Indegenous Wildlife ca. 19th century America

[Justin Runyon]

Re: Indegenous Wildlife ca. 19th century America

Speaking for Indiana:

Many people have wondered why there is a bison on our Stae Seal (in fact, my fiance had to argue with a teacher during her last semester in college that bison were indeginous). We certainly had them here in our early Statehood. By the 1860's they, like the peoples we were named after, were all but gone.

Most Indiana game present today were present then as well. By 1957 we had hunted the White tail deer to extinction...let me assure you that this is no longer a problem here. Quail, coyote, grey squirrel, crow, blue birds, Jays, martins, starlings, grackel, pigeons, chipmunk, rabbit, muskrat, possum, raccoon, and many more all still abound (a few of the above routinely are found in my garage).

Three off the top of my head that we have had fair success in bringing back in recent years (would have been common in s. 19):
Bobcat: You can hear them scream out at my parents house now, they sound like an evil woman.
Turkey: So successful that we have two hunting seasons now.
Pheasant: Not doing quite as well with these, mostly in Northern Indiana, which any true Hoosier will tell you is full of fake Hoosiers that trace their lineage to PA and OH...Gads!!

Wolves only live in Wolf Park in Lafayette, though they did roam free at one time.

Bill Young would be profoundly better at discussing this than I. I may have eaten nearly every living creature, but Bill has likely killed one.

[Cfarrell]

Re: Indegenous Wildlife ca. 19th century America

Joe A. and Everyone,

Both the black bear and the panther (as well as the cougar) can still be seen in Northwest Louisiana. Though few in numbers they are still around. I believe that the state of Louisiana released some black bear back into the wild several years ago. I remember reading a newspaper article about a number of black bear being sited around Shreveport about two years back.

Now the panther and the cougar too have both been sighted in the area. I have seen a few panther's have their pictures taken by the tree cameras that deer hunters use to locate deer. Now the cougar or "mountain lion" I have seen with my own eyes at my Grandparents (8 miles south of Pleasant Hill.) Pretty scary thing to see when you are 12 years old hunting squirrels by your self. I wasn't expecting to see that come trotting out of the brush and they never told me that they were around.

I've also seen a turkey...and a few road-runners.

Regards,

[Rmhisteach]

Re: Indegenous Wildlife ca. 19th century America

I have found this disscussion interesting and somewhat amusing.

I think that our knowledge of the era we protray can only help our impressions.

An example is a Pheasent feather stuck in a hat I used to see that years ago . I know that featheres are mostly a streamer thing but....The ring necked pheasent from whom that feather came was not introduced to north America until 1881.

Keep the bits' of information coming :)

Rm

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: Indegenous Wildlife ca. 19th century America

How I could forget the Diamondback Terrapin?

[Rev]

Re: Indegenous Wildlife ca. 19th century America

In Arkansas where I grew up bears were so common in the 19th cent. that bear oil was a major trade item. Matter of fact Oil Trough got its name from that trade.

Of course the state bird, the mosquito, was around in our period, as were the tick, red bug (chigger), and the all time favourite of swamp boys like me, the water moccasin.

[Secesh]

Re: Indegenous Wildlife ca. 19th century America

Grizzlies once roamed freely over all of California, which is why it's on our State flag...today you'd be hard pressed to find one anywhere in the State roaming wild...

[Secesh]

Re: Indegenous Wildlife ca. 19th century America

Same with the California Condor, which number less than 100 now in the wild...

[GreencoatCross]

Re: Indegenous Wildlife ca. 19th century America

Garrison,

I remember seeing many diamondback terrapins down in the Carolina salt-water marshes and swamps when I was a kid. I can't exactly remember where they were located but those things seemed to be crossing the roads in droves. At one time on the same vacation, my dad pulled the van over so I could jump out and try to get one off the road before someone ran it over...just before I got to it someone in the oncoming lane swerved and deliberately smashed it.

Does anyone know the status of the hellbender salamander in your region?

