Two guys from Willcox won’t be hunting ’round here no more after being busted by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, according to a news release from the agency.

Game and Fish's John Bacaorn and crew don't fool around/submitted photo

In addition to lifetime and lengthy state license revocations, the dudes were fined more than $12,000.

A six-month Arizona Game and Fish investigation, complete with search warrants, revealed the two were illegally taking wildlife in the Willcox area.

Jared A. Youngs, 22, got a $6,000 fine and had his state hunting and fishing privileges suspended for life.

His hunting buddy Josh L. Ferrigna, 24, was slapped with a $1,500 fine and a 15-year license suspension.

These civil fines, administered by Game and Fish last month, compounded the nearly $5,000 the men already owe from criminal charges late last year.

The duo received a hefty 22 citations from Game and Fish. These included knowingly taking wildlife: during a closed season, at night with artificial night, without a hunting license and with the aid of a vehicle. They were also cited for wasting game meat and trespassing on private property while killing off their prey.

“All of these animals were killed in farm fields around the Willcox area at night,” said John Bacaorn, wildlife manager for Game and Fish. “During interviews, these individuals were asked why they had engaged in this type of activity, and their responses were they just got caught up in the excitement and the adrenaline rush.”

Perhaps they are lucky no landowners got an excited, adrenaline rush when the two were trespassing on private property.

What do you think?

Have you ever engaged in un-sportsmanlike or illegal conduct like this pair? If so, please e-mail your name and address to Game and Fish.

Do you think their punishment is too lenient, too harsh?

Anyone who wonders how so many illegal immigrants sneak across the border every year need not wonder any longer.

Sauve moi!/Ryn Gargulinski

One big reason is because of the horses, according to an e-mail from the office of Congressman Rob Bishop’s office.

You see, some of the land near the border area is protected by environmental laws. This means Border Patrol agents can’t just go blasting through the areas in heavy duty vehicles and machinery.

They have to wait for horses to be delivered to them so they can instead tread naturally on horseback. The wildlife that’s being protected by using the horses is another major cause. Damn animals. They are really wrecking it all down there.

Bishop (R-Utah) recently shared a bunch of documents with The Washington Times which, in turn, wrote about environmental issues hindering border security. Bishop is ranking member of the Resources Subcommittee on Parks, Forests and Public Lands and chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus.

“In a remarkably candid letter to Congressman Rob Bishop, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said her department has had to delay pursuits of illegal immigrants while waiting for horses to be brought in so agents don’t impede upon protected lands, and warns that illegal immigrants will increasingly make use of remote, protected areas to avoid being caught,” according to The Washington Times.

It may seem silly for the agents to be so worried about protecting the land since we highly doubt drug smugglers and their ilk are paying particular attention to it.

But if the agents don’t pay attention, they may be slapped with a hefty fine.

Well preserved environment/Ryn Gargulinski

“The documents (shared by Bishop) also show the Interior Department has charged the Homeland Security Department $10 million over the past two years as a ‘mitigation’ penalty to pay for damage to public lands that agencies say has been caused by Border Patrol agents chasing illegal immigrants,” The Times continues.

None of this is anything new. Anyone who has been to any type of meeting on the virtual fence or other border security issues knows the environmental groups show up en masse.

Border lights may be too bright. Towers may be too tall. Other security measures may be too intrusive.

On the other side of the fence, so to speak, we get those who don’t give a hoot about any type of wildlife if it interferes with our human pursuits. Never mind if the animals were here first or that we are successfully adding many to the ever-growing endangered list.

So should we just rape the land in the name of border security? Or should we hold back and save the wildlife while society may suffer?

It’s just too bad the wildlife don’t get it, and perhaps pick one side of the border or the other to make their home rather than screwing it all up by trying to live free in the middle.

What do you think?

Is protecting our nation’s security more important than protecting wildlife?

Should we stop building anything that may impede with wildlife?

Is there a happy medium?

When employees at a West African animal sanctuary buried chimpanzee Dorothy, they figured it would be a solemn occasion with some mourning.

Illustration Ryn Gargulinski

But they didn’t necessarily expect the mourning to come from the other chimpanzees.

