N.D. Lawmakers Consider Blackbird Kills »

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  STONERS

  March 22, 2007, 1:49 a.m.

  But a roadblock to increased sunflower production is blackbirds, which feast on the oilseed crop.

  The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates the birds cause about $10 million in damage each year to sunflowers in North Dakota, which produces about half of the nation's sunflower output. Last year's North Dakota sunflower crop was valued at $158 million.

  The North Dakota Legislature is considering a bill to spend $79,500 to help in a federal effort to control blackbirds. One of the methods would involve baiting and killing the birds.
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  topperjax

  March 22, 2007, 5:55 p.m.

  ((The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates the birds cause about $10 million in damage each year to sunflowers in North Dakota, which produces about half of the nation's sunflower output. Last year's North Dakota sunflower crop was valued at $158 million.

  The North Dakota Legislature is considering a bill to spend $79,500 to help in a federal effort to control blackbirds. One of the methods would involve baiting and killing the birds.

  "We're looking for any and all possible silver bullets out there to deal with this problem," Sandbakken said.

  State Sen. Terry Wanzek, a Jamestown Republican, said he once grew sunflowers, but hasn't done so in a decade because blackbirds can eat away a farmer's profit.))

  can you say $$$$$$

  you know the outcome of this one is that the blackbirds will be the losers in the long run, simply because of the money involved.
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  honeydripper

  March 22, 2007, 6:24 p.m.

  Screw the birds, we want our oil! If we're willing to kill a million Iraqis for OUR oil, why not a million birds? Birds, Iraqis, Iranians, it's all the same to us, when we want OUR oil, everything and everybody else better get the hell out of the way! We gave the Iraqis D.U., the gift that keeps on giving, which is about the same as poisoning the birds, but way better. After the birds die from the poison, the buzzards, vultures, possums, crows, and other scavengers will eat them, then die from the poison too! Like killing 2 birds (or more) with 1 stone! The D.U. (depleted uranium) we prefer for people who threaten OUR oil, unlike the poison, kills for at least four and a half BILLION years. Now that's real value and quality! Wonder why the government hasn't used it on birds yet? When they see the horrendous amount of unspeakable deformities this causes, so that the offspring can't give birth, maybe they will. After all, when oil is FIRST, everything else is SECOND!
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  OldRusty

  March 22, 2007, 10:15 p.m.

  Every city and town in America is over-run with pidgeons, and starlings, they crap all over the place and damage millions,in dollars of property, all the time, a poison bird food would do just fine.only folks to complain is the nut cases in peta.and to hell with them they dump puppies in trash dumpsters, and that is a fact.

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