Varmint shooting in Central Wyoming (Rock Springs, Green River: high school, college, living)

[Treehugger]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

Hey, libertarian4life ... try thinking a little bit outside of the box.

These little family oriented varmints dig up my alfalfa fields, tear up my pasture ... and are responsible for a lot of damage to my equipment and risk to my horses and other livestock.

.

Agrculture is an anomaly in the desert west. Varmints were here long before your public-subsidized water "rights" and ranching. The high plains of Wyoming were never meant to be lush, green alfalfa fields.

If a person is Liberal-minded, they struggle constantly in Wyoming with the born-and-raised-here crowd who are pro-Bush, pro-gun, pro-hunting, pro-isolationism, pro-gas guzzling V-8 pickup trucks and all the rest.

The ranching crowd takes the cake. They pass themselves off as conservative, "rugged individualists" while they constantly have their hands out for public assistance like tax breaks on land and water subsidies. Cattle ranching and hay production is ridiculously inefficient and adds almost nothing to the bottom line in Wyoming. Beef would have to cost $20 a pound before a rancher could make it on his/her own without being on the public dole.

Varments aren't the problem here. Man trying to turn desert into something it was never intended to be is the problem.

[sunsprit]

Gosh, Laramie Treehugger ... thanks for the lecture on the fallacies of all our ways out here and taking the trouble to label us with all of your most despised names. Or did you think you were educating us heathens?

I'm inferring from your commentary, of course, that you don't partake of any of the benefits that have been brought to civilization by agriculture, ranching, mining, or other extractive industries. Nor would you stoop to accept the benefits of any government subsidized program, like clean drinking water from developed sources, or any other program which benefits your standard of living or income in any way.

You don't drive a vehicle, only use self-powered transportation, never eat groceries from the supermarket, never dine in restaurants, never heat your earth berm living quarters with anything but trees you felled with your bone saw or gathered downed wood, seek anything but a shaman's medical attention, feed your pets food you raised organically and naturally with natural fertilizer, or demand any government monies that help your standard of living when needed to equalize the playing field created artificially by other government regulations that affect what you do for a living?

Now do you or don't you?

Unless you avoid any product or goods or services that are produced directly or indirectly by all these businesses or government intervention, then you've got big feet of very soft goey muddy clay ....

And, you're certainly welcome to leave Wyoming to head for places where mankind was intended (I'm not sure by whom, but you're the one who brought the unknown power here into play) to sleep on soft downy grass and loll about in nirvana with manna hanging ripe in the trees ... or whatever state of mind it is that you're into.

Try to have a better day ....

[MRVphotog]

treehugger-

Painting every rancher with the same brush does a disservice to the idea of information sharing and working together as much as when it is done to others.

We can do incredible things to the land when we put our minds to it. Go back in time and look at the desert in CA which is now fertile land growing incredible things, same for Israel in the middle east.

As you know it's all about the water and getting it to the land. Remember the great aquaducts(sic) of ancient Rome which they built to bring the water and produce fertile land.

I realize it's pc to bash all goverment subsidies and I agree many are a shame but there are some that work. IMHO If goverment subsidies were shut down for the growing solar and wind power industry, which I assume you support, most projects in alternative fuels would never see the light of day. So it goes both ways.

All the ranchers I know work very hard trying to make something out of such unforgiving land as you so poetically described.

Diferent strokes for diferent folks I guess but ranchers have my respect for the hard work they put in.

[Earniefan]

Thank You Wyomiles it's been awhile since that happened and I couldn't quite remember the facts.

By the way they've also been found in Idaho.

[Treehugger]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

I'm inferring from your commentary, of course, that you don't partake of any of the benefits that have been brought to civilization by agriculture, ranching, mining, or other extractive industries. ..

I partake in the most responsible way that I can. This doesn't include eating beef that takes about 5000 gallons of water to produce from start to finish.
(A pound of vegetables takes around 25 gallons of water to produce.)

Welfare ranching is a financial wash. It wastes water and resources that could be used in a ten fold more responsible manner.

[Treehugger]

Originally Posted by MRVphotog

Diferent strokes for diferent folks I guess but ranchers have my respect for the hard work they put in.

