District Attorney Joel Bennett said.

>>> > Stevenson spent Wednesday night in the Galveston County Jail. He

>>> > posted a $10,000 bail.

>>> > There is great disagreement on how feral cats affect birds and 

>>> other

>>> > wildlife. Some preservationists maintain that the cats kill 

>>> hundreds

>>> > of millions of birds annually. Others maintain that feral cats 

>>> mainly

>>> > eat field mice, rats, snakes and other small animals.

>>> > Problems of feral cats and other non-native animals and plants are

>>> > among leading conservation issues worldwide, said Matt Wagner, a 

>>> Texas

>>> > Parks and Wildlife Department wildlife biologist.

>>> > "There are those, including some of the biologists who work at 

>>> Texas

>>> > Parks and Wildlife, who truly believe that increasing populations 

>>> of

>>> > feral cats in the environment are having an impact on game birds,

>>> > ground-nesting birds, reptiles, small mammals and other types of 

>>> small

>>> > wildlife," Wagner said.

>>> > But few studies have been done and people quarrel with the 

>>> results, he

>>> > said.

>>> > Feral cats are most likely to attack birds when no humans feed the

>>> > cats, Wagner said.

>>> > Richardson said she and others who trap cats and have them spayed 

>>> and

>>> > neutered, then provide food for feral colonies, are doing their 

>>> best

>>> > to keep the feral population down. More than 3,500 cats have been

>>> > trapped on Galveston Island in the past seven years, she said.

>>> > "I get anywhere from two to six cats a week," Richardson said. "It

>>> > keeps down the feral cat population. The cats really help eliminate

>>> > the rats and mice."

>>> > McDaniel said feeding neutered feral cats is wrong. The cats remain

>>> > without vaccinations and worming and can prey on wildlife, she 

>>> said.

>>> > Houston Audubon Society president Stennie Meadours said Friday that

>>> > she was "saddened by the whole series of events" surrounding

>>> > Stevenson's arrest.

>>> > But she said feral cats have played major roles in the near 

>>> extinction

>>> > of some bird species in Hawaii and other states as well as in such

>>> > remote places as the Galapagos Islands.

>>> >  

>>> >

>>> > Access over 1 million songs - Yahoo! Music Unlimited.

>>  Access over 1 million songs - Yahoo! Music Unlimited.

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