Tag Archives: kill

South Dakota Redneck fined $85,000 for Killing Whooping Crane

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Terry| 10 Comments
Whooping Crane - Grus americana

Hey...rednecks....does this LOOK like a pheasant or a duck to you? No? Then perhaps you can control yourselves before pulling the trigger next time you see one. Save yourself $85,000....

Well, now I know why I’ve gotten several emails and attempted blog posts from enraged South Dakota rednecks in the last day.  One of their fellow rednecks, Jeff Blachford of Miller, South Dakota, has been fined $85,000 for killing a Whooping Crane last year.

Some brilliant logic from these folks though on why it’s perfectly fine to go out and shoot one of the most endangered birds in the world.  My favorite…the idiot that posted this morning saying that Whooping Crane “mortality rates are high because of natural causes…they just can’t get off the ground fast enough” to  get away from predators (or South Dakota rednecks with guns?).  Brilliant.  They’ve somehow survived for thousands of years despite this “handicap” of not being able to “get off the ground fast enough”.

Surprising, this brilliant person may be the intellectual giant of Miller, given some of the other emails and attempted posts I’ve gotten.  I’m surprised some of these folks are able to log on to a computer and actually produce a message of any kind.

I hope an $85,000 fine has taught you a lesson, Mr. Blachford.  I hope the rest of the Miller redneck crowd realizes how incredibly small and insignificant they are (we all are) in the big scheme of things, and that YES, wiping a species off the face of the earth IS a big deal.

This is South Dakota.  Given the “culture” ( hesitate to use that word here) of the state, you’re allowed to blast away at practically anything that moves.  However, the next time you see an enormous white bird and you don’t know what it is, perhaps you’ll now pause before actually pulling the trigger.  In the meantime, I think I’ll bestow the coveted “scum of the week” award to Mr. Blachford, and to all of the redneck “supporters” who have tried to email or post.

Posted in Birding, Birds, Environmental Awareness, Scum Of The Week

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

After Texas A&M Shootings, NRA Calls for Arming Citizens with Nukes

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Terry| 1 Comment
NRA Logo

The new NRA logo following their release of a position statement recommending that all Americans arm themselves with nuclear weapons. In addition, today the NRA announced a new official motto..."Ours is bigger than yours".

Another week, another mass shooting, this time with 5 people shot, and “only” 2 innocents dead (plus the gunman).  Three mass shootings in the past few weeks have sparked mass outrage against gun policies in the United States, with literally DOZENS, perhaps SEVERAL dozen people across the United States, seriously calling for more strict gun control measures.

In response to the trickle of luke-warm, half-serious calls for strict gun control measures, gun control enthusiasts and the NRA have responded in force, calling for their own serious discussions on weapons control in the United States.  “The madness of mass shootings in the U.S. won’t end until we address weapons control in the U.S.!!!” cried David Keene, president of the NRA.  “Gun and weapons control measures across the U.S. have hamstrung the ability for Americans to properly defend themselves.”

Keene continued, “Nothing is going to change, mass shootings are going to continue, until Hussein Obama and his band of liberal wackos loosen up weapons restrictions in the United States.”  Several hours after Keene’s initial comments, the NRA put out a press release outlining their updated policy on weapons control in the U.S.  A brief excerpt follows:

NRA – August 14th, 2012 – We, the white Christian men of the National Rifle Association, decry the events occurring this week at Texas A&M, as well as other recent attacks of the past 5 years in Milwaukee…Aurora, Colorado…Fort Hood…Columbine High School…The University of Alabama…Texas Southern University…Binghamton, New York…Santa Clara, California…Alabama multiple town shootings…Covina, California…Alger, Washington…Chicago, Illinois…Northern Illinois University…Omaha, Nebraska…Delaware State University…Virginia Tech…and Carnation Washington.

