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Want a chuckle? Check out Tony Dean today.

Kolanuraven: LB: You sound as if you're constantly hip deep in predators?

Yeah ,yrs ago when we had cattle on a ranch near Camp Crook we had a few problems with varmints but nothing to the degree that you keep referring to in your posts.

I know YOU practice predator control.....but what is going on that seems to " draw" them to you? I was just wondering and comparing to my own experiences in your part of the world
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I don't know if you've read through the multitude of posts about Harding County's trials and tribulations with our state GF&P or not, but most of our current problems can be laid squarely on their doorstep.

We had a Conservation Officer and a state trapper who conspired with a local rouge pilot to ground our very effective predator control pilot so the rouge pilot could get our predator control pilot's job with the district. They also had assistance from a USFW agent trained by the current head of SD GF&P.

They made a federal case out of it. Got our pilot grounded for months, his airplane and shotgun confiscated, and the whole community at each others throats while the predators multiplied in safety.

Our pilot finally got off with a fine, got his plane and gun back and, after a long legal hassle, has been allowed to hunt for us again.

The CO has since been transferred, a move that came years too late to prevent more strained relations with GF&P.

The rogue pilot was recently released from the state pen after serving time for almost beating his second wife to death and, as a convicted felon, is no longer able to work as a predator control pilot for GF&P, or anyone else, for that matter.

Unfortunately, the GF&P trapper, who has refused to work with any of the Harding County predator control pilots, is still stationed here. He only works for a handful of ranchers and none of the Harding Co. pilots.

The trapper should also have been either transferred or fired for the way he has prevented us from having an effective predator control program, but GF&P refuses to move him.

It isn't that he isn't a capable trapper that might be able to work well with folks from another area, but with his history and his disposition, he has lost any chance at redemption in this county.

Sorry this got so long, but it's a wonder that we don't have more predator problems than we do.
 
stevec said:
Thanks HMW
Yes, I am "way" outside the box. Even my wife, whom I have known for 27 years, will sometimes say I am crazy. (I will readily admit I am getting more "crazy" the more I learn about how things are, and I can add the new information to my theories.) I have covered a lot of ground in my thinking, and obviously when you catch it mid-stream it may seem like I am crazy, mean, arrogant, etc., but I am really just a regular joe.

When Thomas Paine said that the King was only a man, and not superior, that was a radical idea. Today we regard it as commonsense. What makes people think I am crazy is that I believe we are all equal, and that means I don't have a high regard for their heroes, or for their own sense of heroic accomplishment. My only hero is Christ.

The reason I said that cows are fed chemicals constantly, and yes I do mean nutrients, vitamins, etc., as well as anti-biotics, etc., is because of a multi-line marketing scheme that was very hot a while ago. Basically it was by a guy who grew up on a farm, and was familiar with all the vitamins, etc, thatt cows were fed. He asked his father, "how come we give all these things to the cows, but not to me?" Since all these things were supposed to keep the cow healthy. So he created a line of vitamins that would keep us healthy as cows. :-)

The one drawback was that you were not supposed to take the vitamins with orange juice. ..so of course I did to find out what would happen..LOL I was farting for 24 hours.

(The way these schemes work, by the way, is that you sell cassette tapes of the guy doing his sales pitch to "distributors" below you. Before you know it, everyone is talking about it and buying more tapes. It is a pyramid scheme like Amway, (also known as a ponzi scheme.) Basically it is a way to prey on people who want to get rich quick. More marketing materials change hands than products. If the system lasts a while, those who got in early make a lot of money, those who get in late just get screwed.)

Any way, as humans we are constantly shifting the Earth around and making "unnatural" concentrations. (Radioactive material being one of the most dangerous.) Most of this has occured in the last three hundred years. At the rate we are going will will have "population control" by poisoning ourselves.

I disagree that the only two choices are socialism and capitalism, but even if they were, what we have is not capitalism, it is oligarchy. Some say that EVERY society falls into oligarchy, and there has never been any other society. It is a tough argument, may well be correct, but the present and the future is still our choice; and we don't have to repeat the errors of the past.
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Here is some advice for you, stevec. It is a lesson in Life that bears pondering and acting upon, and is called the Serenity Prayer. Take it to heart; it will do you good.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.

Good luck.
 
All you eagle lovers should go over to Sarpy Sams website and read his little story for the day-- makes you wonder if they will kill a calf or not...Keep getting more eagles around here I may have to get some horn back on the old cows.....

http://nowherethoughts.net/sarpysam/archives/2006/03/22.html
 
Dang...wishn someone would teach me how to cut and paste like the pros!

anyway, lb wrote this...

