More than 1,000 dead birds fall from sky in Ark

WARRIOR wrote:

<quoted text>Pesticide. Not fond of it myself but I realize that we need it. Do you have any idea where we would be without it? I would be fine. I can hunt and fish and grow my own food. I have set my place up where my family can be self sustained for years if necessary. The sad thing is eventually I would have to kill people, people who can't make it on their own, people who would endanger me and my family by attempting to steal the things we have so they can survive. That is the world we live in today!

I agree. Self-sufficient is the ONLY way to be. I too would defend my home and my belongings. That's the way it should be. Unfortunatley, the bleeding hearts and the libs don't agree and would throw your ass in jail.

WARRIOR wrote:

<quoted text>Humans decide population numbers every day. Here in New Mexico the Department of Fish and Game decide exactly how many hunting permits are issued based on population numbers. Hunters are required to send back their harvest data after the hunts. If they don't they are not eligible to hunt the next year. If humans decide black birds are too many then humans will take some out. That is the balance of nature.

"the Department of Fish and Game decide exactly how many hunting permits are issued based on population numbers."

Fine, but when every Tom, Dick, Steve, Jack, Jane, Martha and Harry decides for themselves how many there should be and take it upon themselves to slaughter large numbers of a species because they somehow came to their own conclusion about population numbers, that's when trouble arises and species disappear.

Personally, I want the blackbirds to come back to my home in the spring. Nobody has a right to kill MY blackbirds.

WARRIOR wrote:

<quoted text>I see hawks and eagles daily. We have the turkey vultures and the Raven also. I know where owls are but I do not see them daily. I don't know what you people are doing to your birds but if you need some more you can come to New Mexico and get some. We have plenty!

New Mexico does have some fine bird watching indeed. That doesn't mean the numbers of some species that spend at least part of the year in your region aren't plummeting as well. Habitat destruction is the largest cause of declines. Luckily, NM still has lots of good habitat.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/co...
http://www.abcbirds.org/conservationissues/th...

WARRIOR wrote:

<quoted text>Why do you kill elk and deer when you can buy beef and pork at the store? Is it a need to kill elk and deer?

Interesting question for someone who just said, "I hunt the Oryx."

To answer your question, I don't kill elk and deer. And I do buy beef and pork at the store. That doesn't mean an elk or deer can't show up in my freezer one day too.

I love beef and pork, but I try to eat wild game more often these days. Wild game don't spend their lives in captivity being confined, castrated, abused, tortured, drugged up, etc..

Whut wrote:

<quoted text>We have decided to relocate 3 Polar bears to your back yard. take care of them & bless you.

I do not condone introducing animals to a place where they are not native. Polar Bears would never survive in my yard. All I have to offer them is a bird bath.

Churm, if you fire into the trees at night, how can you be sure you ain't killing something marvelous and alot more rare than blackbirds, such as this brilliant Scarlet Tanager that may have just been passing through your area?
http://www.youtube.com/watch...

Or maybe a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, like the one I tried desperately to save?
http://www.youtube.com/watch...

Or a real rarity, the Cerulean Warbler:
http://www.youtube.com/watch...
(I haven't seen one in years) Their numbers are in drastic decline.:(

I was stationed in Fort Madison, Iowa when my son was a little boy. We lived in the country on top of a small hill surrounded by trees, one acre little pond and various wildlife that frequent the property. After a long day at work, my family & I would sit on the deck and listen to the coyotes sing (howl). I could sit for hours listening to the birds and watch them dance all about like little ballerinas in the trees, the raccoons that would come to the deck looking for a handout, the deer that would come in the mornings to our deck. My son would to take leftover biscuits and hand feed the deer as their white tails fluttered for others that it was ok to approach.

I will never forgot the look on my son's face and the glee in his eyes the very first time Rocky Road (a raccoon my wife named because of her favorite ice cream) reached out and grab the little bag of chips from the bench and scurried off into the woods like a little masked bandit.

After several years living in Fort Madison, I was then transfered to another state. The last night we lived in our home, I asked my family to join me one more time to listen to the singing coyotes. As usual, the coyotes never failed to bring a smile to our faces with their high pitch howls. I could picture the coyotes in my mind darting and chasing each other, leaping in the air and bellowing out songs of delight.

20 years has now elapse from our last sighting of Rocky Road and the singing coyotes. I cannot tell you how much enjoyment that these animals brought into our lives. My father is now fighting for his life as he is in the thralls of death. I spoke to daddy the other night on the telephone and described to him the beautiful sunrise we had the other morning. My father replied, "enjoy it son."

His shallow voice echoed into my heart as a reminder that life is short. It only saddens me to think that it takes old age with death knocking, for us to appreciate what God has given us........

