Prairie dogs on their way to pest status

[truthpusher]

I found the Prairie Dog Photo, not from the article.

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2005/02/23/news/local/top/news01.txt

Last Updated: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 10:58 PM MST

Prairie dogs on their way to pest status
By Denise Ross, Journal Staff Writer

PIERRE -- Prairie dogs are on their way once again to having the status of pest in South Dakota after a legislative committee vote Tuesday.

A bill that would allow the state to declare as pests some colonies of the much maligned rodent under limited circumstances passed the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on a unanimous vote Tuesday.

(snip)

Nancy Hilding, president of Prairie Hills Audubon Society, said SB216 would result in some prairie dogs in South Dakota receiving protection while others are targeted for elimination.

"I believe you're creating legal chaos here," Hilding said.

complete story:
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2005/02/23/news/local/top/news01.txt

[Lorien]

1. We humans, the ultimate "pest" species

just can't get enough of killing every other living thing on the planet (including one another). :-(

[alittlelark]

2. They live peacefully,

They must be bad!!

[prairierose]

3. Well, yup...that's South Dakota politics for you....

every few years they want to blame the prairie dogs for drought, the overgrazing, the lack of land management by ranchers, OTOH, once upon a time they did hunt them to keep them under better control because those little suckers breed like rabbits!

from
Poems From the Edge of Paradise
copyright 2002 Kim R. Alarie

Just my opinion Prairie "rats" ?

Recently a bill was introduced into the South Dakota Legislature to change the name of the "Prairie Dog" to the "Prairie rat". While I understand the farmer’s and ranchers' dislike of this creature; there is no doubt they do cause problems. But an attempt to denigrate them by renaming them Prairie rats could have other repercussions.

Our tourist industry has worked for years to make Prairie dogs cute & cuddly in order to sell them to tourists. Seriously, think about the other wildlife we have.

The Mammoths are certainly fascinating, but they're dead. The buffalo are magnificent creatures, but cute & cuddly they're not. Coyotes are coyotes -- cute & cuddly -- I think not. Pheasants are beautiful birds, but cute -- nope. Rattlesnakes are -- well -- need I say more? And although the legendary jackalope is certainly something. It really isn't cute either.

How many tourists driving along I-90 would stop for a sign that says, "WHOA --stop see the Prairie Rat town." " STOP see 6 foot Prairie Rat".
And let's not forget all those signs in Custer State Park that would say "Prairie Rat town ahead".

Who would pay for all of those signs to be changed? But more importantly, what would the tourists think?

"Martha -- not only are these the wide open spaces, these people are so bored, they get excited about seeing rats!"
"What the heck is a prairie rat anyway?"
"Whoever heard of rats living in a town of their own. What, they have civilized rats here?"
"Sheesh, we have rats in the big city too, but we don't think they live in their own communities."

So, if only for the sake of our tourist industry, I really think that we should stop & contemplate the future of the Prairie Dog.

[solinvictus]

4. I'm something of a hunter...

and I wouldn't shoot those little guys. Look at them, enjoying their little lives that Providence gave them. Leave them be and look at the real pests, the people who in all likelihood have been poor custodians of the lands in question.

[davepc]

5. They're cute and cuddly untill a horse or livestock steps in their burrow

and breaks its leg and needs to be put down.


They're rats, for all intensive purposes. Unchecked rodent populations are a public health problem, they are carries of disease among other things.

They don't need to be genocided as a species, but safe reasonable effective humane ways to limit their population should be allowed.

[Lorien]

7. What bullshit

"unchecked"? they were doing just fine until we decided their land would make profitable golf courses. "They carry disease". Really? Pray tell, just what diseases do they carry? Just those nebulous dread plagues that GOP run "pest control" companies invent to get state governments to pony up hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to "control" that which whatever God you believe in created as a natural and essential part of the ecosystem.

I've ridden horses my entire life-in every part of this country, including the West. The only hole a horse of mine ever toppled from was MAN MADE. The animal fell on top of me; it's a wonder that I wasn't killed. Should I seek revenge against the human being who dug the hole, or should I just watch where I'm going in the future?

[Coventina]

11. Yeah, if something is an inconvenience to us it should be eliminated!

They don't deserve to live!!!

:eyes:

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

6. look like squirrels- which co exist with humans in every city-let em live

I thought ther post said they are on their way to "PET" status.
That would be great!

[truthisfreedom]

9. i've got squirrels in my attic. they're pests.

believe me. i can't sleep when they're gnawing. i called an exterminator yesterday.

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

13. yeah killing is ALWAYS the solution--just look at Iraq-ARABS are pests

no, don't seal your attic with screen, too much trouble--just kill
Killing= the American Way

[NMDemDist2]

8. wouldn/t this be a direct result of killing all the coyotes and wolves

that kept the PD population in check?

[u4ic]

10. Also add taking away eagle and hawk habitats

as they eat them too.

They are the cutest little thangs...

[SomewhereOutThere424]

12. That's what

The GOP wants anyway. The taking of wolves off of the threatened list was denied in supreme court -- They're trying to kill wolves off anyway they can. Bunch of ignorant little red riding hood ranchers wanting to make life convenient as possible as they murder the smallest little thing and act like it's okay...

Wouldn't it be funny if a truly environmental friendly president got in, and the US became a utopia? Gun toting yahoos didn't kill things, but instead we learned to respect life and were all happier for it, and we didn't need to provoke nuclear wars with people we admit we think are dangerous for the sake of testosterone?

Then again...the prairie dogs! My god the prairie dogs! We couldn't have utopia when...these...these RATS are in my backyard. Who needs utopia when animals actually come into my backyard?

All satire aside...I agree highly with you. If actual science were to take a look at these findings, a lot of lives would be saved, including wolves and coyotes. It's sad people think with their yard and not with their brain sometimes...