Bighorn sheep, British ColumbiaPAUL PAQUETResearchers have scoured documents pertaining to hundreds of hunting rules in 62 states and provinces across the U.S. and Canada for signs of science-based policy decisions. Their report, in Science Advances today (March 7), claims that many of these policies lack hallmarks of science, such as measurable objectives and independent review. But, critics argue it’s not the science that’s wanting, it’s the communication of the science to the public.
“I would dispute somewhat that science isn’t being widely applied,” says John McDonald, President of the Wildlife Society in Bethesda, Maryland, an international nonprofit association whose members include wildlife scientists, managers, educators, technicians, planners, and consultants. “Looking at all of the species they’ve assessed . . . the take, whether by hunters or trappers, is being monitored, and state and provincial agencies are looking at that harvest data, and they’re looking for indicators as to whether there is too much harvest going on.”
If it’s not available, then it is hard to evaluate. . . . And one of the cornerstones of science is that other scientists can examine the methods and independently verify the findings.—Aerin Jacob,
Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative
That said, the ...
