June 12, 2024 |
Photo – Black tailed prairie dog – Courtesy Pixabay
Medicine Bow officials consider holding a shooting event to control the town’s out-of-control prairie dog population.
During Monday night’s Medicine Bow town council meeting, resident Betsy Willoughby asked the governing body to do something about prairie dogs. Willoughby said the burrowing rodents have infiltrated significant portions of the town.
They may appear innocent-looking. Large numbers of prairie dog burrows, however, can weaken soil, leading to erosion and compromising the structural integrity of nearby roads and buildings.
Willoughby said the rodents can also spread dangerous diseases around town. The Medicine Bow resident asked the council to act.
Mayor Justin George asked Public Works Director Brian Lashley if he could become state-certified to kill the prairie dogs. Lashley said the licensing process is lengthy and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department must authorize all extermination efforts.
Lashley said Game and Fish is concerned about using toxins to kill the rodents due to the risk of second-hand poisoning. The public works director said the town can use a specialized CO2 pump to asphyxiate the prairie dogs. However, Lashley said Game and Fish is worried about harming other types of animals that live in abandoned prairie dog burrows.
Lashley said in the past, he contacted an exterminator in Laramie to handle the prairie dog problem, but the extiminator turned out to be too expensive. The public works director said the exterminator informed him about the licensing test. However, Lashley said he is unlikely to obtain an exterminator license in the near future.
The Medicine Bow town council asked Lashley to work on getting his exterminator license.
In the meantime, Councilwoman Kristi Wickizer suggested having the town’s recreation board sponsor a prairie dog shoot. Councilwoman Wickizer said existing ordinances banning the use of firearms within town limits would need to be suspended first.
Mayor George said high-powered air or pellet guns would make a good alternative to a traditional firearm for killing prairie dogs. Even using air rifles, Mayor George said he is uncomfortable with the risk of having the town sponsor a shooting event. The mayor said he preferred arming town employees with pellet guns to limit the town’s liability.
Councilwoman Wickizer said the prairie dog population is too large for the already overtaxed public works department to handle.
Town Attorney Cameron Smith said Medicine Bow town ordinance forbids the firing of all guns, including air guns, within town limits.
Attorney Smith added that the ordinance makes an exception for town organized shooting sports events.
Mayor George said the council must do more research before authorizing a prairie dog hunt on town property. The council asked Public Works Director Lashley to continue working to get his license and look for a less costly local exterminator.