Raptor in Michigan wrote:

<quoted text>
"the Department of Fish and Game decide exactly how many hunting permits are issued based on population numbers."
Fine, but when every Tom, Dick, Steve, Jack, Jane, Martha and Harry decides for themselves how many there should be and take it upon themselves to slaughter large numbers of a species because they somehow came to their own conclusion about population numbers, that's when trouble arises and species disappear.
Personally, I want the blackbirds to come back to my home in the spring. Nobody has a right to kill MY blackbirds.

If there your black birds you keep them on your property. If you dont keep them on your property you should be liable for the damages & economic loss they cause. The Arkansas Game & fish does have regulations regarding the killing of nuciance wildlife. They even sometimes pay a bounty of things like coyotes & Beaver.The preventave actions I take are perfectly legal & condoned by the game & fish. We can only hunt crows on certian days because their are federal laws that apply.

Raptor in Michigan wrote:

<quoted text>
"Ill do what I can for wildlife If its convienent but when it starts costing me I will do what I deem necessairy."
Me too. A few years ago I had a little Rose-breasted Grosbeak that showed up in the spring. He wasn't feeling good. I took him in and cared for him for a while, but when he wasn't getting better and I realized I couldn't help him, I found a rehabber about two hours away that had the means and the license.
I took the day off work and drove the little guy to the rehabber.
Final cost- one sick day, half tank of gas and over four hours on the road.
The end result- he died shortly after I got him there.
I have no regrets though. I did what I could to help and I know God was watching.

you where wrong in trying to save the bird. It wasnt up to par. It lacked genetic stanima or had a disease. If you had been successful and it survived those poor traits (succeptibility to disease or poor genetics would have stayed in the breeding pool. Better to have left it alone for it to be food for some predator. Only the fittest should live and reproduce. You where doing the same exact thing you accuse me of you where interferring with natural selection.

Raptor in Michigan wrote:

<quoted text>
I agree. Self-sufficient is the ONLY way to be. I too would defend my home and my belongings. That's the way it should be. Unfortunatley, the bleeding hearts and the libs don't agree and would throw your ass in jail.

Have you ever killed another Human? I can assure you that If you ever take another humans life ( unless you a scyopath) that it would be the worst thing you ever done. Ill do everything possible to avoid killing another human. Ill never kill another person over material things. The only way I would kill is to protect my life or the lives of my loved ones. I carry a handgun everywhere . And if I was someplace and someone was being robbed unless I was in personal danger I wouldnt do anything. They would continue to be robbed. Im not law enforcement. The person being robbed should have taken responsibility and have their own means of defense.

Raptor in Michigan wrote:

Churm, if you fire into the trees at night, how can you be sure you ain't killing something marvelous and alot more rare than blackbirds, such as this brilliant Scarlet Tanager that may have just been passing through your area?
http://www.youtube.com/watch...
Or maybe a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, like the one I tried desperately to save?
http://www.youtube.com/watch...
Or a real rarity, the Cerulean Warbler:
http://www.youtube.com/watch...
(I haven't seen one in years) Their numbers are in drastic decline.:(

Those blackbirds are agressive and most other birds wouldnt & dont roost with them. In the off changce one did roost in the same tree and the extremely rare chance it was hit and killed by a shotgun pellett Too Bad. It simply made a fatal mistake by hanging out with the wrong crowd. That bird that had the propencity to roost with blackbirds would be elemenated from the gene pool.

It finally raining Here today. Its a result of Isacc. We shure where dry. It gives every idication of being the end of the drought. I hope I can stop watering my garden. My pond was very low It has a sufficient catchment area that it should ouickly refill. the fish all died fron the low water level & heat. Thats not so bad. Ill restock with catfish from the nearby river. Ill not have those perch for a while. Even though you dont itroduce them somehow perch will eventually get in the pond. I place a light just above the water, The light attracts insects and the fish feed on them.

Raptor in Michigan wrote:

<quoted text>
Interesting question for someone who just said, "I hunt the Oryx."
To answer your question, I don't kill elk and deer. And I do buy beef and pork at the store. That doesn't mean an elk or deer can't show up in my freezer one day too.
I love beef and pork, but I try to eat wild game more often these days. Wild game don't spend their lives in captivity being confined, castrated, abused, tortured, drugged up, etc..

I don't know what is so interesting about my question. I have stated previously that I am a big game hunter. I kill with regularity Oryx, Elk, deer, bear, turkey and quail. I kille other animals also just not as often as those I just mentioned. I have 2 freezers and a refrigerator in my garage full of big game meat and fish. You could say God gave me the gift of killing. I am very skilled at it along with hunting and fishing and surviving. As much as I like to eat big game there is nothing in the world that tastes better than good old fashioned American beef. The beef and pork I eat is not abused, tortured, or confined, it is dead though. I posed the question to you because you seem so opposed to killing animals but not so opposed to having others do it for you so you can eat.

