john@nmtsun.nmt.edu (John Shipman) (12/06/89)
Yes, raptors are federally protected, but the mere presence of man-made law doesn't deter some folks. Sometimes, though, nature has a way of emphasizing her own laws... Several decades ago, the farmers in Kern County (near Bakersfield), California, were in the habit of shooting all the ``varmints'' in sight, including raptors. Then plagues of mice arose, stripping the land as efficiently as an African locust plague. After a few of these, the farmers wised up and let the hawks be, and things are a bit more stable now around there. [Disclaimer: I have no literature references for this story. I heard it from a friend of mine who is a reputable vertebrate zoologist. If anyone can document (or disprove) this story, I'd appreciate it.] -- John Shipman/Zoological Data Processing/Socorro, New Mexico john@nmtsun.nmt.edu, ucbvax!unmvax!nmtsun!john ``Let's go outside and commiserate with nature.'' [Dave Farber]