11.4 Carrying Capacity

I would like to see more wildlife in my area. Why doesn’t the Department of Fish and Wildlife capture wildlife and release the animals in my area?

This always sounds like a good idea, and it seems simple enough. Capture wildlife in one area, and then take them and release them in another area so that we can increase wildlife populations. Unfortunately, this idea rarely works!

If an area has good habitat, it probably already has wildlife living in the habitat. If an area has poor wildlife habitat, capturing and releasing wildlife in that area will not increase wildlife numbers.

Carrying Capacity: The number of animals the habitat can support throughout the year without damage to the animals or to the habitat.