Pregnant prairie dogs need to be protected not shot

The Humane Society of the United States ^ | April 20, 2017 | The Humane Society of the United States

[mdittmar]

Montana media outlets have reported that Greg Gianforte announced he would take Donald Trump Jr. on a hunting excursion to shoot Black-tailed prairie dogs in Montana. For prairie dogs, March through June is peak breeding season, which means pregnant, adult females will also be at risk. This is especially disconcerting because Black-tailed prairie dogs have an average of fewer than three pups per year.

“Prairie dogs are an important keystone species with myriad other species dependent on their survival, including the burrowing owl, black-footed ferret and nesting birds. People do not hunt these animals for food or any legitimate wildlife management purposes,” said Lindsey Sterling Krank, director for the Prairie Dog Coalition of The Humane Society of the United States. “We have a duty to protect them to ensure that every species within the ecosystem continues to thrive.”

The Prairie Dog Coalition of The HSUS has long opposed contest shoots and other shooting killing escapades where these creatures are shot for nothing more than target practice. In using high-powered weapons to kill prairie dogs, the animals can seem to explode or have body parts severed and sent flying. 

Additional Background:

• While prairie dog populations expand and contract naturally, overall the species has declined by more 95 percent across their range.
• According to the Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Multi-State Objective Plan, Montana's most recent survey in 2008 shows the state below their minimum objective levels to conserve the prairie dog.
• One of the biggest factors contributing to the decline of prairie dogs is the poisoning and shooting of prairie dogs, loss of habitat to development and agriculture, introduction of exotic diseases and climate change which all make it hard for prairie dogs and their associates to survive.                                                                    

[Red Badger]

Ewwww...................But fleas will leave a dead body rather quickly, as it cools....................

[Thibodeaux]

The coalition members should make good targets. such are the bane of America

[smokingfrog]

I wouldn’t mind shooting some prairie dogs sometime.

[G-Bear]

Only thing that could be more fun than shooting prairie dogs would be shooting rioting leftists.........

No shortage of either one.

[shotgun]

We have the Thompson Ground Squirrel here in the Columbia Basin. They are about 4-8 inches long and the pregnant ones get really fat. They can devastate ground crops pretty quick. They pop out just as the new green shoots are sprouting. We used to get a bunch of us with .22's and just slay hundreds a day. Made a lot of amazing shots. When I became the Public Works Director of a city my Parks superintendent came to me about them tearing up our parks. Since we couldn't shoot them we bought a gopher cannon. Basically a long nozzle connected to a propane tank that you placed in the hole. Turn on the gas and then flip the switch on the nozzle and KA-BOOM. you could see where their burrows were as they were shallow and the gas would explode through the whole system.

[sodpoodle]

STOP THE HATE!!!!!

Settlers called them “dogs” and “sod poodles” because of their high-pitched, bark-like call.

[SandRat]

Is this from Jeff FoxWorhy?

[right way right]

“5 Fresh prairie dog (caught in the early spring)”

Do they taste different after early spring?

[bigbob]

What the hell is a 22 made for then?

[CIB-173RDABN]

We have a duty to protect them to ensure that every species within the ecosystem continues to thrive.”

---

So we can assume your group is pro-life, anti-abortion.... ? /s

[corkoman]

They got ferrets? Ferrets eat prairie dogs?

[Lurker]

.223 is very commonly used to shoot prairie dogs. It’s difficult to get close enough to use a rimfire cartridge.

L

[mad_as_he$$]

Been there done that. Almost broke my neck.

[Rebelbase]

Leaner meat in the spring?

[raybbr]

You’re not supposed to know if they are pregnant. You’re supposed to assume every one you see is pregnant and not shoot any of them. See how that works?

[RandallFlagg]

Brings back memories...

Prairie Dog Fishing Tournament, Northern Colorado

[LucyT]

What about the poor armadillos? Does nobody care about them?

Best to avoid them, they often carry leprosy.

[tiki]

Don’t you wish they cared for human babies as much as Prairie Dogs?

[Dusty Road]

No fleas or ticks in the spring, kind of like rabbits in the fall and winter.

[Anti-Bubba182]

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