Unreal what the Prius will hold (hunting trip)

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That's a lot of stuff you fit in your Prius for those little guys.



( If you don't mind me asking an off topic question...)
Why do you hunt prairie dogs?
What do you do with them after you shoot them?
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I'm not a shooter or camper, but I did fit two molded plastic adirondack type chairs, (non folding) and a matching ottoman footstool with the hatch closed. My bro-in-law was amazed. They wouldn't fit in his Yaris hatchback, which looks a lot taller than the Prius. The secret is to remove the false floor in the rear hatch area, and nearly 6" of extra height can be found. I routinely haul my fully assembled road bike and gear in the hatchback. Who needs a rack?

 

I don't feel I could do it myself nowadays (I used to be a hunter as a kid though). From an ecological standpoint I can understand the need to reduce populations for various reasons and if there is truely a need to do so with this particular prairie dog colony then shooting, while not the most ethical method, is likely the least expensive and ecologically destructive method.

I would only caution that anyone undertaking any similar activity to please check with both local and federal wildlife agencies before any shooting, take, or molestation of any plant of animal. There are a great many state and federally listed flora and fauna that people are generally oblivious to and could use a bit of a break from human interference. A simple internet search of the species you're interested in will inform you of their status. Not only is the ethical thing to do, it may save you a lot of grief and money should you participate in the activity only to find you've broken the law. Ranchers may own the land but they don't always have the rights by law to kill specific creatures on that land and while you may be given permission to hunt you could still be liable for an law breaking. IE. if one of my local ranchers wants to me to shoot these pesky large "hawks" on his property and I do so only to get arrested for shooting a Swainsons Hawk or Bald Eagle then it is my bad and I'll pay the consequenses. lol

Here is an example:

Q: I want to hunt Prairie Dogs in Colorado, what species are illegal to kill?

A: After a quick google search: from: Colorado State University and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (The Utah and Mexican prairie dogs are currently listed under the Endangered Species Act as threatened (49 FR 22339) and endangered (35 FR 8495) respectively.)

Control Methods

Several alternatives for prairie dog control are available. Landowners may conduct the control method themselves, hire a commercial firm, or get assistance from the Division of Animal Industry, Colorado Department of Agriculture, 700 Kipling, Lakewood, CO 80215; telephone (303) 239-4157. Control materials may be purchased through commercial vendors or from the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

Shooting

Intensive shooting of small prairie dog colonies during February and March will sometimes control their numbers. It disrupts reproductive activities and removes individual animals. However, shooting may induce bait shyness.


More information regarding Prairie Dogs from Defenders of Wildlife:

Black-tailed Prairie Dog Management and Policy


Defenders of Wildlife is:

• working to end the destruction of prairie dogs on our public lands;
• helping wildlife-friendly ranchers in Kansas save prairie dogs and reintroduce black-footed ferrets.

This advice is generalized and not in anyway specifically directed at Ray or meant to be negative. I just like people to do a bit of research before they go out into nature and do more than just walk

 

Yeah - I always regretted not taking a picture of the stuff I loaded up my car with helping a friend move to her studio from a house. My god - it was unreal. She had more cloths than a department store and a king sized bed, and a small desk to boot... and it all fricken fit into my car (couldn't put the matress on top because NYC forbids bridge crossing with a matrress on top or something silly like that although I suppose it would cause traffic havoc at 3am if it fell off my car).

 

I laughed out loud.

Good job Ray. Glad you had fun too.

 

Wouldn't it be a bigger challenge without the fancy equipment?

 

Am I the only one finding this caption hilarious?

 

Yeah, that's why I start at 400 and work out from there. Longest range on one was 820 yards with a .223. At that range, and that caliber, it's basically a howitzer, not a rifle. But still a challenge.