Earth First! Confronts the Slaughter on the Prairie : AZ IMC

Each year, 45,000 Gunnison’s prairie dogs are killed by sport hunters, blasted away as they peek above their burrows. This goes on in spite of a pending petition to list the species as endangered. In Arizona, the majority of the killing takes place on the Navajo Nation’s 750,000-acre Boquillas Ranch. On the opening day of the state’s 9-month hunting season, Earth First! was in the killing fields to expose the senselessness and brutality of the hunt. Apparently, however, only people who kill animals are welcome on this land. After only one day, Arizona Game and Fish Department officials informed an EF! film crew that we were being permanently banned from the ranch.

The Gunnison’s Prairie Dog (GPD) is one of five species of prairie dog that inhabit North America. This foot-long, golden brown, colonial animal can be found in Arizona’s high deserts and mountain grasslands. Like all prairie dogs, the GPD is a keystone species, creating food and habitat for countless other species with its burrowing, feeding and excreting. A healthy prairie dog population is ESSENTIAL to a healthy prairie ecosystem.

The GPD has disappeared from 90% of its historic range across the United States. Of the suitable habitat that remains, 30% of it can be found in Arizona. Within the AZ territory only, the GPD has been extirpated from 98% of its former range. Historically, the GPD was found across four million acres in Arizona. Today that area has been drastically reduced to 100,000 acres. These facts strongly suggest that the GPD is treading the path towards extinction.

In addition, the Boquilllas Ranch is the only Arizona reintroduction site for the black-footed ferret, North America’s most endangered mammal. These predators rely on prairie dogs for 90% of their diet – so why do Game and Fish and the Navajo Nation allow white sport hunters to run rampant across the ferret’s habitat, blasting away its prey base?

Determined to expose the hunt for the ecologically unjustifiable travesty that it is, a film crew from Chuk’shon EF! and Phoenix EF! legally entered Boquillas Ranch on June 16. We began interviewing prairie dog hunters, as well as compiling evidence of illegal activity such as hunters locating or shooting prey from vehicles, firing across roads, or poaching protected species like turkey vultures. Armed with this information and with disturbing footage of disembowled and still-twitching prairie dogs, we planned (and still plan) to once again embarrass Game and Fish -- as we have formerly done by sabotaging (“sabbing”) their mountain lion and sandhill crane hunts, exposing how the wildlife agency ignores the non-hunting majority and the demands of sound ecology when setting hunt guidelines.

Clearly, we were doing something right. After only a day in the field, we were surrounded by Game and Fish vehicles. Although we had formerly spoken cordially with some of these same rangers, even directing them to the site of a poached turkey vulture, Game and Fish now informed us that the ranch “wants to encourage prairie dog hunting” and was asking us to leave. We confirmed that we were not being charged with any illegal activity, then agreed to leave the ranch – for now.

Of course, we were not breaking any laws or even being disruptive, and it is absurd that the only people being banned from the Navajo Nation’s ranch are the ones NOT killing animals. We will be challenging this ban, and we will definitely continue our project to expose the madness of this hunt.

Some of the hunters we spoke to boasted of their $3,000 rifles and of killing up to 50 prairie dogs a day. Others disparaged their own “sport,” saying, “this ain’t hunting – it’s just shooting.” All of them left the animals to rot where they lay. None of the hunters need to kill these animals for food – in fact, many of them come from out of state specifically for the opening day of the season! The hunters out there are killing just for fun, and they are killing hundreds of thousands of these animals a year.

When asked what he thought of the petition to list the species as endangered, one hunter snorted that there are “a milion bazillion of them out there. How could they be endangered?” Of course, the same logic led to the extermination of the great bison and pronghorn antelope herds from the plains. Back then, the genocide was intentional. Given Game and Fish’s heavy bias toward ranchers and hunters and the impossibility of getting good population figures on prairie dogs, who’s to say that Game and Fish doesn’t hope to wipe out the Gunnison’s entirely?

Game and Fish is used to operating without accountability or criticism, but Earth First! is changing that dynamic and challenging this good-ol’-boys club. We will be keeping the pressure on Game and Fish for all their unsustainable hunts, whether prairie dog, sandhill crane or bighorn sheep. Until Game and Fish realizes that the old days of killing wildife for fun are over and converts to an agency focused on conservation, Earth First! will be out there in the field to sab the bastards!

For more information, contact Chuk’shon EF!, sabthebastards@hotmail.com; or Phoenix EF!, phoenixef@excite.com.

See also:
http://arizona.indymedia.org/news/2005/05/26772.php
http://arizona.indymedia.org/news/2005/06/27876.php
http://arizona.indymedia.org/news/2005/06/27935.php

Many hunters set up lawn chairs and make a day of their "sport."