The NRA stance is that these and other gun-related murders were directly linked to the presidencies of Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Hussein Obama, and to the liberal hordes that supported these treasonous leaders who defied our founding fathers and the most important of all constitutional amendments, the 2nd amendment.  These tragic deaths will forever haunt the dreams of these men, and others like them who strive to reduce the most basic of human rights, the right to carry as large a weapon as is humanly possible.

To counter events such as those at Texas A&M, Milwaukee, and Aurora, the NRA is calling for an immediate end to all weapons restrictions in the United States. Furthermore, the NRA is issuing a position statement recommending that all NRA members arm themselves with tactical nuclear weapons. It is only through the deterrence of thousands of crazy white men running around with nukes that events such Aurora or Texas A&M can be prevented.

David Keene – President – NRA

Seriously, 2 days after it happened, and I had to really SEARCH to try to find a link to the story!  There no longer was any link to the story on the main CNN pages, I had to do a literal search to find the link from the day it happened.  No follow-up story near the top of the news, for such events are so commonplace in America nowadays, that they aren’t worthy of being in the news cycle for more than a day.  Very sad to see how nonchalantly we treat such events.

Posted in Culture Wars

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Outdoor “Sportsmen”…you are on my $hit list

Posted on June 24, 2012 by Terry| Leave a comment
White bass

White Bass, scourge of South Dakota fishermen who only want to catch walleye! At least that's what the "sportsmen" on the Missouri River were acting like this morning.

I’ve had a number of posts in the past about experiences I’ve had when I’m out taking photos, or fishing, or hiking, when I’ve run across some idiot “sportsman” who is doing something like blasting away at every living thing they see, taking over their limit, etc.  I’ve generally been pretty careful when I post about something like that, saying things like “I realize most hunters, fishermen, etc. are conscientious and respect and try to protect the resource”.

Well, to that, I say bull$hit.  Every time I go out, I swear to god there’s some bozo who personifies what being an outdoor sportsman is NOT about.  Today I went fishing on the Missouri River below Oahe Dam.  It’s one of my favorite spots, with crystal clear, cold water coming through the dam from Lake Oahe.  The words “crystal clear” and “water” are NEVER used in the same sentence in South Dakota, as most rivers and ponds around here have a visibility of about 2 inches.  This is certainly a welcome difference, and it is a wonderful place to fish.

Wonderful place to fish means…lots of fishermen, at least by the standards of sparsely populated South Dakota.   And of course, lots of fishermen, means a LOT of “sportsmen” who seem hell-bent on trashing the place or breaking the rules just to ensure THEY get their limit of fish to bring home.  This morning, I got there and walked down to the water, dodging beer cans, old bait containers, and discarded fishing line as I went.  One thing I ALWAYS do when I go fishing…I end up bringing back more than I went with, and I’m not talking fish.  I made a point of picking up some of the garbage in my vicinity, and started fishing.

It was wonderful!  In about 3 hours of fishing, I caught about 20 fish, BIG fish for their kind, fish that put up a hell of a fight.  The problem?  This is South Dakota!  There IS no “fish” that matters to about 85% of fishermen, other than walleye.  Have you ever caught a walleye?  They fight like a limp noodle, even the big ones.  But they’re tasty!  And filling the freezer, harvesting as many as you can (legally, or illegally in many cases) seems to be “the” mode of fishing around here.  Back to the “problem”…I didn’t catch a single walleye this morning, which actually shocked me.  19 of the 20 fish I caught were White Bass…BIG white bass, very fat and happy, averaging about 14 inches, with a few that were absolute monsters for the species.

In that fast current below the dam, a big white bass puts up a hell of a fight.  You certainly KNOW when it’s a white bass that hits, rather than a walleye.  I had a blast.  I didn’t keep any fish today, but I do keep White Bass to eat sometimes.  To me, they’re every bit as good as walleye, once you strip this one dark strip of meat out and keep the white meat.  But the other fishermen in the  area seemed to have a pretty low opinion of what they were catching.  There were 2 young guys next to me, looked to be about 20 years old.  They too were catching white bass…and BITCHING about it, because they weren’t walleye.  So, the one guy catches a white bass, unhooks it…and immediately throws it 10 yards back into the weeds.  He and his buddy had a GREAT laugh, talking about getting rid of the “damn white bass” to “make room” for the walleye.