The chimps, who live in the Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Center, not only remained absolutely silent, but they leaned on and embraced each other, according to a report in our fave Big Apple paper, the New York Post.

Dorothy was in her late 40s, a good age for a chimp, and died of heart failure.

While the tribute may have been touching, it’s not all that surprising.

Even our pets who live together definitely know when a family member – human or animal – dies.

Birds sit stoic on their perches. Cats slump next to their best friend’s cubby hole. Dogs appear morose, staring at the pillow where their beloved used to sleep.

Phoebe in glee/Ryn Gargulinski

On the flip side, animals are also known to express sheer joy. Anyone who has seen a pet bird perk up, a cat dance or a dog break out with a giant grin will attest to this one.

Pets can also sense our moods and often act accordingly. High stress time for me means extra scuffling between Sawyer and Phoebe. When I’m down in the dumps, Sawyer cuddles while Phoebe will invariably butt my head with her rock-hard skull.

Some pets could surely use a few lessons in compassion, but they certainly share our emotions.

Animals are also much more like us than we may think – or perhaps we are much more like them than we care to admit.

What do you think?

Have you seen an animal in mourning? In glee?

Do you think animals have emotions that are comparable to humans or the reactions are just a coincidence?

How would you like an 80-year-old Monster living in your backyard? One Southwest Side family loves it – but that’s because Monster is a charming and gentle tortoise.

Monster is his fashionable backyard habitat/submitted photo

Monster may weigh in at a stocky 40 pounds and be so named because he is huge compared to the family’s other two tortoises, but he still has to be separated from Wilson and Sleepy.

“Wilson gets aggressive,” Monster’s mom said – but no problems were reported between Monster and the family’s two birds and two dogs.

Monster is even known to help with chores around the home and yard. He loves following his human dad around, and even “helped out” by getting beneath a chair his dad was standing on while working on his truck.

“Monster went under the chair and lifted him about 2 inches off the ground,” mom said.

“I guess the hardest part of owning a tortoise is that they can get so big, making their habitat is a little harder,” she said. “Oh yes, and finding romaine lettuce on sale.”

Do you have a pet that rivals Sawyer? E-mail comment and photo to rynski@tucsoncitizen.com

What do you think?

Do you think tortoises make a good pet? Why or why not?

Yes, we are all sick of the swine flu, especially those who have become sick from it.

Art by Ryn Gargulinski/Photo by Emily

But we can get an even bigger headache if we believe some of the swine flu myths or spend our life savings on products that make false claims for treating, curing or preventing against the H1N1 virus.

Myth – Pigs don’t get it.

Pigs can indeed get the H1N1 virus, and it’s not just your neglected and marginal alley pigs. In fact, six show pigs who were waddling their stuff at the Minnesota State Fair tested positive for the virus, according to a Reuters report posted on the ABC news website.

The first pig to test positive from the batch got honors on Oct. 19 as the first pig known to have the swine flu in the United States.

“The new strain of H1N1 virus, which has genetics from humans, birds and swine, likely circulated undetected in pigs for at least a decade before jumping to humans, according to an expert at the University of Arizona,” the story said.

Myth – Great swine flu cures and preventions can be found from overpriced items sold online.

Sham products include: “phony prescription drugs, ‘sterilizers,’ fake food supplements, magic shampoos, facemasks, a ‘silver spray’ claiming to protect against the flu virus and a phony ‘photon’ machine marketed with the false claim that it boosts the immune system,” according to a news release from Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard’s office.

Also be wary of products or even natural remedies that have been around for years that are all of a sudden claiming to calm, prevent or treat the flu. Be especially cautioned against products that boast about curing swine flu while they increase your sex drive, make you lose weight without dieting, or whiten your teeth overnight.

Myth – Folks can get swine flu from eating bacon, pork chops and other pig products.

While some pig products, like those pig feet you see floating in a milky liquid, may not be at the top of your appetizer list, none pose a threat of giving you the flu from simply ingesting them, according to the Reuters story.

Nevertheless, the story added, the U.S. hog market has been affected, with China banning U.S. pork products since May and Mexico hoping to instill such a ban.

Myth – Older people are most at risk for swine flu.

