In the Absence of Predators

"Young. . . . presents in eight readable chapters various public misconceptions, scientific oversights, and management misjudgments responsible for the Kaibab myth. Voluminous endnotes and a 13-page bibliography give credence to his illuminations and assertions."-Choice ". . . Illuminates the political, scientific, and social processes that dictate wildlife policy and challenges the "tired" wisdom that still prevails far too frequently in public dialogues over wildlife resources."-Montana The Magazine of Western History "The book does an excellent job of detailing the complex sequence of events-biological, ecological, and political-that surrounded the swings in the deer population in the 1920's. . . . Recommended both for those wanting a full accounting of the people and organizations behind this particular attempt at wildlife management, as well as others who may want to study this case as an example of the kind of dynamic that plays when we attempt to understand and deal with any natural system."-E-Streams "What happened-or, more correctly, what the various agencies, scientists, and popular media thought happened and what they sought to make of it-is the subject of this thoughtful study. It isn't a pretty story. . . . In the Absence of Predators deserves a wide audience."-Isis "Young does succeed in his primary goal of showing how a science that is poorly suited to provide specific directives for action in the real world still can generate a compelling and consequential narrative."-Peter S. Alagona, Environmental History "For environmental historians interested in the role of scientists in the making of policy, Young provides a fine example of how to unpack all of the contradictory information and theories that can fall under the rubric of 'science.'"-Journal of the History of Biology "His account demonstrates not only the limits of scientific understanding, but also provides a glimpse of how politics can influence scientific undertakings."-Western Historical Quarterly "A fine book, well worth reading for those who follow the endless struggle between conservationists and land users. It should also appeal to ecologists and other scientists who chase the literary labyrinth of nature writers, land use critics, and the history of human existence on the land."-Jay M. Haymond, Utah Historical Quarterly

Christian C. Young is an assistant professor in the Division of Natural Sciences at Alverno College in Milwaukee.

List of Illustrations; List of Maps; Acknowledgments; Introduction; 1. Buckskin Mountain; 2. Beasts in the Garden; 3. A Deer Dilemma; 4. Getting to the Bottom of Things; 5. Taking Notice of the Kaibab Deer; 6. Scientific Expertise in the Midst of Controversy; 7. Big Game Management Plans on the Kaibab; 8. The Exception That Proved the Rule; Epilogue; Notes; Bibliography; Index