Sweetwater River Trout

[Crippled Caddis]

[quote name='taxidermist'

<Ok, what species did these STOCKED RAINBOWS REPLACE?>

We don't really know do we? But we can make the educated guess that it was the same native species that swim in nearby waters. As I carefully noted <While we have a LOT of trout fishing we have no natives at all.> It is in any case an accomplished fact at this time that we should deal with in one of two ways: Eradicate the non-native species and restock with our best guess or utilze the existing resource. In this particular instance my own choice would be to propagate the McCloud strain Rainbows which border on extinction in their own natal waters. While the native species of the Ozark highlands suffer ever greater pressures and stresses from all sides they are not yet in the dire straits of the McCloud Rainbows. So the logical choice IN MY OPINION would be to husband the species in the greatest danger even if it isn't native.

<We must always remember when humans get invovled with nature and stock NON-NATIVE species something must die, nothing can coexisit. Its natures design.>

Please believe me when I tell you that we are on the same page. I do not condone replacing native species with exotics. In virtually every instance in which Man has presumed to gainsay God in that respect the consequences have proven an utter disaster. Instance after instance could be cited to back up that statement but the evidence is so overwhelmingly in favor of it and so universally known that it would be superflous indeed to do so. So in the case of the Crane Creek stock of the McCloud strain of Rainbow it seems the best course is to take the opportunity to husband the existing resource to the best of our abilities while safeguarding the nearby watersheds that yet support the species native to the region.

<So why is the MO DNR not propagating and stocking? Like releasing horses into the wild basiclly they are feral like hogs and cats feral of sorts.>

I fight a constant battle with feral cats, dumped out by 'city folks' who think they are performing a kindness by releasing unwanted cats in a rural area rather than taking responsibility for allowing them to happen in the first place. They wind up on my property where they take a terrible toll on the native small game species. Game that I have exerted great effort to encourage by planting crops to sustain them and building brushpiles to harbor them. And I have a great problem condoning people who let 'Fluffy' run free. They think it 'cute' when 'Fluffy' presents them with a kill, but I know that for every trophy that 'Fluffy' shares tens or hundreds of other creatures are killed without the knowledge of his proud owner. I don't bother the Bobcats, Coyotes or Foxes that are the native predators of small game, they preceded me and have superior rights, but a feral housecat is subject to elimination any time I can get a sight picture. If that is playing God then I must plead Mea Culpa.

<I agree I ain't helping no snake, tick, chigger, or skeeter, matter for fact I killed a large cottonmouth on White River yesterday, close to four feet in length!!! The first I have seen on the White above Buffalo City, it was in the water and moving very well. So I am sure it was not an accident that it was there.

So you too play God at times. In fact we all make daily decisions more properly belonging to a power higher than ourselves. Man is a presumptious animal.

[Terry Beeson]

Seriously...never approach any wild animal...you never know, you might look more like it's dinner than you think! Or worse, it's mate!

Pepe' Le Pew comes to mind...

No... I would look more like breakfast, lunch, dinner, and midnight snack for the next MONTH...

And don't worry... I won't be approachin' no copperhead snakes anytime soon...

[RiverRunner]

"What we need are more anacondas, to keep the human pests under control. " Funny you should say that, someone around here released a "pet" Anaconda at Wappanocca Wildlife Refuge over near the Mississippi River that has been spotted several times. Also, concerning snake handling deaths, most have occurred in recent years in snake handling church services when the bitten person did not seek medical attention. With anti-venom that is available these days, you really have to be trying for a snake to kill you.