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heyitsmedotjaybyesterday at 8:34 PM3 repliesview on HN

1) This particular spotted big breasted eagle is hardly known and of little importance culturally. 2) Farm margins are very thin and its not up to you to dictate what an acceptable loss is. 3) Government has successfully in the past used hunting bounties to tame wilderness and increase farming productivity. The eradication of wolves in the great plains turned unremarkable scrub land into the most successful and productive era in farming the earth has ever seen. Maybe think about that next time you have a bite to eat and thank your local farmer.


Replies

9devyesterday at 8:54 PM

If a farm is economically endangered by a single-digit number of animals killed by natural predators, they have vastly more immediate problems to take care of.

onlypassingthruyesterday at 8:47 PM

Wasn't the eradication of wolves just the natural consequence of destroying the food source and way of life of the natives? Gotta get those people dead or moved if you're going to steal their land, amirite!

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Peritractyesterday at 8:53 PM

The golden eagle is one of the most culturally significant birds worldwide; it's ridiculous to dismiss that.

There was nothing unremarkable about the great plains (note the name); they didn't produce the crop yield that you value, sure, but that's not the only possible metric to measure anything against.

I think farmers are great; I don't think we should exterminate countless species to save them from one of the extremely-predictable externalities of their jobs.