It’s actually the younger set that is more likely to fall prey to H1N1. Some older folks have a strengthened immune system, said the Gulf Daily News, thanks to living through pandemics that previously killed off millions. These include 1918’s Spanish flu; 1957’s Asian flu and 1968’s Hong Kong flu.

Those are some tough elders who may still be thriving today after suffering through the Spanish flu of 1918.

Myth – Piglet is the butt of jokes.

Unfortunately, this myth is true, as Winnie the Pooh’s little pink pal has become somewhat of an outcast. Don’t fret too much, as reports have indicated that Eeyore, at least, has remained on speaking terms with him.

What do you think?

What are some other swine flu myths and scares that you’ve heard?

Do you care Piglet has become an outcast?

Wild horses may not be dragging anyone away – they are too busy being slaughtered and harassed, advocates say. They are also pretty tangled up in a debate about their fate.

Photo Ryn Gargulinski

While more than a million mustangs used to prance around our plains less than a century ago, the number has dwindled to fewer than 40,000. Some put the estimates at 37,000 or so, while Jody Blaylcock, lifelong horse owner and equine advocate, says it’s even lower.

“There are only 15,000 horses left in the wild in the United States (despite false and misleading numbers being circulated by the Bureau of Land Management),” she wrote in an e-mail.

Two camps are clearly drawn in the wild horse debate.

One side consists of animal advocates, like Blaylock and organizations such as the Cloud Foundation, who say wild horses should continue to roam free in the West.

The other side, which supports a recent proposal put forth by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, wants the horses moved East and Midwest where they say the population can be better cared for and controlled.

What is Salazar’s plan?

The $96 million proposal is to buy two ranches and contract with five other private ranches to house the wild horse population, according to a report in USA Today. No locations were given for any of the ranches.

Salazar supporters say wild horses will do better in this controlled environment where they won’t conflict with cattle and don’t have the threat of starving to death.

This plan, although expensive, is also supposed to save money in the long run, as keeping horses out in the West is costing a pretty penny. Or several million of them.

This year’s horse program’s price tag has been estimated at $50 million, most of which goes for food, care and moving many of the horses from the 29 million acres of federal land to private accommodations in Oklahoma, South Dakota and Kansas, the USA Today report said.

The report also quotes BLM spokesman Tom Gorey saying the wild horses should be neutered so no more than 17,500 are in the breeding population and the overall herd size should be dwindled to down 26,600.

Photo Ryn Gargulinski

Those opposing the plan have already seen the havoc wreaked by BLM, according to a report in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

“Late this summer, using helicopters, (BLM) rounded up most of the herd, 146 horses, but then let 89 go, keeping 57 to auction off,” Jonathan Storm wrote in his piece: What Menaces the Mustangs.

“Strong lobbying from ranchers, who want the federal land for their 3.2 million sheep and cattle, keeps pressure on the puny population of mustangs,” he said. His article was a review of the TV show Challenge of the Stallions, which featured wild mustang Cloud, for whom the Cloud Foundation was formed.

Animal advocates also fear what fate awaits the remaining horses.

“If the BLM gets its way the remainder will soon all be shipped to Mexico (where they are being slaughtered in the most horrific ways imaginable) or broken apart into genetically unviable herds as per Ken Salazar’s recent plan,” Blaylock said. “The ROAM act (S-1579) is before the house right now, and if passed would reinstate the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act, offering some protection to those animals who are left.”

What is the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act?

I’ll let the Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, which mentions wild horses on public lands are outnumbered by cattle 200 to 1, answer that one:

In 1971, more letters poured into Congress over the threat to our nation’s wild horses than over any issue in U.S. history, except for the Vietnam War. And so Congress unanimously passed the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act, declaring that “wild horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people; and that these horses and burros are fast disappearing from the American scene.” The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) were appointed to implement the Act. Most herd areas are under BLM jurisdiction.

Fast-forward thirty years: in 2001, after decades of failed herd management policies, the BLM obtained a 50% increase in annual budget to $29 million for implementation of an aggressive removal campaign; in 2004, the 1971 Act was surreptitiously amended, without so much as a hearing or opportunity for public review, opening the door to the sale of thousands of wild horses to slaughter for human consumption abroad.

