{"id":18475,"date":"2014-11-07T20:00:32","date_gmt":"2014-11-07T20:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thewildbeat.com\/?p=18475"},"modified":"2022-04-28T10:23:09","modified_gmt":"2022-04-28T10:23:09","slug":"sharing-wildlife-locations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/?p=18475","title":{"rendered":"Wildlife Locations: When Sharing Endangers the Animals"},"content":{"rendered":"

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” center_content=”no” last=”no” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=””][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=””]<\/p>\n

\"Northern\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

[The photos here are of animals, scenes and experiences shared by or with\u00a0fellow photographers and birders.]<\/em><\/p>\n

To Share or Not Share Wildlife Locations<\/h2>\n

One of the best things about\u00a0wildlife photography,\u00a0outside of spending time with wild animals, is the community you\u00a0build. A good number of us\u00a0grew into this pursuit\u00a0because\u00a0we connected with\u00a0animals … which then translated naturally to observing them behind the lens. \u00a0Most of us share a zeal for the craft, and\u00a0—\u00a0especially\u00a0—\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>a\u00a0lovefor our subjects, the animals we photograph and also\u00a0protect,\u00a0fervently.<\/p>\n

Over the years, other photographers have entrusted me with their emeralds and sapphires — sharing their best\u00a0wild sightings and most sacred spaces. I’m grateful for the privilege. And I enjoy\u00a0paying their goodness\u00a0forward\u00a0by sharing\u00a0my own information and inspiration with others.<\/p>\n

In my mind, that’s the way it should be.<\/p>\n

\"Wild<\/p>\n

But, this is REAL\u00a0LIFE<\/em>, right?<\/p>\n

It’s happened to me and to many people I know\u00a0— the betrayal of that disclosure. You start out sharing with enthusiasm, then learn over time your\u00a0information was\u00a0misused.<\/p>\n

In one case, I disclosed some locations\u00a0to\u00a0a photographer and later learned he regularly trampled over basic wildlife\u00a0ethics, and invited others to do the same.<\/em><\/p>\n

An\u00a0acquaintance of mine\u00a0gave\u00a0information about Burrowing Owls to a trusted colleague\u00a0who promised she would keep the location confidential. Then, that person showed up with friends, posted the location online,\u00a0and the word spread exponentially until the location was overrun. The owls didn’t return to that spot the following year, which may or may not be related.<\/em><\/p>\n

In my life travels, these are the exceptions. I’ve had more positive experiences than I’ve had\u00a0disappointments.\u00a0But it’s tough\u00a0to assess a\u00a0person’s\u00a0intent in person, let alone online, so I’ve become much more selective about what\u00a0I disclose in public. I’m not\u00a0hoarder<\/em>\u00a0of information. I simply\u00a0view\u00a0the\u00a0animal’s welfare as my\u00a0top priority.<\/p>\n

\"Snowy<\/p>\n

Even with wide disclosure of locations, most photographer-wildlife interactions don’t result in lethal or injurious effects for the animals. There is, however, another\u00a0consideration when deciding what to reveal.\u00a0Several years ago,\u00a0I came upon a piece in Field and Stream, where the author, a hunter,\u00a0discussed using birding lists for\u00a0scouting.<\/p>\n

“When Waterfowlers Lie, Turn to Birdwatchers to Help Zero In on Area Ducks” ~ Excerpts:<\/strong><\/p>\n

“When it comes to divulging useful information about the ducks and geese they hunt, waterfowlers are easily the shiftiest, most obtuse and completely untrustworthy pack of liars in the outdoors. I know I am, and I’m pretty sure you are, too.\u00a0Asking a duck hunter, especially a public water duck hunter, to share info about the ducks he’s been seeing is tantamount to asking him to share Polaroids of his wife. It just ‘aint gonna happen.”<\/em><\/p>\n

“But if you really want to get you and your dog into some birds, here’s a tip on a gold mine of potential waterfowl information that’s right under your nose and right at your fingertips, and the best part is it’s completely tamper-proof from waterfowling degenerates like us: birdwatching listservs. That’s right, birdwatchers.”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

To be fair, he claims to use listservs to get a sense of migration patterns, not to target particular ducks. But you may remember the controversy a couple of\u00a0years back about a Harlequin Duck shot in Utah. There was suspicion, I don’t know if it was confirmed, that the hunters used birding lists to find and shoot at that particular location.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0ABA blog discussed this incident in\u00a0How the Harlequin Duck Lost His Life<\/a>. A commenter on that\u00a0post wrote:<\/p>\n

“The Falcated Duck at the Colusa National Wildlife Refuge this past winter could have suffered the same fate if it had been found outside the non-hunting zone. Hunters found out about it from the listservs and then on a hunting discussion forum several were talking about ways to get it to leave the non-hunting area so they could shoot it. In Humboldt County, there is a hunter who checks the listserv and the local telephone birdbox because he uses it to find rare ducks to shoot for trophies. He shot a Steller’s Eider on South Humboldt Bay years ago. Hunters and falconers can and do use directions birders give for rare birds to their advantage.”<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Male<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The following short\u00a0exchange\u00a0comes\u00a0from a popular waterfowl hunting board:<\/p>\n

