Mountain Lions

Humans and mountain lions today come into contact with one another with greater regularity, since humans have begun encroaching on lions’ territory. When this occurs, lions can be of danger to pets, livestock, and humans. They are typically drawn to property by an available food source.

Prevent mountain lion encounters near your home by taking some or all of the following measures:

• Install heavy fencing around property.
  
  
  
• Keep pets indoors.
  
  
  
• Keep garbage cans in an enclosed area. Clamp lids on cans to avoid broadcasting inviting smells to mountain lions and other animals.
  
  
  
• Employ barking dogs, loud music, lights, and other visual and aural stimuli to frighten mountain lions away.
  
  
  
• Remove brush and trees standing a quarter of a mile away or closer. Mountain lions like to hide in the cover of vegetation.

Prairie Dogs

A prairie dog town provides food and habitat for many creatures.

Rabbits, small rodents, and burrowing owls live in unoccupied prairie dog burrows. Ferrets and other predators feed on prairie dogs. Grasshopper sparrows and meadowlarks feed on seeds and plants made more accessible by prairie dog developments.

Prairie dogs once covered 700 million acres of land in North America. Their range and numbers have been greatly diminished, primarily by habitat destruction caused by livestock, and by eradication efforts.

The population of black-tailed prairie dogs has dwindled to a precarious number. Current efforts are underway to list the black-tailed prairie dog as an endangered species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed that prairie dog poisoning be banned on federal lands.

Often, prairie dogs come into conflict not only with agricultural interests, but with developers. Non-lethal methods of prairie dog removal and control are increasingly available.

Prairie dogs can be relocated through a variety of means. Some wildlife agencies employ live trapping. Others use soapy water to flush prairie dogs from their burrows. One company, called "Dog Gone," even vacuums prairie dogs from their burrows, leaving them unharmed and ready for transport.

Dog Gone can be contacted at (970) 882-4643.

Unfortunately, relocating prairie dogs requires that open space be available to receive their colony. Many landowners and counties are unwilling to take in prairie dogs. Yet, if empty burrows exist, prairie dogs will make themselves right at home in a new area. Sometimes, agencies dig burrows for the prairie dogs before relocating them to a new location.

Contact your own fish and wildlife agency for more information on the humane methods currently available for prairie dog relocation.