Good days/Bad Days.

[roundj]

Dear Friends,

Any time you are in the field, rain or shine, and you find your target species or simply are surprised by something else, it`s a good day. However, when you find your target and something is amiss, it`s a bad day. Today was a bad day.
Following a lovely rain shower, I sought out some toads and as luck would have it, I found three-yes three dead toads on a sandy trail. Evidently, someone drove the trail shortly after the rain fell and squashed 3 breeding adults. And we wonder why numbers are so low. Sadly, many Albertans don`t even know toads exist while others couldn`t care less.

All the best,

John.

[steelrain420]

a few toads being crushed on a trail is terable to see but if you want the real deal gore fest follow a bailer and rake tracktor combo through a feild ...OMG...its the most desterbing thing you can do as a animal lover/herper I droped a tear it was nasty imagine a thousand knives slicing across the ground next to a salamander breeding pond right as the salamanders are reaching adulthood and trying to find a safe place to call home.........and its all about PROFIT $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[GONESNAKEE]

In reguards to farmers I think we all like to eat etc. as well Mark

[Vasiliki]

In reguards to farmers I think we all like to eat etc. as well Mark

As someone who has grown up around farmers... I highly doubt anyone wants to go back to hand-swathing hundreds and hundreds... and hundreds... of acres. Population = Higher food requirements = Larger crops = More effective means of harvesting said crops.

Worry about things you can control, otherwise you're just going to drive yourself crazy.

Sounds great that there was a pond next to the field, though! Some farmers drain those and destroy the habitat. Sounds like that farmer was doing the best he could.

In regards to the toad, that is an unfortuante day.

[Krippschick]

Sounds kind of similar to our trek down the road in search of snakes near Medicine Hat. There is a big sign warning that snakes are at risk and to slow down, and help save our snakes. We found 1 live rattle snake and 4 dead ones, mixture of bull and rattle snakes. It is not a busy road by any means and would be fairly safe and easy to avoid snakes on the road. One of the dead rattle snakes was missing its rattle as well.....very upsetting. Most people think ewww... snake, or that they dont matter because they are not fluffy and cute. Sad situation for sure.

[joeysgreen]

Incidently, while I found dozens of DOR snakes on my last herping trip to S.Alberta I found zero in the zones marked by those signs. Hopefully that is an indication that they are offering some good

Ian

[roundj]

There are several roads with the same postings. Given all the oil field traffic, the signs are at best a joke. There is no way someone in a rig will severve to avoid a snake or anything else for that matter as their lives are at risk. If you think about a truck with duals, how much of the lane is covered in rubber at any given time?

[lowriderchevy]

In some areas (I can't remember where lol) a drilling company my father worked for had to lay straw down then plywood on that to build a road due to these small burrowing turtles which were endangered. So in some, but rare cases people are making sOme efforts to protect the wildlife. Too bad it wasn't more common. :/

[joeysgreen]

I think the point of the signs is to get people to slow down. I don't exactly see rigpigs being the type to get the message (obviously there are exceptions!, we have a few here ) Hopefully without oncoming traffic, they'll see it in time to safely avoid the snake.

Ian