The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Thousands of Prairie Dogs Killed ... Just For Fun!

anodes · June 19, 2000, 03:27 PM

A friend of mine started me in Hi-Power Comp., when I asked what he shot P.D.s with he answered, ".308, M1A of course."

How can we justify the senseless slaughter of 10ks of rodents per year?

Easy, loss of predators. Here in Northern Az. the Blackfooted Ferret was THE ultimate P.D. Hunter. Small enough to get into the holes, the B.F. ferret scored the very 10ks of P.D.s and thier young we are talking about. Naturally in the old days people were less inclined to use 1 bullet per dog and more inclined to protect thier livelyhoods with poisons. Both against the P.D.s which reproduce quickly and Coyotes which also predate on the Praire Dogs.

These poisons WIPED OUT the natural Blackfooted Ferret population of Northern Az (courtesy of Sec.Dep.Int. Bruce Babbet's father and assoc.).

The point being that the unnatural predation of shooters is only REPLACING the loss of natural predators that humans have already removed.

Me? ".223, AR-15 of course."
anodes.

June 19, 2000, 03:27 PM	#17
anodes Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2000 Location: Sedona, AZ, USA Posts: 160	A friend of mine started me in Hi-Power Comp., when I asked what he shot P.D.s with he answered, ".308, M1A of course." How can we justify the senseless slaughter of 10ks of rodents per year? Easy, loss of predators. Here in Northern Az. the Blackfooted Ferret was THE ultimate P.D. Hunter. Small enough to get into the holes, the B.F. ferret scored the very 10ks of P.D.s and thier young we are talking about. Naturally in the old days people were less inclined to use 1 bullet per dog and more inclined to protect thier livelyhoods with poisons. Both against the P.D.s which reproduce quickly and Coyotes which also predate on the Praire Dogs. These poisons WIPED OUT the natural Blackfooted Ferret population of Northern Az (courtesy of Sec.Dep.Int. Bruce Babbet's father and assoc.). The point being that the unnatural predation of shooters is only REPLACING the loss of natural predators that humans have already removed. Me? ".223, AR-15 of course." anodes.