Taking sides: Those for and against invasive species roundup sound off

LEESBURG — This weekend Shiver Outdoor & Archery and Shiver Lumber are sponsoring their first “Critter Round Up,” which officials with the companies say they expect to become an annual event.

Registered three- and four-person teams will be competing for cash awards for the teams harvesting the highest total of armadillos, ‘possums, and raccoons between the 7 p.m. registration April 5 and the 6 a.m. tally on April 6.

Within hours of an initial Facebook post announcing the tournament, social media started to “blow up” with the opinions of those supporting and opposing the event. Posts ranged from the opinions of those opposed to any form of hunting or trapping to those mirroring the “Kill ’em all and let God sort ’em out” philosophy. These opinions on both sides of the issue expressed on Shivers and my own personal Facebook pages highlight valid concerns relating to predator control and ethical hunting. They also highlight the need for an honest conversation between all parties on predator control as it relates to wildlife management practices on public and private properties.

Those opposed to the event are not bashful in their posts: Tiffany Welch wrote, “This is wrong!!! They are here for a reason! They don’t hurt anything they actually help! Don’t kill them!!!” “Pathetic!” Stephanie Kerfoot Miles added. Ashley Chastain Harris wrote, “This is absolutely vile,” and Eddie Revell added, “Having an event like this is giving the anti-hunters ammunition to complain about.”

A number of respondents echoed the opinion of Jeremy Morris, who wrote, “This is illegal, just so you know. This is an easy way for Mr. Green Britches to have a field day at check in.”

However, the state Department of Natural Resources said in a requested official statement: “The unlimited harvest of opossums, raccoons and armadillos is legally allowed on private property at any time of the year, so this contest is operating within the framework of the law.”

Other posts were not as concerned for the fate of the animals being harvested as they were of the impact of the event on the sport of hunting.

“WHAT A SAD DAY,” Brad McDaniel wrote. “The war between turkey hunters and raccoon hunters has made it’s way to south Georgia. The anti-hunters’ dream: hunters vs hunters. I used to love turkey hunting and still have many friends that do. What people like you that put on these raccoon slaughters don’t realize is there are a whole lot of us out there that love raccoon hunting as much, if not more, than you love your turkeys.” Added Matthew Huff: “Shame on you and your business for the disregard for responsible land/game management. I’m a houndsman and ‘coon hunter.”

Huff’s post highlights the changing times. In the not-too-distant past ‘possums and racoons were considered valuable species in their own right as game animals and furbearers. Although there are still those who relish following hounds in their pursuit of racoons, few are actually harvested for the table. At the same time, a decline in the demand for the fur of these two species has dramatically reduced the number of licensed trappers in Georgia harvesting racoons and ‘possums for their pelts.

“Because the activists have been very effective in selling the idea that the responsible use of our renewable resources (fur) is a bad thing,” Joey Thiel wrote, “(but) as a matter of fact, at the fur sale in Perry on March 23 raccoons only brought $1-$5 fleshed and dried and I didn’t see or hear of any ‘possum being sold at all. If you have ever put-up fur, you know that it isn’t worth the time or effort to do it”

Wade Shiver, owner of Shiver Outdoor & Archery, said he was somewhat surprised at the volume of posts related to the tournament.

“We just like to hunt,” he said. “We do it on our own property within the rules. We were going hunting and thought it would be fun to have this tournament and get other guys involved that would be out there doing it anyway. The thing I like about this tournament is that you don’t have to have thermal or night vision gear. You can just go old-school with a red light so it’s a fun inexpensive time in the woods that even high school kids can take part in.

“I hate that other hunters are bashing hunters.”

Shiver also said that the raccoons his team would be harvesting would indeed be headed for the dinner table.

“We are doing nothing illegal,” he said. “We already have a lot of negative connotations from people that don’t hunt.”

To back up his point, Shiver referenced HB1147 passed in 2022 by the Georgia Legislature authorizing the year-round hunting and trapping of raccoons and ‘possums.

Those favoring the hunt didn’t pull any punches in their posts.

“Some of y’all need to get out more; it’s illegal in Georgia to kill a nonvenomous snake, but I’d really like to know how many folks crying or disliking this do just that,” David Alligood wrote. Added Mack Bryson: “’Coons, possums, and other nest predators are out of control … little to no trapping coupled with DNR’s ineptness when it comes to burning have severely impacted turkey populations.”

“My feelings are, by all means, have the hunt,” Thiel said. “I do not believe the goal is to eradicate these animals. I don’t believe this event will even come close to that end, and I do see a benefit to it. In the end, people on both sides of the issue need to realize we are on the same team and our ultimate goal should be to strive to be responsible stewards of our renewable resources.”

With southwest Georgia being the self-proclaimed “Quail Capital of the World,” there has been an intense effort to manage large areas of public and private property in the region in a manner favoring the Bobwhite quail. Over the past few decades, similar attention has been focused on increasing and sustaining healthy populations of deer and turkey in the region. As a result, southwest Georgia has what may be one of the most intensely managed environments in the country, and predator control has always been a focus of much of this effort. 

A number of posts written in response to the Critter Round Up mentioned the consequences that occur when properties are managed for the benefit of one species over another. Many consider the legalized baiting of deer as a contributing factor to the increase in the population of racoons in particular. When this baiting does not continue on a year-round basis, the artificially inflated population of raccoons has to find another food source, with quail and turkey nests becoming a prime target.

“Not a fan personally,” Billy Goodson wrote in a Facebook post. “I know managing game is required, I’ve just never been able to do it. If I don’t eat it I don’t shoot it” Added Sam Shugart and Jess Gonyor McGuire, respectively: “The key to solid stewardship is balance. Everything in the woods and waters has a place with proper balance in the ecosystem;” “Bounties don’t do anything. The issues are about habitat. People need to stop being lazy and manage it.”

The armadillo, it turned out, had no real fans. This may be in large part because this invasive species does not limit its destruction to the woodlands of Georgia but also invades the backyards of suburbia.

“No matter your stance on the contest, the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division encourages you to take this opportunity to find out more about species populations and appropriate habitat management, especially about managing your private property,” the DNR added in its statement. “Find out more at georgiawildlife.com.”

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