We are a capitalistic society. Given capitalism on the right side and socialism on the left, Tony Dean is definately a left leaner. Where do you stand? Are you in favor of property being collectivly owned, i.e. national forests and other publically owned lands?Are you in favor of the federal government being able to tell private property owners what they can or can't do with their land if it happens to be habitat for publically owned wildlife? Are you in favor of others being able to dictate the way you run your business or your home because the public's interest supersedes your interests? If you answer any of these questions with a yes, you, my friend, are a socialist, as is Tony Dean.

FROM SDH

First of all, i do believe in property being owned by the government, to a point......Are you actually telling me that we would be better off not having Custer State Park or Yellowstone or any parks? Should someone own the capitol building and the state be paying rent to them? How about the public park in your town? Ever picnic there? Maybe you should have to pay rent. What about the roads? Guessing the government should sell them to private parties and pay a toll every few miles to different owners. I believe John Thune, who i voted for, announced he is against the selling of some federal lands....huh, he must be a socialist! No not a socialist, just a straight thinker...try that for a change.

How about that $$ as a handout you take from the government to subsidize your farm LB....is that not a form of welfare and therefore, a government program? Are you telling us you are in favor of a government program MRS RIGHT WING CONSERVITIVE? As long as it benifits you, i am sure. I am not a left winger by any means...i believe in democracy, which is really what its all about is it not? i believe the government should be as little as possible....which for some reason continues to grow under this administration....Do you think the government needs to sell off our public lands to help fund some education? Im guessing that your kids went to a private school too because there is another government program, oh ya, that is also owned by government and we pay taxes for.

There is a time and a place for everything LB. Mr Dean is not trying to ruin the livestock industry or any other industry. Wake up and smell the coffee!

My name........I am not the one running for public office LB.....and i would guess everyone would have forgotten your name or where to find it by know but you put it in here again. I did appoligize for printing your name, something i will never do to anyone again....i did explain that earlier. Your right, i really only post in reply to your posts, which seem so off the wall most times...i dont see many others posting some of the knucklehead posts you do.....and when you are confronted about them, you resort to name calling. I am betting when the election comes and someone asks you a question you dont like, your first words from your mouth will be .....Idiot...socialist...and whats your name anyway. THink you will get elected that way? Probably not.....Stand up for all socialism LB......tell the ranchers in your area your against subsidies....tell them you want to sell the park in town, tell them you think the black hills national forest should be owned by someone like ted turner! Heck, he is a private citizen. Bet that would go over like a fart in church!
 
I had a Golden Eagle try to nearly rip my head off my shoulders once near Ft Laramie once.

Scared the crap outta me!!!!....I'm 5'8" and about 130lbs....so if it will take me on...you bet it will take on a baby calf, small dog or even kids out roaming about.


They are beautiful birds--can't aruge taht fact--but they are also predator birds/raptors and A LOT of people don't know that side.
 
Several years ago, in the spring, we had an immature bald eagle, or a golden eagle hanging around. This was about the same time we started seeing lion tracks and hearing about lions.

I went out to check on calving cows and pairs, and here was one of the kids first calf heifers and her, about 1 week old baby. The calf had a big chunk out of his neck, right in front of his shoulderblades and another wound, just back of his shoulderblades, that wasn't quite as bad. I thot' a lion had attacked it and the momma had chased it off. She was longhorn X and a REAL good mama!

I finally figured it out later when the calf healed up and there were two perfect half moons in the flesh, where the wounds were. They were just the right distance apart, sized and shaped, for an eagles feet and talons.

The eagle must have swooped down and either couldn't pack the calf off, or the mother had drove him off.

He lived and sold as a yearling and you couldn't hardly see the spots by then.

I've kind of watched for eagles since, but we don't have many. Seems like the hawks and eagles all live a little east of us. Might be somebody west of us, who doesn't like them. Me, I like to see them and I figure out of 40 some years around here and only having this happen one time, that I ain't too worried about them.

I'm kind of a radical, as I don't mind skunks, snakes or any other animal that is considered a pest, as I figure they probably eat enough mice, moles and voles, to make it worthwhile to have them around.

One year when grasshoppers were thick, they were killing coyotes in this country and checking their stomache contents. Most had from 75 to 95 % grasshoppers.

I see no reason to kill anything, until they become a problem. Then go get the one that is causing the problem, instead of the shotgun approach, where you try to kill them all, hoping to get the one that is the problem.

Too bad they won't let us do that with people! :wink:

Sure would make life simpler. :wink:
 
Well, South Dakota Stalker, it doesn't surprise me that you don't have the intestinal fortitude to give us your name. I suppose I should thank you for your lame apology, although it's much like the guy who got mad and shot his neighbor. He can apologize till he's blue in the face, but that doesn't change what he did. You'll notice that your hero, Tony Dean, keeps the names of anyone blasting me secret too. Heck, Dean doesn't even use his OWN real name. Talk about birds of a feather – dare I say chickens? Maybe it's just my slightly jaundiced view, but this smells like hypocrisy, big time. Could that be you I smell?