Sigh.

The entire fiasco is yet another example of man versus nature, with nature losing no matter which way you turn.

Photo Ryn Gargulinski

Learn more:

Jody Blaylock, who is speaking out for horses on her own behalf, is also a member of the Pima County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse, which is its search and rescue group; the Tucson Saddle Club; and the American Quarter Horse Association. She grew up in a cattle ranch in western Oklahoma and has owned horses her entire life, including the three she now owns.

Blaylock will be giving a presentation as part of Ignite: Tucson
What: Wild horse presentation as part of Ignite: Tucson
Where: The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress St.
When: Thursday, Oct. 29 – Doors open 6:30 p.m., show starts at 7 p.m.
How much: $5

What do you think?

Are wild horses worth preserving or are they simply bothersome?

Are you sick of wildlife getting killed off or do you like how man can rule with annihilation?

Prairie dogs, which once roamed free all over Arizona grasslands before disappearing from the state, are in the process of being painstakingly re-introduced to southern Arizona.

Black-tailed prairie dog/Photo George Andrejko, AZ Game and Fish

Yet one man still saw fit to blow one to smithereens last week, according to a news release from the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

The guy, reportedly an Oro Valley deer hunter, used a high-powered 22-caliber rifle.

Prairie dogs weigh approximately 2 pounds.

The little critter was annihilated Friday morning, Oct. 23, near Sonoita, where a sign is clearly posted that says prairie dogs are off-limits.

Authorities tracked down the man after someone reported the crime. They found his vehicle Saturday evening and confronted him.

He claimed he was shooting at coyotes.

Well then, we have to give him some leeway. We can certainly see how the mix-up occurred, since prairie dogs and coyotes are so similar in stature, size and species. And why was he shooting at coyotes when he was out in a deer hunting area?

There was no mention if the man carried duct tape.

The slaughtered black-tailed prairie dog had been one of a group more than 100 imported last year from New Mexico to the area, east of Sonoita and north of State Route 82. More than 60 were introduced last month in the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, about 50 miles southeast of Tucson.

Arizona’s black-tailed prairie dog’s population declined in the late 1800s and mid-1900s before dying out altogether.

The guy’s name is not being released pending the outcome of the investigation.

“We cannot successfully re-introduce this species to southern Arizona without protecting them,” said Don Mitchell, acting supervisor for the state Game and Fish Department in Tucson. “Let this incident serve as a warning to others not to indiscriminately shoot at wildlife.”

What do you think?

What is the mentality of someone who uses a high-powered rifle to blow away a 2-pound critter that just so happens to be off limits?

Would such a person kill a kitten or a child?

What would be a fitting punishment for killing a protected animal?

The terrible twosome’s wacky habits

Phoebe the barking machine/Ryn Gargulinski

Phoebe is a barking machine.

She barks – incessantly – at everything from thunder to lightning, fireworks to car doors slamming, the doorbell to a passing motorcycle.

She especially has a field day with unseen people walking behind the backyard wall. And she’s nearly breaking the sound barrier while the folks next door have workers installing and standing atop their new patio roof.

Phoebe is the reason man invented earplugs. But you can’t complain about her being a good watchdog.

Sort of.

While her barking may have deterred a few unbeknownst robbers, vacuum salesmen and serial killers who were lurking about the property, it is falling short when I need it the most.

Bird feasting on new seed/Ryn Gargulinski

My latest deployment in my war against Bermuda grass has been gouging out still more sections of the lawn and adding five bags of topsoil coupled with two bags of grass seed. Quite pricey grass seed, I may add, as it’s billed as “Miracle Grass – as seen on TV.”

I need an alert watchdog to deter the birds that have been merrily stuffing their beaks with this all-you-can-eat seed buffet.

Bird feasting on seed/Ryn Gargulinski

And where can we find our fine Phoebe the barking machine?

Phoebe "protecting" the grass seed/Ryn Gargulinski

The terrible twosome’s wacky habits is a feature that highlights the strange habits of Ryn’s dogs Sawyer and Phoebe. If you have a strange pet habit to share, please e-mail to rynski@tucsoncitizen.com

What do you think?