COMMENTER 1:\u00a0Anybody on here heard of or use [the bird listserv]? It is an email list where bird watchers report sightings, field reports, interesting bird behavior. I am a birdwatcher and a hunter. This resource seems to be helpful to give an overview of migration. People report on new birds moving into their “birding” spots. It’s an interesting email. I don’t let too many birders know I am a hunter because of the fowl (hehe) reactions I have gotten ….<\/p>\n

COMMENTER 2: Read it everyday … rarely post to it … its been a scouting tool for years.<\/p>\n

COMMENTER 3:\u00a0Typically when I start chasing seaducks I visit this site. Great secondary scouting tool. There info can be more accurate than the forums.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The situation is obviously more precarious for birds on hunting bucket lists — the birds coveted as trophies and collections. A\u00a0piece at\u00a0Outdoor Life listed “8 Birds to Bag Before You Die.”\u00a0I won’t link out, but here are a few excerpts to show what these beautiful birds are up against:<\/p>\n

\n
    \n
  1. King\u00a0Eider: “King eiders are maybe the rarest of prizes …”<\/li>\n
  2. Cinnamon Teal: “Hunters looking to put a U.S. teal slam together face a serious challenge when it comes to this small, dark-red duck.”<\/li>\n
  3. Barrow’s Goldeneye: “This blue-headed, yellow-eyed duck can haunt any hunter who wants to complete a sea-duck collection.”<\/li>\n
  4. Mottled Duck: “On the bright side, because mottled ducks don\u2019t migrate, they\u2019re one of the most banded waterfowl, so you have a good chance of adding some bling to your lanyard.”<\/li>\n
  5. Brandt Geese: “Brant make a great addition to Canada and white-front goose mounts and provide a different style of hunting.”<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    Does\u00a0this listserv issue matter?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    It doesn’t to some people, including some birders and photographers. I’ve read opinions suggesting that if the\u00a0activity is\u00a0legal, it ought to be\u00a0acceptable. I don’t share that view for many reasons. But for the purposes of this discussion,\u00a0I feel personally\u00a0responsible\u00a0if I’ve made anyone, human or nonhuman, more vulnerable because of my actions or revelations.<\/p>\n

    \"Barrow's<\/p>\n

    INTENT ~\u00a0WHEN SHARING\u00a0HELPS PROTECT<\/h3>\n

    Buddhists have a term, samma sankappa,\u00a0<\/i>which loosely interpreted speaks to “RIGHT INTENT”: the intent of\u00a0goodwill and harmlessness. That’s obviously an over-simplification.\u00a0But in deciding what to share without completely withholding, intent and possible outcome inform my wildlife choices.<\/p>\n

    Will sharing this information have the effect of harm or harmlessness? Or better yet, can sharing this achieve some possible benefit to the animals?<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    One “should I\/shouldn’t I” situation for me was in the context of a\u00a0citizen science project. I was the first to stumble upon a local colony of Caspian Terns — a nesting colony\u00a0we later monitored for eggs and chicks. Because the terns\u00a0were in an urban area, subject to the tolerance of local landowners, I didn’t know how much to say or report when I first discovered them. Ultimately, I contemplated the above question\u00a0and decided that the more people who knew about the colony, the better the chances of public protest\u00a0should any action be taken to haze or remove the terns (something that’s happened with some regularity\u00a0in the Northwest).<\/p>\n

    \"Caspian<\/p>\n

    \u00a0MY PERSONAL RULES:<\/h3>\n
      \n
    1. I don’t share locations of nests, dens or baby animals. One exception would be a public rookery like the heron rookery just down the street from us. It’s in a public park, well known and monitored by a local conservation\u00a0group. There are so many\u00a0reasons not to bother baby wild animals — spooking the parents away, creating a scent trail for predators — and I don’t want to contribute to that hazard.<\/li>\n
    2. I don’t share (for the reasons stated above) locations of animals that could be targeted during hunting season. That includes birds and mammals. If I think disclosure of the location might in any way make that animal a target,\u00a0I refrain.<\/li>\n
    3. I\u00a0trust my hunches about when to share with individuals. For instance, Hugh and I met two men at a remote Washington wildlife refuge, saying they were birders, and asking about rare ducks we may have seen. Their demeanor and the questions they asked made us believe\u00a0they were probably scouting a hunt. We didn’t reveal anything.<\/li>\n
    4. If I share information with a new photographer, I\u00a0include my sentiments\u00a0about field ethics. I made some ignorant mistakes at the outset of my own endeavors,\u00a0and I benefitted from those who helped me to better\u00a0understand.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      \"American<\/p>\n

      To my fellow photographers and wildlife people: What\u00a0are your thoughts on this issue? Do you share on listservs? Do you feel uncomfortable at all\u00a0with location disclosures?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

      <\/h4>\n

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