HikeArizona.COM

Ethical or not?

Examples: For research, GPS tracking , tagging, vaccinations, and capturing / relocation/ breeding programs.

The casual, just because you can?

Humans use their larger brains, and in some instances, larger physical size to capture, and terrorize smaller, often considered “prey animals”.

Most of the photos I have seen on HAZ, are the just because, I can capture , and terrorize this much smaller creature to use as a prop to post on social media.

If you REALLY want to channel your inner Steve Irwin (and impress me), do that with something venomous, large, powerful or potentially dangerous. I have yet to see that on HAZ.

I have to tip my hat to gummo for discontinuing posting pics of wildlife handling.

Since I was a smart alec on the comments section; I have given it some thought. I do it to get that connection to another living creature I share this world with. Sure I do it visually but to touch--- it's great to have the opportunity to have contact. I do try to avoid the young so I don't jeopardize it's life potential. Do I terrorize it; I am sure at times I do. Life is full of terror, I hope my reaching out to whatever does not cause irreparable harm of course.
Oh, and HAZ is where I post most of my public photos. I do not participate in facebook, twitter, Instagram, snapchat, or any social media. Here is about all I can take of that.

Wow! Is it suffocatingly, awkward in this thread, or what? It's like the pope farted in the middle of Easter mass; everyone's looking at each other in horror, but too afraid to say anything about it.

Well, if you’ll excuse me now, I’m gonna go give myself a root canal to lighten my spirits.

Mountain_Rat wrote:Well, if you’ll excuse me now, I’m gonna go give myself a root canal to lighten my spirits.

Need my Leatherman?
I handled The Eagle and HansenAZ for a day, does that count?
I have picked up a couple of horny toads, but the last garter snake I held spewed out some disgusting vile stuff on my hands, nope no more of that. I still have this fantasy of holding a tarantula though and I think they are too dumb for me to do irreparable damage to their pysche. Oops I just committed arachnid shaming.

Alston_Neal wrote:but the last garter snake I held spewed out some disgusting vile stuff on my hands, nope no more of that

Yep, that is a pretty effective defense mechanism those garter snakes have!

@Alston_Neal
Thanks, but I have a old, rusty awl that I keep solely for these occasions.

I see that the riddle has yet to be solved. May I pose a question?.. K - Is it anything less than nonsensical to project human emotions onto the limited mindscape of a lesser horned lizard?
Oh, wait, I meant 2 questions - In the case of a mountain lion who's been chased down using dogs, horses and a helicopter, in order to dart the thing, slap a radio collar on it, shove it in a crate and move it to another county never to see it's home range again; does the lion either comprehend or give a rats pumpkin whether or not your intent was in the name of science?

We've all handled wild creatures. It’s part of our bond with the rest of the earth. I and EVERYONE I know, grew up catching bugs, snakes and lizards, now and again a bird or mouse, and I would bet that the vast majority of those creatures went on to have fine lives, requiring little or no psychotherapy.

@Mountain_Rat
my take on the original post was that he was not talking about people picking up animals "to bond with the rest of the earth", as you put it...but instead he was talking about people who are out to take pictures solely in an attempt to become a social media darling...just go to some of the hiking group sites on facebook and you'll see pictures of people hoisting a desert tortoise over their head as if they were a conquistador, standing on top of cliff dwelling ruins, scattering painted rocks out in the wilderness, etc...it seems that many people on social media aren't really interested in learning about and respecting nature; instead they just want to see how many likes they can get or how many "wow, that is really cool" comments that they can get...jmho

@DixieFlyer
That wasn’t my take on it, but then I came into this at it’s now deleted origin, a photo posted by a long time member of HAZ, handling a horned lizard. No hype, no Wow, just a horny-toad in the palm of a human hand. The response to the photo went something like – Why do people always feel the need to handle wildlife? This was in response to a HAZ member’s photo, posted on HAZ early yesterday, which after a lengthy back and forth, ended up deleted, all just prior to this thread being established. I guess it kind of helps to have full context, but that’s all been washed away in cyberspace now.

@RedRoxx44
I'll be at my therapist for the next couple of days if you need to reach me.

I’d like to think that guy is still alive, I really would.