The Globe-republican., 1901-03-21
ssKiIIfng Prairie Dogs
EDITOR GLoBE-REPUBncAN: !:

EDITOR GLoBE-REPUBLICAN:
Some titne ago you published remedy
for killing the prairie dogs, as it had been
recommended by tie Nebraska Expert
mental Station. 1t is only a few years
ago that q few of these prairie dogs laid
out a town and settled in tie middle of
my pasture, partly with my consent, as I
left them alone, thinking a half-dozen OF
them would not damage the range very
much, but somehow the prairie dog town
grew, until it looked like it might be the
size of Chicago, with twice the number
of Inhabitants. / liked them first, but
my love for them has faded, they
leave but mighty little grass fer the
stock, besides making hundreds of dog
outs (dugouts) liable to cripple animals
stepping in them; I made up my
mind that this prairie dog town and site
had to be vacated by the dogs, even if
should be accused Of wholesale murder.
1 therefore bought the remedy you pub
lished in the GLOBE REPUBLICAN,, pre-
pared it according TO directions, and
visited every dogout in the prairie dog
town; left in each hole about tea
spoonful of the prepared corn, wheat.
cornmeal, moiasses, strychnine, potas-
sium cyanide, oil of anise, all prepared
according to directions. For fear that
cattle and horses Jas we'll as birds would
get the poisoned grain, dropped it into
the dog holes. Still few birds were
killed by getting some Of the poisoned
wheat The ground covered by the pIai-
RE dogs in my pasture was about 225
acres, and extending fast in all directions.
even into growing crops Outside of one
end of the pasture, it is hard to tell how
many dogs this town contained. but
| more than enough satisfy me. L am
on
cent of the dogs inside of As hours. and
as I kept on giving them some few doses
since, while closing mp the holes, and
| seeding the bare spots down with millei
seed. There may be few dogs left in
| the town, but watching for them the last
| three four days I failed to singl
one. Some may have just eaten enough
| of the grain so far given to have made
them only sick, and should any be left
will try their appetite with pieces o1
| poisoned potatoes, carrots, parsnips OF
peanuts, or anything else they may be
| fond of. OF course, the best timc te
poison them would be during ba6
weather, when snow is on the ground
and when the dogs don't come out mrci
to feed. Before 1 tried this remedy,
| had tried gases. This killed them al
right provided every run and hole wa
closedup tight, and then the dogs would
| when possible for them, open a hol
again, and come out into the fresh air
enter in the holes again. Gases ar
| rather expensive. lii cleaning out m,
prairie dogs. I used about one-half bush
ell of wheat and corn. of this less thar
one-half has been eaten by the dogs.
am satisfied that one bushel of poisoned
grain will cover 400 500 acres
Found lots of dead prairie dogs less thar
24 hours after putting cut poison, som
lying outside their holes, While other
died just inside their holes, but most o
them died down in their holes and nests
swarms of blow-flies denoting the hole
where the dead dogs were.
If the law allows townships to pa.
only SO per day for expert deg Ges
troyers, then L am not a candidate 70
that class of jobs. Nc MAYRATH,
Expert prairie dog destroy er