I support the protection of sage grouse and other wild birds in order to prevent their extinction. But the recent article “Are we smart enough to solve our raven problem” (HCN, 8/4/14) not only highlights the need for more dialogue on whether poisoning will truly mitigate the issue, but also the need for serious discussion about the ripple effects of the poison DRC-1339.
Will the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service be present when the ravens meet their demise (perhaps falling from the sky), so they can collect them and keep them out of the mouths of hungry predators or pets? Have any of the folks responsible for carrying out these programs ever held a wild bird convulsing from poison? I have, and you become intimately aware of the brutality and inhumanity of poison. Shouldn’t we include this major detail in the discussion? How about thinking outside of the poison box?
Gail Ferris
Denver, Colorado
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Box of poison.
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