You can imagine my opinion of these two dolts, but I hoped it was an isolated thing, and just scowled, but didn’t say anything.  Then the other guy catches a white bass….and does the same thing, throwing it back into the weeds.  THEN I said something!  Think I kind of surprised them by speaking up, but I first asked what put up more of a fight, a white bass, a walleye, or a dish towel (answer: walleye comes in 3rd).  Then I said you don’t have to like them, but it is illegal to be throwing them up on the bank.

The answer was about what I expected from a pair of 20-year old South Dakota “sportsmen”…the one guy said “whatever”, and the other just rolled his eyes and turned away.  They only fished for a few more minutes before leaving, and didn’t catch any more fish, but they certainly put a damper on the fun I was having catching white bass.

SO….I think I’m done saying “most” sportsmen ARE true sportsmen, who care about the environment and the resource they’re using.  I’m not convinced any more that it IS a majority, so “most” is too strong.  SOME fishermen and hunters are wonderful sportsmen, who do their best to preserve the environment.  But I’m becoming increasingly convinced that “most” fishermen and hunters only care about filling the freezer, environment-be-damned.

Whoever you two were this morning…you have won this week’s “Scum of the Week” award.

Posted in Ecosystems at Risk, Scum Of The Week

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Winning the battles on terror, losing the war

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Terry| 2 Comments
Pakistan

We're winning the war against Al Qaeda. The cost? Turning an entire region against us in the long-term, including former ally Pakistan.

Three successful drone strikes in recent days have killed some VERY high-ranking Al Qaeda members.  Good news, right?  Yes, no doubt.  But, those drone strikes have occurred in Pakistani territory.  Leon Panetta has come out condemning Pakistan for allowing safe haven to fighters who attack U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, who then retreat to Pakistan for relative safety from retaliation.  Panetta says we’re “not going to take it” any more.

I find it amazing that Repubs still attack Obama for being soft on defense.  It sure helps when the entire Republican party seems to be made up of a bunch of dim-witted fools who believe anything their leaders tell them.  Repubs continue to use the attack because their idiot backers continue to believe ANYTHING that’s anti-Obama.  This despite the incredible successes Obama has had in combatting terrorism and dismantling Al Qaeda.

The continuing, bold drone attacks in Pakistan continue a very aggressive defense policy from Obama, policies that Republicans would be DROOLING over…IF it were a Republican in the Oval Office.

With that said…it’s a loser of a long-term strategy.  Afghanis themselves want the U.S. out.  It’s been over 10 years for god’s sake.  We’re occupiers in their minds now, not liberators.   Pakistanis?  I’m definitely not sympathetic to Pakistan for their role in underhandedly supporting violence in Afghanistan, but despite any recent successes in killing Al Qaeda personnel within Pakistani territory…it’s a loser of a long-term strategy.

Obama’s long-term military strategy clearly puts an emphasis on Asia (e.g., China) with a de-emphasis of the Middle East.  But the damage has already been done in the Middle East.  10+ years of active war in the region will do that.  There’s no doubt that U.S. actions in the Middle East in the past decade have further strengthened the impression that the U.S. is a bully in the region, uncaring about the people themselves, and only interested in protecting oil resources.  It’s a HELL of a tough line (heck, an impossible line) for Obama to walk…keeping a continued, active, and aggressive military presence in the region, while attempting to sway regional powers to support the cause.

Despite the successes in killing Al Qaeda leaders with cross-border drone strikes, there is also no doubt that hundreds of innocent Pakistani’s have lost their lives.  Despite Panetta’s bluster…it simply can’t continue long-term.  We’ve dismantled Al Qaeda in the Middle East.  Obama has had been an aggressive, extremely effective leader in the war on terror.  But at what cost?

