Welfare ranchers kill migratory birds!

[Ithaca 37]

I remember some of you guys telling us how good the welfare rancher's water troughs are for wildlife. WRONG AGAIN!

"Green groups rally to save migratory birds

MALAD — Environmentalists are putting pressure on federal land managers to end the destruction of migratory birds on the Pleasantview grazing allotment in southeastern Idaho.
Biologist Miriam Austin said inattention at best has claimed scores of birds on the 70,000-acre Bureau of Land Management allotment in recent years.

“It´s such a preventable thing,” Austin said. “I got nasty this time because we have waited too long for something to happen.”

The birds are drowning in cattle water troughs because federal government has failed to maintain the ladders that allow birds and small animals to get clear of the troughs after drinking.

Bureau Rangeland Management Specialist Matt Rendace acknowledges the problem and says an improved ladder design is being installed now so that the ladders will remain useable after being installed in the troughs. “We learned something,” he said.

http://idahostatesman.com/Story.asp?ID=44929

I believe lots of local game birds are killed by those troughs, too. And there's no cover around them for young birds to hide from predators in 'cuz the welfare cattle have destroyed it and shit all over everything. Cattle troughs are death traps for birds. Natural streams and springs are much better for wildlife.

 

[1_pointer]

I'm guessing these are waterfowl that are migrating?

 

[BbarC]

How many is "scores", 10, 20, 30????
Just curious. I see "scores" of "grill kills" on the highway between here and town everyweek. Everything from turkeys to buzzards. Bob

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 07-22-2003 10:59: Message edited by: BbarC ]</font>

 

[whitedeer]

ITHACA.....DUUHHH!.....scores of birds in recent years? 2 score. 4 score, 6 score in years? WOW! I feel like crying! You goddamn greenies will grasp at any straw, won't you? Just when you are starting to show a spark of sub-human intelligence, you publish a piece of garbage like this. If you consider this a compelling article for SI, myself and the other losers will pass on pasting garbage like this.

 

[BuzzH]

With the fear of suffering the wrath of bullhound for falling off topic....

Scores of birds get killed, whitedeer calls Ithaca a goddamned greenie...yet....at the same time....bitches and wails about some wolves killing a few score of big-game each year.

Why whitedeer, that makes you a "goddamned greenie" and I'm about to start crying an equal amount of tears about the few score of elk that die from wolf attacks...

 

[cjcj]

All right it`s time for the [street smart ] hunter`s to chime in! how many of you out there have found a bunch[scores]of dead bird`s[migratory] in water trough`s? gee i`ve never seen ONE! so this must only happen in idaho.

 

[whitedeer]

DuhFly.....you have been around the Greeks so long that you can't keep things straight without a menu. I'm going to pull an Ithaca on you and see if your feeble mind can come up with one time I even sniffled about wolves feeding off elk.....Hhmmnnn, maybe the Hanna Trailer Trash have your number after all.

 

[BuzzH]

Whitedick, you could be right.

I just dont see why anyone wanting to provide a way out of stock tank would be a "goddamned greenie"?

Question, you got alligator tears in equal amounts for both the birds drowning in cattle tanks and the fang-slashed elks? Just wondering.

CJCJ, being the street smart biologist, have you ever bothered to look in a stock tank for birds?

I've looked in a few, and I've only found one dead calf in one, how it got in there, I have no idea.

 

[JoseCuervo]

Buzz,

I have seen first calf heifers drop their babes in the damnedest places. It would not be hard to have one drop one into the water trough...

 

[Michaelr]

Ithaca........

we have several tanks on our ranch.
In my 35 plus years I have never seen one..

 

[JoseCuervo]

Michael posted: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>we have several tanks on our ranch.
In my 35 plus years I have never seen one <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Good Lord, how much camo do you put on your stock tanks? Hell, they aren't usually that hard to find. If all else fails, just follow the cows, and then you can see your stock tanks.