As for how I feel about farm subsidies – I'm against them. Yeah, we've taken some in order to stay on a level playing field with others in the industry, but if all agriculture subsidies were abolished tomorrow, I'd be thrilled and I think most of those on this board feel the same. I know my neighbors do because we've talked about the issue at great length.

If fact, most of us would do away with the Department of Agriculture altogether, thus eliminating all the welfare programs funneled through the department that have nothing whatsoever to do with agriculture and should be, under the truth in advertising laws, be properly listed as the welfare programs they are.

How about the feds owning land in South Dakota? To begin with, the town parks are not owned by the feds. They are owned by the municipalities and I'm all for them. I've even helped with the building of playground equipment and picnic tables in both town parks and state parks. I have no problem with either one. I do, however, have a big problem with the feds taking land away from the states to create anything but military installations, post offices, and roads.

Where in the constitution does it say that the feds can take land from the states without the states permission for anything besides military installations, post offices and roads? Maybe you can enlighten us?

Any land owned by the federal government for things like national parks and national forest should immediately be turned over to the state where the land is located. I would have no problem with that. Would state ownership of parks and forests bother you and if it does, why?

My kids went to a public school? Really? That's news to me. They received a very good education at our little country school in Reva and the public high school in Buffalo. What does the kind of education my children received have to do with anything discussed here anyway? My kids aren't running for office, so I would appreciate you leaving them out of this. In order to attack me, you're shooting with a mighty big scattergun, aren't you?

Now, where can you attack me next? I'll help you out so you won't have to dig so hard for mud to sling at me. After all, I'm running for office and that makes me fair game, right?

Here's some dirt:
Did you know one of my grandmothers was a full blood German and this was at a time that we were involved in two world wars against Germany? Her family even changed the family name from Schmidt to Smith in order to hide their horrible heritage. Her brother was killed fighting those same Germans, but that's another story.

And here's some more ammo for you:
Did you know I got drunk one time and puked in the cat dish at the barn? And that was before I was old enough to legally drink?

Sneaked cigarettes on school grounds during lunch hour?

In my misspent youth, I hunted coon with a spotlight, knowing it was against the law and I've even shot coyotes without buying a general hunting license first!!

Heck, I forget to fasten my seat belt about half the time and have been ticketed for speeding more than once.

I'm sure I've left out many of my indiscretions, but I'm also sure that if you discover any I've missed, you'll be quick to post them, won't you?

Happy hunting, South Dakota Stalker… and have a nice day.
 
I'm kind of a radical, as I don't mind skunks, snakes or any other animal that is considered a pest, as I figure they probably eat enough mice, moles and voles, to make it worthwhile to have them around
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We have basically the same philosophy around our house. so long as they aren't in with the cows, coyotes are left alone. Prairie dogs and pocket gophers are bad enough without killing their predators...
Last summer we had a big bull snake living under one of the cedar trees in our front yard. I told the kids to leave him alone and always called the dogs off if it looked like they were harassing him. They compete with rattlers for territory, so a bullsnake is always welcome.
But we even leave rattlesnakes alone if they're just out in the pastures minding their own business. In my yard is another story. Then they have to die. :)
 
theHiredMansWife said:
But we even leave rattlesnakes alone if they're just out in the pastures minding their own business. In my yard is another story. Then they have to die. :)
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You talkin' two legged snakes or slithery snakes. Cuz if your killin' them two legged kind, I wish you'd tell me how your gettin' away with it. It would be nice to know, next huntin' season! :wink:
 
*knock on wood* I've yet to have a two legged variety in my yard.



But I did discover a few years ago that I needed to keep my hoe sharper. Hanging off the top corral rail I kept swinging down on this snake's neck and my hoe would just bounce off. I think I just ticked him off more than anything. :lol:

I guess I should modify my earlier statement--If they're in the yard they either have to die or put up with great irritation.
 
I think you know what i was getting at.....and that was socialism and socialism is ANYTHING having to do with government. I was getting at is you saying that the government, which is a broad term, local, state or federal, is government, and you said that government should own no land, period, or something very very close to that. That would be the same as state game production areas, state parks, city parks, schools, roads etc. If you actually feel i was attacking your family, i am very sorry. I really could care less what you have done in the past that is legal or illlegal.

You said the government should not own land. You didnt specify feds, state or local. Government is government.
 
dont get me wrong...i dont like big government, and i dont like those that think because its theirs, they can do whatever they want. but by the government owning some, it will insure that others will see it as it should be, the way god intended. There are places where the land was drained water, so they can plow a little more, so they can plant some more corn, so the government can subsidize a little more and to me thats wrong, even if its your land. Some land was never ment to be plowed.