We already had a boatload of enemies in the Middle East.  We’ve also been doing a hell of a good job at turning one-time U.S. allies into likely long-term enemies.  We can now add Pakistan to the ever-growing list of countries in the region that resent the U.S. influence in the region.  In the short-term?  We can survive it, given the devastating blow we’ve accomplished against Al Qaeda in the region.

In the long-term? We’ve alienated another nationality in the region, and created yet another long-term breeding ground for anti-U.S. terrorists.   We’re winning the battle against Al Qaeda…but losing the war in the region.

Posted in Politics

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Your Government’s Role in Killing Wildlife

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Terry| 2 Comments
USDA Wildlife Services

"Wildlife Services" sounds pretty innocuous. The truth is pretty ugly however.

I have a friend at work who largely shares my political and social views, with one exception.  He’s much less cynical than I am.  When push comes to shove, I tend to believe that people will choose the path of least resistance or the path that gives them the biggest personal gain, no matter the negative consequences.  My friend is quite a bit rosier regarding the human race.   Every time I start to move in that direction, every time I start to feel my cynicism wearing off a bit, I read a story like this one, forwarded by another friend at work.

The story is about the Wildlife Services program at the U.S. Department of agriculture.  If you’re an animal lover, be prepared to be disgusted.  I’m already disgusted with how people treat wildlife.  After all I live in South Dakota, where the State Bird is an introduced species whose ONLY purpose for people here is as something you can shoot at.  But it’s one thing for red-necked South Dakotans to be out popping off wildlife.  It’s another for the Federal Government to be doing it, especially when so much collateral damage is being done, as shown in this article.

I’m amazed at the political clout a few large land owners in the West have regarding wildlife issues.  In South Dakota, the prairie dog has seemingly been labeled as public enemy #1…largely due to the efforts of a VERY few ranchers who claim prairie dogs cause immense damage to grazing lands.  A VERY few private citizens have somehow twisted the system to their advantage, so much so that prairie dogs are being poisoned on a lot of PUBLIC land in the state, if an adjacent land owner requests “control” of the species.   “Public” land in general is managed in South Dakota for seemingly one purpose…for the COMPLETE exploitation of whatever “resources” may be found on that land.  Parks?  National Grasslands?  Conservation and wildlife are DEFINITELY a secondary consideration in South Dakota.   Grazing trumps wildlife in every case.  In state and other parks, it’s the use of the area for camping, hunting, cross-country skiing, or any other human activity that is far and away more important than the actual habitat or wildlife in that park.

This story about the Wildlife Services part of USDA is simply an example of the same mindset, but at a Federal level.  Endangered species?  Completely harmless species?  People’s PETS, for god’s sake?   It’s a pretty disgusting picture of what Wildlife Services does, all supposedly for the sake of “protecting” people from that nasty harmful wildlife.

$$$$$ trumps wildlife…it’s a message that sadly continues to gain traction in the U.S.    And again…my cynacism and complete lack of faith in humanity is restored.

And despite my status as a Federal employee and as someone who has strongly DEFENDED government in the past…with recent experiences I’ve personally had, and with many of the recent news stories, I’m having a hard time maintaining that support of government.

Posted in Ecosystems at Risk, Environmental Awareness, Politics

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Scum of the Week – S.D. Whooping Crane Poacher

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Terry| 7 Comments
Whooping Cranes

There is NO mistaking the sight of a Whooping Crane standing in a field. Didn't stop one South Dakota redneck from popping one off with a high-powered rifle. (Photo by Larry Johnson - Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License)

There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind who my “scum of the week” award is going to.  I had a post about a short birding trip I did Sunday morning, where I was pleasantly surprised to find 3 Sandhill Cranes west of Sioux Falls.  Such beautiful, large, majestic birds, they CERTAINLY stood out as something “unique” that you don’t see in this part of the state that much.

Imagine that same creature, but even larger, and brilliantly white.  That would be a Whooping Crane, and there would be NO doubt that’s what you were looking at, if you saw one standing around.  Well, in South Dakota, there’s a certain percentage of the population that believes it’s their god given right to take a shot at anything that moves.  Near Miller, South Dakota, someone saw a Whooping crane standing in a field, HAD to have known what it was…but decided to get out their high-powered rifle and kill it. 