The Great White Hunter bravely takes down his prey.

It is illegal to fire from, across or onto a maintained road.

A hunter presumably killed a prairie dog, then illegally killed a turkey vulture that came down to feed on it.

The prairie dog was shot first...

...and then the turkey vulture, which it is never legal to shoot.

Thank you, Rod and the EF !ers who worked on this sab. My heart, good wishes, and prayers go out to you and the critters you are trying to save. Please devise a good public info campaign, form some good alliances, and let's stop this disgusting practice once and for all.

Maybe next time you should take a picture from the other side of the shooter!

Thanks Earth Firsters for your courageous shadowing of these sick puppies with rifles. We find it outrageous that a certain group of people can be kicked off, let alone banned on public lands.
Please list the addresses of those local officials responsible for these decisions to accesss.
Those of us at our local renters union, who have a concern for the wholesale slaughter of any species, would like to take time away from our fight against the theft of our wages to contact these so-called "public" officials and explain that we are all citizens, environmentalists as well as wealthy hunters.
thank you, in peace and love, rocky neptun
director, san diego renters union

I had no idea, thank you for exposing this. If they are in danger of extinction, can some of them be moved? We just bought 40 acres in the southern part of CO and plan to use most of it as a sanctuary. It's not as hot there, but it's a scrub brush kind of area. What else can people do about this? I love prairie dogs. It's a disgrace what some men do to prove their "manhood". Makes me think that if they were made as dolls, they'd be anatomically correct.

When I lived in the Luna, NM, area about 20 years ago, the prairie dogs were shot at every opportunity by ranchers and others. Their holes were why it was dangerous to ride a horse through open areas, why cattle sometimes broke a leg in their pasture, why it was difficult to grow a garden, even.

Why?

Because the predators had been hunted and trapped out, years before! The foxes, coyotes, and other animals necessary for balance were gone. That meant that Man was the only natural enemy... or is that "unnatural"?

Good grief.

Well, I suppose if these Elmer gun nuts weren't out there slaughtering animals they wouild be stalking prostitutes or people they think "look gay" on our city streets. That's something.

why don't you go feed the dogs on hunting day? you can lay down and kiss them also.

Man. Goes to show how many white colonial americans view life.

All hunting laws should be obeyed and enforced. This includes the public turning in poachers, but it appears Earth First is not interested in stopping poachers, but stopping all hunters and shooters. This article is typical of the mind-set of liberal people in this country that only want their opinion heard and their wills enforced

Why dont you hippies get a real job and stop bugging people that contribute there money to hunting licenses wich is most of what our public lands run off of. And after you get your job go out and hug one of those praire dogs get the bubonic plauge. Im sure after you get the plauge youll call youre division of wildlife and complain you got it and then theyll go out there with our tax paying money (not yours becuase youre a liberal douche bag) and eradicate them for you, instead of letting hunters do it. Stay in california or wherever your from and dont bother coming to colorado where hunting and fishing is a wonderful pastime that maintains healthy animal herds and does more for the environment then you totally ignorant hippies.

Hey Turd,

You shouldn't have said it...what a great idea. ALL of us hippies EVERYWHERE are coming to Colorado and camping out in YOUR backyard. We'll be naked and smoking dope, and hugging every tree and endangered fish and game in sight! Wooo--hooo!! And we're tellin' everyone that it was YOUR idea, you big huggy neanderthal...

peace & luv & hugs
Wavy G

I very much enjoy varmint hunting and practice harvesting these animals in a way that they sustain their population. No hunter wants to see prairie dogs wiped out. I personally do not appreciate your emotionalistic, article sans facts. Thank You

I am a avid hunter who travelles out west every year for a week to shoot dogs. I as well as any other hunter are concerned with a healthy game poppulation. Our fees for hunting licences go to providing land, and regulating the harvest of game animals. The population of prarie dogs are nowhere near endangered levels at this time. And if they were you would see that the money that use hunters pay would be put towards maintianing a health poppulation of prarie dogs.

Prarie dogs are noted to care several diseases that can cross from them to humans. The plague and pox are just to of the major ones. Not to mention the vast amount of distruction they cause to ranchors lands and live stock. If you are ever concerned that the population of prarie dog is declinning tp extinction levels just take a ride through the Pine ridge indian Reservation in South Dakota and you will see the level of distruction that prarie dog cause.

have a nice day,

PS you may want to watch youself when you are in the field pointing fingers at people who point gus.

Praiie dog shooting? Thanks for the great idea, I'll have to try that.