 

[cjcj]

Yes i`ve looked in HUNDRED`S of stock tank`s ! and i`ve never seen a dead bird in one, unless you count the one`s that i shot out of the air, that i was hunting, and it sound`s like so far nobody else has either, so i guess the street bioligist`s WIN this one.

 

[cjcj]

Ok Buzz you found a calf but no bird`s so doesn`t that comfirm that us [street biologist`s] have a better handle on this one than the bookworm`s?

 

[Wally Dog]

ITH,
When I read that pile 'o crapola in the Statesman I thought what a giant waste of paper to print nothing at all. But no, you couldn't just let it go. You had to waste more time and energy copying it here so more
time and energy wood be wasted reading this rubbish.
WD

 

[Delw]

When I hear of troughs I am thinking those 3foot by 10 foot boarded things that hold water even the round ones made of galvanize steel....

My thoughts are who the hell cares.... Thats like blaming someones swimming pools cause a bird fell into it or one of their pet potbellied pigs drowned in it cause it couldnt get out(friend had this happen, but she didnt like my breakfeast comment when she told me and my wife )

A report like that is really kinda knit picky...

If you think about it are they going to complain if troughs arent there and the animals die of thirst? blame the welfare ranchers for not having enough....

Ithaca you gotta come up with something better than that....
Delw

 

[Ithaca 37]

It seems to me that about half the troughs I look at have those boat ramp style grates going down into the water. I always assumed they were there so birds could walk down them to get a drink if the water level was too far below the brim of the trough for them to reach down and get a drink. I think that's a good idea and not too much to ask of the BLM when they're spending thousands of dollars on each trough subsidizing the welfare ranchers.

The biggest problem is they divert the water from seeps and springs and creeks and dry up small riparian zones that are very beneficial to wildlife. Wildlife would be a lot better off if the BLM and welfare ranchers didn't mess with the natural water supply. That means keepin' the range maggots out of the water, too. I'm always surprised that so many of the posters here consider themselves hunters but seem to think welfare ranchers have the right to destroy wildlife habitat. Makes me wonder how unobservant and stupid they can be!

Actually, after two years of posting here I have a pretty good idea how stupid they can be, but I'm always surprised by it.

I've learned most of them are big talkers, but novice hunters. In all the times I've mentioned real basic hunting skills like tracking birds through the air, calling rabbits, getting five turkeys with one shot every time, etc. not one of them has ever dared get into a discussion about it. They don't want to admit they don't know how.

Not understanding the ramifications of stock tanks is just one more indication,

although I really don't think many birds fall in and drown. A far bigger killer of birds is those white plastic pipes the miners use to stake claims. I always knock them over. One of the big problems with stock tanks is the lack of cover around them makes the young gamebirds too vulnerable (if there's any water leaking out to attract young birds).

I hope you don't mind me being frank. I'm tired of being Mr. Nice Guy.

I'll stop back and see how you're all doin' in a week or two. Try to keep this place from dyin' out, mike and Whitedeer.

What a couple of losers!

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 07-23-2003 23:04: Message edited by: Ithaca 37 ]</font>

 

[BigHornyRam]

Ithaca,

Thanks for bringing up this topic. While were at it, let's talk about another welfare rancher, Teddy. What about Teddys high fences and the scores of wildlife that get caught up in it? How about the migration routes that are blocked? Does this bother you as well?

Paul

 

[Bullhound]

Ithaca and Buzzy,

Thanks for the laugh. You guys crack me up!

 

[BuzzH]

Paul, what the hell are you babbling about?

Teddy has high fences?

Care to provide proof, or are you just going to continue to flap the chops as per usual.

 

[Mini Moose]

Ithica i can't track birds through the air i can't call rabbits and if i shot 5 turkeys in one shot i would get in trouble for poaching.

But with my shitty hunting ability set aside i do agree with you on this subject, save wildlife not ranchers!!