Don’t get me started on the “hunting culture” of South Dakota.  YES, there are many hunters who ARE true sportsman. But…just in the past few years during my birding and fishing trips I’ve seen 1) two guys shooting out their pickup windows and killing a bevy of American Coots 2) Two young teen boys being dropped off at a Wildlife Protection Area who proceeded to start shooting all the songbirds they saw, 3) Some complete IDIOT who had wing-shot a goose but didn’t know how to finish it off, so was chasing it through a field, stomping on it and kicking at it 4) Three dead hunting dogs lined up under a tree, shot by…presumably a hunter (out-of-state?) who didn’t need their services any more  5) and fishermen on the Missouri who caught their limit of walleye, left, came back “empty-handed” an hour later, and immediately started to catch their SECOND limit. 

And those are just some of the illegal things.  There are also the hunters that really disgust me, even when they’re doing something that’s legal in this state.  I have zero stomach for people who kill just for the sake of killing.  That is NOT “sport”.  Best example…those who stop in prairie dog towns and just start popping them off, leaving there to rot.  I remember one memorable day when I went to one of my favorite prairie dog towns for birding, and lined up on the fence were three dads and about 6 young boys, all resting their guns on the fence, shooting all the prairie dogs they could see.  Another of my favorites…the local goose “hunters” who ”hunt”  just outside of Arrowhead Park by Sioux Falls, a place where hundreds of VERY tame geese hang out.  Hell, if you wanted to “hunt” them, you wouldn’t need a gun, you’d just have to bring a piece of bread and grab the stupid thing by the neck when it came up for a bite.

Gotta love “sportsmen” like this who think the natural world’s purpose is to satiate their own selfish desires.  As I said, NO, I don’t want to paint all hunters or fishermen in this light.  I’m a fisherman myself and greatly enjoy the resource, and know that most folks ARE law-abiding citizens who appreciate the resource.

But…when I see stories like this jackass who popped off the Whooping Crane with a high-powered rifle, it’s VERY hard for me to remember the ‘good’ sportsmen, and VERY easy for me to remember all of the other horrible sportsmen that I’ve run across.

Congrats, Crane killer…you are hereby awarded a VERY well-deserved “Scum of the Week” award.

Posted in Environmental Awareness, Scum Of The Week

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

More Alaskan Plans to Kill Wolves

Posted on November 13, 2011 by Terry| 1 Comment
Wolves and Moose

Wolves will do what wolves were born to do...kill to survive. Men will do what men are good at...being selfish and short-sighted.

Poor Alaskan moose hunters.  Moose hunters are up in arms that there simply aren’t enough moose for them to go out and kill.   In some parts of Alaska, aerial killing of wolves has been done in an effort to increase moose populations.  For the first time, they’re considering killing wolves on the Kenai Peninsula south of Anchorage. 

The genesis of the move was a recent radio program where hunters called in and said they were “disgusted” with the low number of moose on the Kenai.  Of course it’s the wolves that get the blame, not the hunters that are out popping off moose.  They said there are about 90-130 wolves in the entire Kenai, and about 5,000 moose, a number of moose that is “below target”.  MAYBE, just maybe, the reason that the number of moose is “below target” is that hunters have been allowed to kill more than the population can sustain.  But like other examples I’ve given in the past (cormorants and Great Lakes fish populations; Seals and fish populations in the Northeast), it’s NEVER people that are considered the issue. 

We’ve got our own local example of this kind of complete stupidity.   Pheasant hunting is huge in South Dakota, drawing hunters from across the country.  As I recently found out while staying at a lodge in the central part of the state, hunters even fly up from Mexico to hunt pheasants here.   Just this Friday, I was driving in the central part of the state taking photos, and continually ran across commercial hunting operations that were ferrying around hunters in specially made buses, or vans with the roofs cut off so hunters can leap out and start blasting away when they see pheasants.  Many of these large operations raise and release pheasants, birds that are about as “wild” as my cocker spaniel Cooper.  I don’t even think you’d need a gun to hunt some of them…you might be able to just walk up to them and nicely ask them to jump in a  bag, they’re so dumb and tame. 