Kind of like New Orleans.......Its their land, yet its below sea level. To me anyway, it makes no sense to build or rebuild, i should say, a city below sea level. But its their land, we should let them do with it what they want, and the government should subsidize them??
 
LB wrote: If fact, most of us would do away with the Department of Agriculture altogether, thus eliminating all the welfare programs funneled through the department that have nothing whatsoever to do with agriculture and should be, under the truth in advertising laws, be properly listed as the welfare programs they are.

What would the landscape of ranching and farming look like LB? No governement assitance at all. The market heads south and the land goes up for sale, food prices rise and imported foods become the thing many americans would buy! No CRP payments, no crop insurance, no price supports, etc. I see alot of land changing hands and the rich would be buying it up all the while land valuations rise and your property taxes get so high you can't afford to graze cows!

I'm betting if you were a grain farmer in the midwest you would have a far different outlook.

As for how I feel about farm subsidies – I'm against them. Yeah, we've taken some in order to stay on a level playing field with others in the industry

What?????? Did that above comment make any sense?

Any land owned by the federal government for things like national parks and national forest should immediately be turned over to the state where the land is located. I would have no problem with that. Would state ownership of parks and forests bother you and if it does, why?

First off how would many states afford the upkeep on such propertys? Raise admission rates so high that very few come to see national treasures of the US? Leaving the ground to do what?

Also many lands owned by the feds have come back to states and alot of them are also subsidized from the feds as well. Do you have a problem with that? I love state parks, county parks, and yes their are certain areas that the countrys best interest is to have managed by the federalo government due to the size and scope of the projects. What would happen if the blackhills became state owned and fully state funded for all needs? The state would be bankrupt. Or the ground would be used and abused to make a profit from it to keep state ownership. Fighting fires, forest management, road maintance is not a cheap deal. What would happen with tourism in your state if the lands were all state controlled? I'm betting charging people 20.00 a day or more to go through the blackhills would cut down on out of staters comming out that way?
 
What would the landscape of ranching and farming look like LB? No governement assitance at all. The market heads south and the land goes up for sale, food prices rise and imported foods become the thing many americans would buy! No CRP payments, no crop insurance, no price supports, etc. I see alot of land changing hands and the rich would be buying it up all the while land valuations rise and your property taxes get so high you can't afford to graze cows!
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Johanns has already announced that price supports will be a thing of the past for all crops by 2010.

In order to satisfy WTO demands. :???: :???: :???:
 
First off how would many states afford the upkeep on such propertys? Raise admission rates so high that very few come to see national treasures of the US? Leaving the ground to do what?
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You're kidding, right? Where do you think the money to maintain the parks comes from now - pennies from heaven?

Every nickel of it comes out of the taxpayer's pocket. The government, be it federal, state, county or city, has no money of its own. Any money spent to support any government operation comes out of your pocket and mine.

What difference does it make which government entity pays for it? Are roads built cheaper because the feds build them? Anyone ever dealing with the federal government on any level will tell you that the more localized the government, the lower the cost to the taxpayers.

I would love to see South Dakota take back the Black Hills and the national forest just a few miles from my doorstep. Our state government, while being a long way from perfect, is a much more efficient manager than the federal government has ever been and as taxpayers in this state, we wouldn't be hit in the pocketbook nearly as hard and I'm willing to bet that it would benefit our state coffers.
 
Lb you live ina world of fantasy not reality. What burden is lighter a 150 million paying 2.00 per year to keep National Parks going or 400,000 people of SD paying 2000.00 a year to keep the Parks going? You think any state government but a very few would have the funding to keep areas like the Black Hills and all other National Parks, BLM and US forest service ground in good condition?

I don't buy any portion of local governemnt doing it cheaper or we wouldn't have interstates remember these are paid for by all US taxpayers and not having a state trying to come up with the money of upkeep. Do you relize how many federal dollars are used in states exspecialy small states? Without the Feds kicking more into smaller states the tax rate versus the income would force people from smaller populated states to move out in droves.
 
Jinglebob you can hang tough but perception is not reality. If I remember right the state with the highest per head rate of fed tax dollars is North Dakota does anyone know why? Without that money comming into ND what do you suppose the outlook for ND in terms of population and jobs or job creation would be? Yet they are one of the most sparsely populated states in the nation. Then some in Fargo and Bismark wonder why their property taxes are insane and forceing old people to sell and move out.

Yep let's just turn everything over to local and state control because we would all be better off? Maybe "YOU" and yours, but remember you can't have a community without unity.
 

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