So, let me see if I have this straight. If an animal is known to have ever carried the Bubonic Plague then that justifies the needless hunting and devastation of the animal? Has it been proven that the prairie dogs that you have shot do indeed have the plague? In my opinion, you all are a bunch of mindless cowards that have nothing better to do with your time. Have you ever thought about devoting your time to making a difference, rather than showing off your machoistic, big gun, egotistic, good ole' boy attitude. I'm IMPRESSED....NOT. So, let me ask you one question. Because it is known that gay people can be potential carriers of HIV/AIDS, should we be able to buy permits and shoot them, too? Have you ever even thought about the reason that plagues exist in the first place. Maybe, just maybe, it's the Earth's way of getting rid of pricks like you.

Oh, and by the way, I have been a conservative Republican all of my life, but this year I have changed over to the Democratic Party, because I'm sick and tired of the good ole' boy attitude of big business and money. You all don't give a rip about our Earth or what you're leaving behind to your children and grandchildren.

I cant believe that people could have that much fun killing those pesky little rodents, but i sure would like to try it . Looks like it would be a blast .Myself and a friend are planning where to go now for next year.

Oh, Sure Rhonda!..A lifelong Conservative Republican?!? And then, jumping over to the Lib-tards because of Prairie dogs & big, bad Conservatives?!?! HAhahaha! Right! I bet!! :P

I've come to the point in life that weak minded fools who have to resort to propaganda, and character assassination in order to try to discredit the opposing opinion(s), are of no importance to how I go about my life. So make all of the "Inadequacy" reference comments you'd like... but remember, Sigmund Freud said "A fear of weapons is a sure sign of sexual immaturity."

A few buddies and I are coming out west next year, just to thin the prairies a little more....You guys should come out and join us!
TTFN!, Tall Shadow

"PS you may want to watch youself when you are in the field pointing fingers at people who point gus."

Hi, Gus! Are you being pointed at me? I've never had a Gus pointed at me. I've had tits and dicks pointed at me--no Gus yet.

Anyhoo . . . you might wanta check your 6 when you're thinking about popping any animal righters out there. That would be me. I am well armed and hate hunters. I am also former-Recon/sniper--who'd love to "1 shot 1 kill" your sorry knuckledragging @$$.

Otherwise have a nice day. Hope to see you out on my land some day.

Yes it is true, it is against the law to shoot across a road, a maintained road to transport the public. shooting across a unmaintained vehicle trail is a different story. But I do have a problem with your false statement that you were not breaking any laws. Like Arizona game and fish-
17-316. Interference with rights of hunters; classification;
civil action; exceptions
A. It is a class 2 misdemeanor for a person while in
a hunting area to intentionally interfere with, prevent
or disrupt the lawful taking of wildlife by:
1. Harassing, driving or disturbing any wildlife.
2. Blocking, obstructing or impeding, or attempting
to block, obstruct or impede, a person lawfully taking
wildlife.
3. Erecting a barrier without the consent of the
landowner or lessee with the intent to deny ingress to
or egress from areas where wildlife may be lawfully
taken.
4. Making or attempting to make physical contact,
without permission, with a person lawfully taking
wildlife.
5. Engaging in, or attempting to engage in, theft,
vandalism or destruction of real or personal property.
6. Disturbing or altering, or attempting to disturb or
alter, the condition or authorized placement of real or
personal property intended for use in the lawful taking
of wildlife.
7. Making or attempting to make loud noises or
gestures, set out or attempt to set out animal baits,
scents or lures or human scent, use any other natural
or artificial visual, aural, olfactory or physical stimuli,
or engage in or attempt to engage in any other similar
action or activity, in order to disturb, alarm, drive,
attract or affect the behavior of wildlife or disturb,
alarm, disrupt or annoy a person lawfully taking wildlife.
8. Interjecting oneself into the line of fire of a person
lawfully taking wildlife.
B. It is a class 3 misdemeanor for a person to enter or
remain on a designated hunting area on any public or
private lands or waters or state lands including state
trust lands with the intent to interfere with, prevent or
disrupt the lawful taking of wildlife.
C. The commission or any person properly licensed
to take wildlife who is directly affected by a violation of
this section may bring an action to restrain conduct
declared unlawful in this section and to recover damages.
D. A peace officer who reasonably believes that a
person has violated this section may order the person to
desist or to leave the area or arrest such person upon
refusal to desist or leave.

You ignored two things:
1. The law you cite did not exist when the article was written; it became a law September 21, 2006.

2. You (quite by accident, i'm sure!) omitted part of the new law:
"F. The conduct declared unlawful in this section does not:
1. Include any incidental interference arising from lawful activity by public land users, including ranchers, miners or recreationists."
Recreationists. Now there's a loophole big enough to drive a (sound) truck through!
Good luck hunting while someone is playing Jimi Hendrix, or target shooting. Maybe both!

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