Prairie Dogs Doomed

Sun., Oct. 10, 1999

Staff

Wildlife

Yellowstone County employees and residents are using poisoned oats to rid an undeveloped Billings, Mont., subdivision of black-tailed prairie dogs.

Ron Hill, of Specialized Construction Inc., and owner of most of the land occupied by the small rodents, said the colony had doubled in recent years and needed to be controlled.

The prairie dog town involves about 100 acres.

The black-tailed prairie dog is under review from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for possible listing under the Endangered Species Act.

A 1998 study estimated there were approximately 1,350 active colonies in Montana totaling about 66,240 acres.

Suggestions to trap and transplant some of the animals failed when wildlife officials couldn’t find another county that would take them.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.