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Grand Junction Wildlife Meeting Expected to Heat Up Over Prairie Dog Shooting Grand Junction, CO. At its meeting in Grand Junction this Thursday, the Colorado Wildlife Commission will consider whether or not to allow shooters to use live animals for target practice. While relatively few engage in prairie dog shoots, one person can kill several hundred animals in a day. Internet sites advertise shooting tours and celebrate when prairie dog bodies explode into "red mist." In January, WildEarth Guardians requested that the Wildlife Commission ban the practice of shooting live animals as targets. "Our petition specifically addresses the failure of these shoots to comply with Colorado law," said Jay Tutchton, DU Law attorney representing WildEarth Guardians. "Under Colorado law, hunters are required to use the meat from animals they kill, and prairie dog shooters do not. They're simply in it for the thrill of obtaining high body counts and causing maximum tissue damage. Therefore, these shoots come into play under Colorado's animal cruelty statute and should be banned," he added. In March, the Wildlife Commission heard the matter and voted to allow the matter to go forward as part of its regular public three-step process. The second hearing occurs this week, and the third is scheduled in Durango in July. (In an unprecedented move, the DOW posted a rulemaking notice that states that the Commission had the right to stop the process at the second hearing.) The National Rifle Association raised a spurious concern that the ban on live target shoots is a veneer to end all hunting in Colorado. The NRA has rallied its forces and, according to the DOW, voluminous petitions and emails have been flowing into the Wildlife Commission. On the other hand, the Colorado Wildlife Federation, a local hunting group, testified at the March hearing that these kinds of shoots raise alarming issues, particularly that prairie dog shoots do not allow for fair chase, a major tenet of ethical hunting. "We strongly urge the Wildlife Commission to take a firm stand against the outrageous conduct of using prairie dogs and other animals for target practice," stated Dr. Nicole Rosmarino of WildEarth Guardians. "To improve your aim, use pop cans, not prairie dogs," she added. WildEarth Guardians' petition argues that prairie dog shooting cannot be considered hunting because it involves no ethics or sportsmanship, and the shooters do not collect the carcasses. It discussed the decline of prairie dogs, their importance to a variety of wildlife, and the danger of environmental contamination from lead shot-especially to raptor populations such as hawks and eagles. In a document released last Friday, the Colorado Division of Wildlife opposes WildEarth Guardians' petition. The DOW is expected to testify in support of prairie dog shooting at Thursday's hearing, echoing arguments from prairie dog shooters that prairie dogs harm rangeland. "Not only have a myriad of biologists documented that that prairie dogs have evolved over millions of years in the American West and are in fact a crucial force in maintaining healthy grasslands, but they are alarmed at the enormous decline in their populations across the West," said Dr. Rosmarino.
The public can submit comments on the petition to ban prairie dog shooting by emailing: wildlife.comm@state.co.us For more background information, please contact Nicole Rosmarino at nrosmarino@wildearthguardians.org or 505-699-7404. View WildEarth Guardian's Action Alert View WildEarth Guardians' Petition View the Unprecedented DOW Rulemaking Notice & DOW Agenda View the DOW's Position to Maintain Prairie Dog Shoots as a Management Option Read about the Colorado Trapper's Association's Antics in the Craig Daily Press View National Rifle Association's Action Alert Contacts: Nicole J. Rosmarino | WildEarth Guardians | 505.699.7404 Jay Tutchton | Denver University Environmental Law Clinic | 720.301.3843 |
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