Speech 3 Outline PDF

Preview

Summary

Outline for the third speech. ...

Description

04/08/2019 CMN 500.01 Persuasive Speech outline Title: Killing for Conservation: The Case for Hunting

 he importance of hunting as a means for deer conservation in the United States Topic: T  o persuade General Purpose: T  o persuade my audience that hunting is not antiquated, but vitally important Specific Purpose: T for the health of our natural landscape Behavioral Outcome: B  y the end of my speech I’d like audience members to feel more positive about traditional hunting, and I’d like them to understand how hunting can actually help and improve an ecosystem Thesis: D  eer are a staple in the United States’ forests, so much so that many industries are built around them. People pay to hunt them, go on nature walks to see them, buy feeders to feed them, and why shouldn't they? Deer are a classic symbol of Americana and the great outdoors, and in this era of climate change and habitat destruction, shouldn't we be doing everything in our power to help increase their numbers? Deer were nearly hunted to extinction in the early 1900’s, and now their population is almost back to pre-colonial levels (Webb 2019). This may seem like a tremendous victory for conservationists around the country, but the reality is that our infrastructure can't support these enormous deer numbers - and our roads, citizens, and even other wildlife are paying the price for our love of deer. Introduction: 1. I know a lot of you in this class are in the environmental field, and probably a good chunk of you are in it because you love animals. Maybe you're in veterinary science, or you're a wildlife ecology major, but even if you're not you probably still have an appreciation for wildlife. In this era of climate change and habitat destruction, I believe we be doing everything in our power to protect and preserve what wildlife we have left. 2. With that in mind, it may seem somewhat contradictory, but in this presentation I’m going to try to convince you that the best way to preserve one of North America’s most iconic animals, is by hunting them. Today, we’re going to be talking about the problem with deer and the case for hunting. 3. Now, before we get into it I’d just like to remove any the idea that you may think I have some bias on the issue

a. I’m not a hunter b. Actually a vegetarian c. The use of scientific articles and research studies 4. So today I’d like to talk about how hunting is not only important, but necessary for the management of deer herds and other game animals a. History of deer hunting in the U.S. b. Crash and rise of deer populations c. Consequences of conservation Body: 1. Historically deer were managed naturally by native americans and predators until Europeans began colonising North America a. Most tribes that relied on deer as a food source lead a semi-nomadic existence, which allowed deer populations to remain relatively stable over time and rebound once a tribe had moved on from the area (Trefethen 1970) b. Deer populations remained this way until the Americas started being colonized. The colonists saw deer as a plentiful resource, and they were hunted mercilessly. After many decades of hunting, their numbers began to decline. Rhode Island was the first state to implement hunting restrictions, but this did little to curb the harvest as hunters just crossed state lines to harvest more deer (Trefethen 1970) c. As the colonies expanded west, deer were starting to be completely exterminated from the landscape. By the turn of the 20th century, deer were almost entirely extinct in the United States (Webb 2019). 2. Early conservationists began lobbying for stricter control, which helped deer populations too much a. The Lacey Act of 1900 was the first federal law protecting wildlife, and it prevented the illegal hunting and interstate sale of wildlife killed in violation of state laws (“Lacey Act.”) b. The Pittman-Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, passed in 1937, also aided in the recovery of the deer herd (Trefethen 1970). This act placed an 11 cent tax on all hunting equipment, and the funds from this tax were to be used in state wildlife restoration projects. c. These two acts, coupled with the near extermination of wolves from the mainland U.S., allowed deer populations to slowly rebound. 3. With a declining hunting population and new restrictions on hunting, deer rebounded at an enormous rate a. Deer population increased by over 13,000% in under 100 years and has had dramatic consequences on our landscape

b. There are many reasons that high deer densities can cause a problem for a community; more deer means more ticks. More ticks means more lyme disease, and that leads to about 30,000 new cases in the U.S. every year (Kilpatrick 2014). More deer also lead to more car accidents, with someone dying about every two days in the U.S. from deer related collisions (Alan and Wells 2005). c. These ticks aren’t just a problem for humans, they have also been destroying moose populations. You may have heard that moose are heading north to colder climates due to massive tick loads - this can certainly be attributed to warmer winters allowing for higher tick survival rates, but high deer densities only exacerbate this problem. d. Decades of severe deer overbrowsing in Minnesota has made it impossible for many tree species to reproduce, and has drastically reduced overall forest productivity (White 2012). Damage done by deer to certain areas of Smoky Mountain National Park in Tennessee has been so severe that many plant species could be unable to recolonize their own native habitats (Webster 2005). Some areas of Maine have been so overrun with deer that communities resorted to hired sharpshooters to thin the herd (Mere 2008) e. Because we’ve mostly eliminated natural predators from our landscape, it’s up to us to manage the deer population in a sustainable way. Conclusion: 1. The fact of the matter is, well managed deer harvests through citizens hunting is the most efficient and cost effective way to handle this situation - and with 2 million less hunters today than 10 years ago, we need to do something to increase those numbers before the situation gets any worse. 2. The barrier to entry for hunting is relatively low, the cost per person is minimal 3. Hunters are vital for not only for our ecosystem, but also our economy; every year the taxes they pay on permits and ammunition contributes more than 1 billion dollars for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other conservation organizations across the country. 4. Besides the environmental benefits, hunting also helps feed the hungry. Every year hunters contribute tens of thousands of pounds of venison to local food banks to feed the less fortunate. 5. So what can you do? After hearing the consequences you still may not be willing to go pick up a rifle and hunt a deer. 6. There are several organizations you can support that bring hunters together and assist in the management of deer herds so you don’t have to a. Quality Deer Management Association b. Whitetails Unlimited c. National Deer Association

7. Hunting is a service that millions of Americans participate in every year, and when hunting is done in a legal and respectful way, it supports conservation, helps maintain a healthy deer herd, and keeps our ecosystem in balance.

Works Cited Allan, William F, and Wells, Joann K. "Characteristics of Vehicle-Animal Crashes in Which Vehicle Occupants Are Killed." Traffic Injury Prevention 6 1 (2005) 56–59 Cambronne, Al. Deerland: America's Hunt for Ecological Balance and the Essence of Wildness . Lyons Press, 2013. Kilpatrick, Howard J. et al. The Relationship Between Deer Density, Tick Abundance, and Human Cases of Lyme Disease in a Residential Community, Journal of Medical Entomology , Volume 51, Issue 4, 1 July 2014, Pages 777–784, https://doi.org/10.1603/ME13232 “Lacey Act.” Official Web Page of the US Fish and Wildlife Service , Department of the Interior, www.fws.gov/international/laws-treaties-agreements/us-conservation-laws/lacey-act.html. Mere, R.J. “Deer Overpopulation Is a Serious Problem.” Seacoastonline.com , Seacoastonline.com, 23 Oct. 2008, www.seacoastonline.com/article/20081023/Sports/810230378. Webb, Kent. “The Decline of Deer Populations.” Deer Friendly , 3 Feb. 2019, www.deerfriendly.com/decline-of-deer-populations. Webster, C.R., M.A. Jenkins, J.H. Rock. 2005. Long-term response of spring flora to chronic herbivory and deer exclusion in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA. Biological Conservation  125: 297–307. White, M.A. 2012. Long-term effects of deer browsing: Composition, structure, and productivity in a northeastern Minnesota old-growth forest. Forest Ecology and Management  269:222-228. Trefethen, James B. “The Return Of The White-Tailed Deer.” American Heritage , American Heritage Publishing Co., Feb. 1970, www.americanheritage.com/return-white-tailed-deer....