The reason I go birding in these areas is that there are often incredible numbers of raptors in winter that are attracted by all the pheasants and sharp-tailed grouse.  Several years ago, a landowner who ran one of these operations was convicted of shooting raptors, including eagles, because they were eating “his” pheasants.   I also have photos of this loser’s land, where he’s shot coyotes (again, for eating “his” pheasants), and duct-taped them, spread-eagled, on the telephone poles around his property.  Just sick. 

It’s REALLY hard for me to see the ‘hunter as conservationist’ image that many hunters try to portray, when what’s VERY obvious is that all the hunters care about is their own “pleasure” in having things to blast away at.

Posted in Ecosystems at Risk, Environmental Awareness

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bin Laden, Gadhafi both dead. U.S. Leaving Iraq. Republicans of course criticizing Obama’s foreign policy

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Terry| Leave a comment
Mission Accomplished

Unlike the foreign policy disaster that WAS George Bush, Obama has had incredibly stunning success in the foreign policy arena. And of course, Republicans are crucifying him for it.

First we had an incredibly bold and daring raid to find and kill Bin Laden in Pakistan, a move that took enormous courage for Obama to make.  Mission Accomplished.

Then we had Obama commit to helping rebel forces in Libya, a move which surely saved countless innocent lives when Gadhafi’s forces were first moving against the rebels, and a move which ultimately led to the capture and death of Gadhafi himself.  Mission Accomplished.

Just a few days later, Obama announces that all U.S. combat troops will be leaving Iraq by the end of the year, fulfilling a key pledge he made during his election.  Mission Accomplished.

So of COURSE Republicans were falling all over themselves today to criticize Obama’s Iraq move and his foreign policy credentials.   WTH!?!?!!?  Republicans are CRUSHING Obama in the press for announcing we’re leaving Iraq, calling it yet another failure of Obama’s foreign policy.   IRAQ IS A SOVEREIGN NATION, AND THEY DO NOT WANT US THERE ANY MORE.   There were attempts to negotiate with Iraq to keep some troops on the ground and help with the transition, but the SOVEREIGN GOVERNMENT of Iraq says it’s time for us to leave.  Is 9 years not enough?!?!  Evidently for Republicans, the answer is NO, 9 years is not enough, and we should be staying even longer!!  We have been at war for FAR longer than anyone expected when Bush invaded Iraq.   The American people, the Iraqi people, and the Iraqi government ALL want us out of Iraq.  Evidently someone forgot to CC’ Republicans on that message. 

You can knock Obama for the economy, even though frankly, there’s not a hell of a lot government can do to pull us out of this rut, especially with obstructionist Republicans who block even the most innocent of jobs bills to get Americans working again.   You can knock him for his handling of the environment.  I certainly have, as he’s seemed to continually cave in on environmental issues.  But it’s completely LAUGHABLE for Republicans to be bashing Obama on foreign policy, ESPECIALLY GOP candidates who to a man (or woman) are miserably deficient in terms of ANY foreign policy credentials.

I for one thank you, President Obama, for keeping your campaign promise. I thank you for listening to the people of Iraq, the Iraqi government, and the American people in making this decision.   I’ve not been thrilled with many of your actions since election, but you have done wonders in repairing America’s greatly damaged reputation overseas after the Bush debacle, and have continually shown a terrific knack for making the right foreign policy decisions.  Here’s to you, Mr. Obama….MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

Posted in Politics

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Whooping Cranes shot by red-necked Louisiana teens

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Terry| Leave a comment
L8 - Whooping Crane

A photo of "L8", the USGS name for one of the 2 Whooping Cranes that two redneck Louisiana boys shot.