You're right, MRV and I was a little harsh.
Ranching is hard work, but it's the most inefficient form of agriculture that I can think of. Beef producers would howl at the moon if they were forced to pay fair market value in taxes, land use and water use. Most of them belong to a certain political party that starts with the letter "R" that loves to cut welfare for everyone but themselves. It's the hypocrisy that really bugs me.

[Delaneyland]

Originally Posted by Jim1970

Hello,

Wondering if anyone has a prairie dog problem in or around Casper. I am looking for a nice, safe, remote place to shoot prairie dogs. In the past, I have shot these little buggers on rancher's property.

I will check back here occassionally for ideas and suggestions.

Thanks,

Jim

So, anyway, back to the original question Jim. I've lived in Evanston, Marbleton, Meeteetse, and Fort Bridger and never had any problem finding dogs to plink. Its nicer to know someone, but I've found most ranchers have no problem at all letting you set up if asked first. I don't know if it works, but on another forum a fellow suggested looking at Google earth or other aerial photos for dog towns, and take it from there. Good shooting!

[sunsprit]

Oh, please ... Treehugger ... tell us what the other, more productive uses of these lands might be in your vision of the world.

I'm not one of those "R" people you so generously condemn, but do tell us why they're so undesirable, OK? I'd appreciate the lecture .... and why another party out there is so absolutely wonderful.

BTW, if you're a student in Laramie, I think it would be appropriate for you to pay the real cost of providing you the education you're receiving, since, right now ... the tuition and fees are but a small part of the real cost. The bulk of the expense is borne by taxing the productive industries and working people of this state. I understand the real cost is around $50,000 per year, and I'd rather that benefit went to producing some real knowledge instead of all the pontification about how wrong I am to engage in a legitimate and valued business/contribution to my community.

Alternatively, if you've not yet started a family, I assume that you'll be absolutely committed to never having any children, right? So as to help minimize the awful spread of humanity your perceive upon this planet.

Which brings to mind an excellent solution ... I've just picked some Western Hemlock out of the creek, and some Larkspur out of a neighboring pasture. Perhaps you'd like to partake? You can get a cheap, natural way to make a real statement about your worth. Post your address and I can send you some for your personal consumption, of course.

By the way ... where do I sign up for all the government handouts that you know all about for ranchers? I don't recall anybody helping me with the cost of buying this place, drilling my wells, equipment/machinery, fuel, fencing the pastures, paying the property taxes, paying my insurance, building the infrastructure, keeping the tresspassers off, vet bills, feed, sale barn bills ... or any of the other real costs I bear to engage in ranching here.

[Delaneyland]

Come on Sun, do you really mean to say you don't enjoy having someone tell you how to live your life, spend your money, and conduct your business?? I've always found it gratifying for folks to tell me how wrong I am about things because I don't believe what they do....makes me want to do the happy dance!

[MHT]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

Gosh, Laramie Treehugger ... thanks for the lecture on the fallacies of all our ways out here and taking the trouble to label us with all of your most despised names. Or did you think you were educating us heathens?

I'm inferring from your commentary, of course, that you don't partake of any of the benefits that have been brought to civilization by agriculture, ranching, mining, or other extractive industries. Nor would you stoop to accept the benefits of any government subsidized program, like clean drinking water from developed sources, or any other program which benefits your standard of living or income in any way.

You don't drive a vehicle, only use self-powered transportation, never eat groceries from the supermarket, never dine in restaurants, never heat your earth berm living quarters with anything but trees you felled with your bone saw or gathered downed wood, seek anything but a shaman's medical attention, feed your pets food you raised organically and naturally with natural fertilizer, or demand any government monies that help your standard of living when needed to equalize the playing field created artificially by other government regulations that affect what you do for a living?

Now do you or don't you?

Unless you avoid any product or goods or services that are produced directly or indirectly by all these businesses or government intervention, then you've got big feet of very soft goey muddy clay ....

And, you're certainly welcome to leave Wyoming to head for places where mankind was intended (I'm not sure by whom, but you're the one who brought the unknown power here into play) to sleep on soft downy grass and loll about in nirvana with manna hanging ripe in the trees ... or whatever state of mind it is that you're into.

Try to have a better day ....

Well said!