[rmassella]

Re: Indegenous Wildlife ca. 19th century America

At one time, the Eastern Elk's range included Pennsylvania but it has since become extinct. In 1913 the Rocky Mountain Elk (which I think is different from the Eastern Elk) was introduced to Pennsylvania. Today's Elk heard can be traced back to those animals released between 1913-1926. As of the Fall of 2007 the Pennsylvania Elk heard is estimated to exceed 700 animals. The Elk range encompasses the northern counties of Pennsylvania (Cemeron, Elk, Clinton, Potter, and Tioga Counties).

[Lone Guard]

Re: Indegenous Wildlife ca. 19th century America

The Arizona Game & Fish Department published a book that used original sources to document the earliest game sightings mentioned in the state. Noted were grizzly bears and wolves, both of which are no longer found in the state, although there has been an attempt to reintroduce wolves. What is interesting is that there is no early mention of elk, but there are places in AZ where they are a pest to ranchers. Martin mentioned beavers which there are some, but they aren't the original variety and the same goes with wild turkeys. Both of those had to be re-intorduced.

Mick, when I was younger (somewhere between the 5th and 7th grade), my mom and I were hiking in Madeira Canyon and we came across a mother black bear and a cub. My mom quickly made us about-face and run (yes, run) the other direction while blowing a whistle. Black bears are the only specie of bear still found in Arizona, though I think their numbers are pretty low.

[Spinster]

Re: Indegenous Wildlife ca. 19th century America

Does anyone know the status of the hellbender salamander in your region?

I inadvertantly pulled a hellbender from the waters of CutCane Creek in Fannin County, Georgia, within the last decade.

Put it back too. Right quick. Mama laughed........

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: Indegenous Wildlife ca. 19th century America

I have a hellbender story for another time and another place. Lets just say I know of one that is alive and healthy and has a palate for young digits.

One fringe topic of this thread is the interest in fossils that was growing in the early 1800's. They can be found in part, along with living flora, fauna and geological topics, in the journals of Ebenezer Emmons, William Bartram, Thomas Jefferson and John Lawson just to name a few.

http://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/emmons/menu.html

http://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/bartram/bartram.html

http://docsouth.unc.edu/southlit/jefferson/menu.html

http://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/lawson/menu.html

[Malingerer]

Re: Indegenous Wildlife ca. 19th century America

Bachman's Warbler was indigenous to the swamplands of the South Carolina lowcountry. Hasn't been a reliable sighting in nearly a century.

[mobluegraysoldier]

Re: Indegenous Wildlife ca. 19th century America

While the discussion of about the species east of the Mississippi, a good source for information about various species found in the areas to the west is the Corps. of Discovery's journals, kept by Lewis and Clark. You will see that many of the species were sent back to President Jefferson as both living and preserved specimens.

Here in Missouri we have seen an increasing number of sightings of black bears, and panthers. In some areas of the southern part of the state black bears are now a nuisance for home owners and farmers. We have had sightings and observations of wandering individual elk and moose. It is believed that the elk and moose were just wandering animals following river systems in search of suitable habitat and territory.

There has been some talk of the DoC and the NPS/USFS introducing elk back into the southern part of the state in the Scenic River Trailways system and into the national forests located nearby. The biggest problem is private holdings scattered throughout the area which might be adversely affected by large, free roaming animals.

On a side note, I am planning on getting a shipping container and gathering up all of the armadillos that have migrated to Missouri from Oklahoma, Texas and Louisanna and send them back down south. Unfortunately, global warming has convinced these micro excavators to move North! Now, who wants to accept delivery when the container is full?

[Micah Trent]

Re: Indegenous Wildlife ca. 19th century America

It has been very interesting reading all of this.
Being from Kentucky, the state was famous for its hunting, including bears and elk. By the end of the 19th century, bears and elk were hard to find around the state. Not until five or six years ago, Kentucky Wildlife groups help brought these creatures back. Now bears are being spotted in western Kentucky as well as southeastern Kentucky and elk are now in season during cetain times of the year scattered throughout the state.
Just my two cents.:)