A little Invasive Species Trivia. Pick one from each column A & B. What is the best and worst that live in your area? See the fi

[Carl Huber]

A little Invasive Species Trivia. Pick one from each column A & B. What is the best and worst that live in your area? See the first post for mine.

[Carl Huber]

Living in the North East the best is easy Apples. Not in America 300 years ago now it is a varied and delicious crop. The worst was the Gypsy Moth. In the larva stage it denude every tree for several years. Their waste sounded like a light rain and was filthy. After 2 or 3 seasons their numbers were so great they ate their food source [every tree or plant] before they could reproduce. This happened in the early 80's and I do not miss them.

[bayouwoof]

The best in the Northwess is Pheasants.

The worst is either Sea Lampreys or Yankees.

Hard to choose!

[Carl Huber]

Maybe so bayou, but I do have a friend that moved to Colorado. He was welcomed when they found out he didn't come from California.

[Ontario Honker Hunter]

I guess the best up here is whitetailed deer. Yep, a hundred years ago there weren't any. Now we have lots of them. Hasn't been good for the moose though because the deer carry brainworm parasite which they can live with but kills moose. A pheasant population has been establishing itself here locally. They're escapees from a pay-for-hunting farm out near the sewage treatment ponds. Maybe in a few years they'll get going enough to be huntable. I believe we have a season but I don't shoot at them yet.

On the worst side I guess I'll have to go with zebra mussels or milfoil. Both have not spread too far yet but it's only a matter of time. If everyone would clean off their boats at the launch (and more importantly their trailers), it would sure help. Nothing ticks me off more than to see some douche driving down the highway dragging a bunch of vegetable matter one his boat trailer! Perhaps the worst threat to fishing, though not here yet is rusty crayfish which is actually a North American species. Only buy your bait locally and from guys who catch their own locally. And NEVER throw bait out when you're through fishing. That includes night crawlers and worms which are also an invasive species in the boreal forest. They can really do a number on things here too.

Emerald ash borer is already in Northern Minnesota so won't be long before it lays waste to our black ash forests and the massive green ash forests south of here. When they are done, this critter will have killed off perhaps a third of the deciduous forests in North American east and Midwest. That will have a significant impact on the climate and weather patterns. We can thank the box stores' outsourcing for this one. The bug came in on a wooden palette for junk merchandise from China.

[Gary Devine]

The worst in New Jersey would be the large snakeheads and flatheads indiscriminately consume any fish species small enough to fit into their enormous mouths.

I know this is a bad invasive species for New Jersey and there already located in one of are southern counties. I would love to hunt them in the north. I could hunt the same week the "Feral Hogs", whitetail deer and black bear during the same six day season.

I can’t wait!

[country road]

That's a hard one down here in the South. For the worst, we have to choose among cogon grass, kudzu, feral hogs and fire ants, to name just a few. At least, here in SW AL we don't have to include pythons and boa constrictors as in South Forida.

For the best, I guess I'd have to pick Japanese Honeysuckle. It smells great and deer love it, but some still consider it a nuisance.

[bayouwoof]

Herr Huber -

You have whut it takes to take over WAM's position.

You wear yore skin like arn!

Figgered you wuz watchin.

[Carl Huber]

Bayou those would be a big pair of sneakers to fill. Myself I would like to see his Curmudgeon A$$ return.

[Guest]

Best would be wild turkeys. I remember when there weren't any in Oklahoma, and damn few in Texas.
Worst is hard to say. Damnyankees, feral hogs, or fire ants. Flip a quarter and take your choice, they all share a few character traits.

[Carl Huber]

06 & bayou. I have to show my wife this. Since there is no closed season on Yankee's maybe I can convince her to help re-propagate the herd. Or at least try 8-)

[Guest]

Carl Huber-
Best regards to your lovely and fair minded wife. Hope she is still managing to keep you on the straight and narrow path to righteousness. I do not envy her this task.

[Trapper Vic]

there is no good invasive (tending to spread prolifically and undesirably or harmfully), sorry. Bad whew! Emerald ash borer, Osage, honey suckle, zebra muscle, gobies.

[jhjimbo]

Zebra Muscles and Gobies in Lake Erie and the Asian Carp is threatening. Emerald Ash borer is killing all the Ash trees.
Best is White tail deer and Turkey in Ohio. Whitetail harvest in 2012 was 225,000. In 1975 the entire herd was estimated at 60,000.

[Carl Huber]

Yes 06 she is a lot of fun and has been saddled with a thankless task. She has also informed me regretfully that the propagation of our herd will be left to our progeny. She also told me that I might as well pick out my corner of the Smithsonian. For I am sure to suffer the fate of all Dinosaurs as far as she was concerned. Besides she mused that she was a big fan of Roy Rogers and deserves no fate better than his horse Trigger. To be stuffed and occasionally vacuumed.