Good news for you elephant hunters.

[dave]

Its time Elephant hunting was stopped, and efforts against pooching was stepped up. They mourn their dead for days! They can make as much money at photo safaris and sight seeing tourists, maybe more. There are outfits that cater to these people, no hunting is allowed in these areas. And of course they include many other animals.

[Vern Humphrey]

Stopping hunting is exactly the wrong approach. When elephants are not hunted, they destroy crops and are regarded as vermin by local subsistence farmers. Poachers, by contrast are regarded as heroes. The subsistence farmers will aid the poachers, and keep silent when questioned by game wardens.

Where there is elephant hunting, the fees pay for elephant fences, reparations for damages, and help pay for schools, water sources and so on. The meat is shared among the local farmers. The people regard the elephants as assets, and poachers as thieves. They cooperate with game wardens to protect the elephants.

[barretcreek]

It is common knowledge that in one of the nations which has banned hunting, Mrs. President has close ties to the poaching cartel. Chinese market for ivory dwarfs the sport hunting market.

[Dick Hosmer]

Regardless of the pros and cons pertaining to hunting/not hunting, the biggest (IMHO) and most stupid blunder is what happens to captured poached ivory. Do the authorities sell it and use the funds to help the remaining elephants? No, that would make too much sense - they burn it, and thereby waste the sacrifice of hundreds (thousands?) of elephants. If that is not one of the dumbest ideas going, I have no idea what is.

[clintonhater]

Regardless of the pros and cons pertaining to hunting/not hunting, the biggest (IMHO) and most stupid blunder is what happens to captured poached ivory. Do the authorities sell it and use the funds to help the remaining elephants? No, that would make too much sense - they burn it, and thereby waste the sacrifice of hundreds (thousands?) of elephants. If that is not one of the dumbest ideas going, I have no idea what is.

Ivory dealers love to see those burns--it drives up the price of their stock.

[Dick Hosmer]

Which would lead one to wonder if the poachers and the "government" are in cahoots. Nahhh - that could never happen.

[jon_norstog]

I'm OK with elephant hunting, long as the hunter (or someone) eats what he kills.

jn

[AZshooter]

A buddy mentioned the potential return of elephant hunting imports to the US. His wife said that she was unsure about this being a very popular or viable idea, since you'd need an awfully large livingroom to put that elephant-skin rug into.

I told her that she had elephant confused with woolly mammoth & she admitted that she'd never seen a regular elephant's hide before.