In February of this year, Whooping Cranes were released into Louisiana, the first time the birds were found in the wild in the state since at least 1950.  The USGS released 10 birds in an effort to reintroduce a non-migratory flock to the Louisiana area.  It only took 8 months for some redneck Louisiana “hunters” to pop off a couple of the cranes, as two dead cranes were recently found.

Authorities charged two juveniles with the crime.  Evidently the two teens were out driving around in a pickup, and shot the birds right from the pickup.  YEEEEE-hAWWWWWWWWWWW!!   What fun these two redneck losers must have had as they personally killed 20% of the entire state’s population of Whooping Cranes!   The story cited above only discusses the perps as “juveniles”, which means they will likely get off with a slap on the wrist.  This, despite that these “juveniles” are evidently entrusted to drive, and are evidently entrusted to drive with loaded guns.

I had a run-in with a VERY midguided parent once (Hi Dave!!) when I turned in some “boys” for treating a live, wing-shot goose like it was a soccer ball.  The “boys” had lightly wounded the goose, but were pretty clueless on what to do next.  They didn’t know how to kill the wounded goose, so were chasing it around a field, kicking it, stomping on it, and hitting it.  “Dave” took offense to my reporting of the “boys”.

Well, I’ll tell you what…Once a parent decides a child is old enough to drive around on his own, that “child” has certain adult responsibilities.  Once a parent decides a child is old enough to HAVE A FREAKIN’ GUN AND GO OFF ON THEIR OWN, then that “child” SHOULD NO LONGER BE TREATED LIKE A CHILD.  If you have the supposed maturity to have a gun, then you damned well better be willing to face the consequences if you act like a redneck and start popping off one of the most endangered birds in the world.

Or even better, CHARGE THE PARENT if a juvenile is charged with a gun crime, if that parent enabled the juvenile by providing the weapon.

Posted in Birds, Ecosystems at Risk

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Minnesota Man Destroys 3,000 bird Pelican Colony

Posted on October 8, 2011 by Terry| 7 Comments
American White Pelican

A Minnesota farmer single-handedly kills 2,500 of these beautiful birds...and he MIGHT get a $15,000 fine and/or 6 months in jail.

Well, this is about as sickening a story as you can find.  In Minnesota, a local farmer single-handedly destroyed an entire colony of American White Pelicans.  The colony had almost 1,500 nests.  The man destroyed them all.  He killed and destroyed 2,500 pelican chicks and eggs. 

What could possibly posses a man to do this?  The man  rents land next to the colony for farming.  He claims the Pelicans “ruined the soil” with their droppings, and crushed crops with their “big feet”.   All I have to say is…GMAFB!!!  One of my favorite signs of spring here is seeing the first flocks of American White Pelicans pinwheeling in the sky, beautiful loose whirlwinds of massive white birds.  There are scattered locations in eastern South Dakota where they also will breed.  Between March and October, when visiting the large lakes of eastern South Dakota, you nearly always find pelicans.  And despite the birds being such a common sight here, I have NEVER found the birds in agricultural fields.  You NEVER see the birds walking on land with their “big feet”, as this man claims.  They’re simply too clumsy on land to walk around and crush agricultural crops. 

The man first asked a Game Fish & Parks employee if there was “something that could be done” about the birds.  The birds are protected, so of course he was told no, they couldn’t be moved, killed, culled, etc.   It was right after that when GFP found the entire colon destroyed, with every egg destroyed, and only one chick found still alive.  ONE MAN…single-handedly destroys an ENTIRE COLONY of American White Pelicans…SINGLE-HANDEDLY destroys 15% of the entire state’s nests…and his punishment?  He is facing one misdemeanor count of violating the federal Migratory Bird Act.  The maximum penalty is 6 months in jail and/or a $15,000 fine. 

Is it just me?  Does that seem like an incredibly light punishment?  For such a massive act of destruction?  The lawyers for the man say he just “lost it” (duh), and think they can probably settle out of court.

Posted in Birds, Ecosystems at Risk

Tagged , , , , , , , ,