Churmudgeon wrote:

It finally raining Here today. Its a result of Isacc. We shure where dry. It gives every idication of being the end of the drought. I hope I can stop watering my garden. My pond was very low It has a sufficient catchment area that it should ouickly refill. the fish all died fron the low water level & heat. Thats not so bad. Ill restock with catfish from the nearby river. Ill not have those perch for a while. Even though you dont itroduce them somehow perch will eventually get in the pond. I place a light just above the water, The light attracts insects and the fish feed on them.

It appears it might be cooling off here some what also. We were about 93 degree yesterday. Hopefully it won't be long before we get out of the 90's. We could use A LOT of that rain you are getting. A drought does more damage to wild animals than humans have ever done.

WARRIOR wrote:

<quoted text>It appears it might be cooling off here some what also. We were about 93 degree yesterday. Hopefully it won't be long before we get out of the 90's. We could use A LOT of that rain you are getting. A drought does more damage to wild animals than humans have ever done.

I agree the drought concentrates the wildlife around the food and water sources. making predation and disease more prevalent. The drought also reduces the food supply and fewer young survive. If you want to elemate a pest dont worry with the adults go after the young and in a short while the problem is solved. No storm damage here Just ten MPH wind and gentle rain. Its warm rain. We usually have vey cold rain most of our storms come from the west and are about 20,000 feet high. This is comng from the south south west and not a tall front.

WARRIOR wrote:

<quoted text>I don't know what is so interesting about my question. I have stated previously that I am a big game hunter. I kill with regularity Oryx, Elk, deer, bear, turkey and quail. I kille other animals also just not as often as those I just mentioned. I have 2 freezers and a refrigerator in my garage full of big game meat and fish. You could say God gave me the gift of killing. I am very skilled at it along with hunting and fishing and surviving. As much as I like to eat big game there is nothing in the world that tastes better than good old fashioned American beef. The beef and pork I eat is not abused, tortured, or confined, it is dead though. I posed the question to you because you seem so opposed to killing animals but not so opposed to having others do it for you so you can eat.

None of the farmers I know dont abuse or torture their livestock. Now granted many farmers do have animals are raised in close confinment and fed hormoned feeds. My beef & pork chicken is free range and have free choice to all the grain they want. I dont use the growth enhancers or hot feeds. I like to butcher a fat calf weighing about 500 lbs that is still nursing its mother. Thats really tender good tasting meat. I never kill mature buck deer anymore. I like to kill yearlings I dont want horns just the meat. I have all the deer meat I want without hunting. there are always plenty of fresh road killed deer available. Around here all you have to do is let the local police dept know you want the road kill deer. When there is a deer car wreck and the people involved dont want the deer they will call the next person on the list.

Must be democrats!!!

Churmudgeon wrote:

<quoted text>I agree the drought concentrates the wildlife around the food and water sources. making predation and disease more prevalent. The drought also reduces the food supply and fewer young survive. If you want to elemate a pest dont worry with the adults go after the young and in a short while the problem is solved. No storm damage here Just ten MPH wind and gentle rain. Its warm rain. We usually have vey cold rain most of our storms come from the west and are about 20,000 feet high. This is comng from the south south west and not a tall front.

In severe drought conditions it has been proven that a pregnant deer (doe) will absorb her fetus just to survive. I just finished mowing and it is already close to 90 degrees! I live in the desert surrounded by mountains. The Sacramentos peak out at about 9,000 feet, Sierra Blanca is over 12,000 feet and all are part of the Lincoln National Forrest. Just when it looks like it might rain here the mountains suck all the clouds in and we get very little rain if any at all.

Churmudgeon wrote:

<quoted text> None of the farmers I know dont abuse or torture their livestock. Now granted many farmers do have animals are raised in close confinment and fed hormoned feeds. My beef & pork chicken is free range and have free choice to all the grain they want. I dont use the growth enhancers or hot feeds. I like to butcher a fat calf weighing about 500 lbs that is still nursing its mother. Thats really tender good tasting meat. I never kill mature buck deer anymore. I like to kill yearlings I dont want horns just the meat. I have all the deer meat I want without hunting. there are always plenty of fresh road killed deer available. Around here all you have to do is let the local police dept know you want the road kill deer. When there is a deer car wreck and the people involved dont want the deer they will call the next person on the list.

I grew up farming and ranching and never saw those things you mention. All of our animals were treated like animals but with respect. I shoot the first legal deer or elk I see. I like the antlers, I like big antlers but you can't eat them!

Churmudgeon wrote:

<quoted text> Those blackbirds are agressive and most other birds wouldnt & dont roost with them. In the off changce one did roost in the same tree and the extremely rare chance it was hit and killed by a shotgun pellett Too Bad. It simply made a fatal mistake by hanging out with the wrong crowd. That bird that had the propencity to roost with blackbirds would be elemenated from the gene pool.

In other words, birds of a feather flock together. That's what a black man in Beebe told me years ago when I inquired about the empty brick house next to his. Turned out it was being reposessed from his son.