Hikers setting mousetraps at the shelters

[randyg45]

Warfarin is a blood thinner which, in large doses (by body weight) will prevent blood from coagulating. This causes massive internal bleeding, killing the victim.

It also kills any animal which will eat the victim, i.e. carrion eaters. This includes not only animals you might think of such as turkey vultures or crows (both of which are highly intelligent animals, perhaps - in the case of crows - sapient) but black bear, possums, bald eagles and raccoons, among others. If a mouse eats enough of a poisoned bait, it can kill (or assist in the killing, if an animal has another condition such as a bleeding wound) the second victim. So while some of you think it's cute and funny to talk about killing mice, poison is one gift that keeps on giving, tragically and needlessly, even to our Nation's Symbol, the bald eagle.

For the rest of you, if killing another animal for your minor convenience is pleasurable, fine. But there is no necessity in killing mice at a shelter; if you don't like that risk, do as Lone Wolf suggests and avoid shelters.

TW

Sapient: posessing great wisdom and discernment. Crows: no, not so much.

How many mice would a healthy bald eagle have to eat to get a lethal dose of warfarin?

[randyg45]

Bird trail magic.

[taildragger]

If you throw their little dead bodies on top of the shelters the owls and crows eat them.

Bird trail magic.

Yeah, someones got to feed WOW

[ChinMusic]

I'm definitely a LNTer. Always pick up other people's trash, etc...

As do I.

We have no right to kill animals just because they annoy us...

Mice spread disease, some of which can kill.

I do NOT consider that a simple annoyance.

[ShelterLeopard]

Well then camp away from the mice. (I know, easier said than done sometimes, but if you tent and keep no food in your tent, usually you'll be fine. Well, in my experience, anyway. Not been to all the shelters yet.) And my post below my first is another reason for not killing them- way too annoying. One mousetrap for all the shelter mice?

[superman]

I use an ice pick but other people don't like it when I stop by a shelter in the middle of the night ...just to kill mice for the fun of it. The ice pick, of course, is quiet but the hoo ha's can get noisy. It really pisses off the shelter dwellers when I call for a high five after a good nights hunting. Like dog biscuits...mice are best with beer.

[ChinMusic]

Well then camp away from the mice.

I generally do. Did the Smokies in May and couldn't. I appreciated the group of thrus that were killing mice before I got there. They were doing everyone a service.

And my post below my first is another reason for not killing them- way too annoying.

Traps are too annoying??? As opposed to WHAT? Having them climb over your face all night?

[Two Speed]

. . . mice are best with beer.

Ever tried 'em with cognac? Now that's sophistication!

[ShelterLeopard]

I still don't like traps, ChinMusic. Knowing my luck, I'd step on one, trust me. I don't really care if you use them, but I personally wouldn't bother.

[The Weasel]

Sapient: posessing great wisdom and discernment. Crows: no, not so much.

Crows are known as one the most intelligent species other than homo sapiens, and one of the few that is capable of tool-building and use, as well as having a large enough call-vocabulary as to lead to serious consideration that they may be capable of 'language'. I'm not kidding when I consider that causing the death of a crow (such as by using poison bait for rodents) is similar to killing dolphins by tuna-netting.

How many mice would a healthy bald eagle have to eat to get a lethal dose of warfarin?[/quote]

One. If the mouse gorged on poison bait (as a shelter mouse would be likely to do), it could easily kill a bald eagle. Keep in mind that a bald eagle weighs, on average, less than most house cats. An immature (which means full size, but sexually immature) female (which are generally larger than male) was found killed of warfarin poisoning in Lake Ontario in the mid-1990s. Other documented deaths (i.e. scientists went looking for them) from rodent poisoning have been found in whitetail deer, racoon, peregrines, great horned and screech owls, hawks, skunks, golden eagle, possum, fox, ravens and crows.

It's also a really nasty way for something to die.

I'm not a PETA fan but I don't get off by killing things needlessly, much less in a horrible manner.

TW

[Buzz_Lightfoot]

It's just a mouse for pete's sake!

[The Weasel]

It's just a mouse for Pete's sake!

To you, perhaps. To the mouse?

TW

[partinj]

Let more snakes on the trail and stop killing the snakes the snakes will eat mice oh yet the more mice they eat the less ticks you will get on you. Ticks
use mice and other small citters to hitch a ride to get to us. So if you leave
the snakes alone their do the job for us

[Hooch]

To you, perhaps. To the mouse?

TW

It's a disease spreading rodent. Who cares what it thinks? Being on top of the food chain does have its advantages.

[Bulldawg]

If you cared about all creatures, big and small, you would use mosquito netting and insect repellent to prevent the little critters from accessing your bounty of blood. then they wouldn't end up at the end of your death slap.

To you, perhaps. To the mouse?

TW

You guys are kidding me right?

[The Weasel]

It's a disease spreading rodent. Who cares what it thinks? Being on top of the food chain does have its advantages.

Funny you should say that. What makes you think you're at the top of the food chain?

TW

[Hooch]

Funny you should say that. What makes you think you're at the top of the food chain?

TW

Cause there isn't anything out there that has the balls to hunt me for food.

[Chaco Taco]

Well then camp away from the mice. (I know, easier said than done sometimes, but if you tent and keep no food in your tent, usually you'll be fine. Well, in my experience, anyway. Not been to all the shelters yet.) And my post below my first is another reason for not killing them- way too annoying. One mousetrap for all the shelter mice?

Youve got a lot to learn kid, Lots to learn!

[Chaco Taco]

Cause there isn't anything out there that has the balls to hunt me for food.

Uh Dancer!

[Hooch]

Uh Dancer!

We're talking about consuming meat for, uh, well, nevermind.