Should I fire her from watchdog duty?

Does your pet protect your grass seed or similarly fall short on certain duties?

Blackbirds singing in the dead of night may not happen much, but they are sure flitting about at all times of the day.

Gasquet, Calif., dumpster/Ryn Gargulinski

Southern Arizona has its fair share of the dark beauties, from the black-chinned hummingbird to the gloomy and doomy turkey vulture.

Blackbirds will be highlighted at the Free Fun Fest for Feathered Friends this Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Loft Cinema. The event is geared towards kids, but adults are more than welcome. See details below.

An awesome array of blackbirds around Tucson and Arizona can also be found at FireflyForest.net.

Some of my faves don’t live around here, but that doesn’t make them any less amazing.

Five best blackbirds (in no particular order):

Grackle – Loud, obnoxious and shriekingly annoying, these dudes are known for making a commotion. Males are black while females are a boring old brown and not quite as noisy. Some think the grackle is far more evil than the raven, but grackles prefer sitting on garbage cans rather than tombstones.

Raven – Nevermore. Ravens are associated with tombstones, death, ill omen and Edgar Allan Poe. I love them.

Sign o' the times/Ryn Gargulinski

Turkey vulture – Turkey vultures win your heart with their large, black, lush feathers, red-topped head and penchant for eating dead rotting things.

Crow – Crows have had a reverent place in my soul ever since throngs of them attacked our elementary school playground. One girl fell, screaming, and covered her head as if a tornado were coming. The crows commenced to stand around her in a circle and peck at any exposed flesh.

Black Phoebe – Never knew such a bird existed until I checked out the Arizona birds at the FireflyForest site. I adore the name, of course, which is the same as one of my dogs. Also bet this cute little feathered critter with a black head and white body barks a lot at a lot of nothing.

Freedom/Ryn Gargulinski

What: Free Fun Fest with Feathered Friends
When: 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24 – open 9:30 a.m.
Where: Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd.
More info: 309-5858
The event is presented by Opening Minds through the Arts Foundation and the Loft.
More on OMA: www.omafoundation.org

Event features free bird movies (no, not Alfred Hitchcock), free popcorn and free drawing lessons, to boot. Come early to see live birds on hand. Kids get to follow along the reading of Two Arizona Black Birds, written by the late Tucson veterinarian Milton Lipson and illustrated by David Fitzsimmons. Lispon’s wife, author and pediatrician Marilyn Heins, will be on hand as will Fitzsimmons. Fitzsimmons will show kids how to draw blackbirds. Ask him specifically how to draw a carrion-eating turkey vulture with extra carrion.

P.S. If you don’t eat the free popcorn, you can always smuggle it out to feed to the birds.

What do you think?

Do you adore blackbirds or find them evil?

Which blackbirds are your favorites? Your least favorite? Please explain.

Have you ever had your eyes gouged out by crows? Please send photos.

Keeping a big black bear as a pet may seem neat-o-keen – but it can also be deadly.

Art and photo by Ryn Gargulinski

Pennsylvania woman Kelly Ann Walz, 37, found that out when she went to feed the family’s 350-pound bear, as she did every Sunday, and the bear decided to skip dinner and maul her to death instead, according to an AP report.

Other pet deaths have included an Ohio guy strangled to death by his pet python, according to a report on Mombu.com.

Ted Dres, 48, was found face down in the snake’s cage with the 13-foot reptile coiled around his neck. No further information was given on how that came to be.

Another fatality was an England lad bitten by his black widow spider named Bettina, according to England’s The Sun.

Mark Voegel, 30, reportedly lived in a flat where his pet reptiles roamed free and the more dangerous species, like Bettina, were kept in tanks. But the tanks’ heating elements exploded, kicking off the tanks’ lids.

Bettina, other spiders, and the termites the spiders eat for lunch, escaped and took over.

“It was like a horror movie. His corpse was over the sofa,” a police spokesman is quoted in the story as saying. “Giant webs draped him, spiders were all over him. They were coming out of his nose and his mouth….

“Larger pieces of flesh torn off by the lizards were scooped up and taken back to the webs of tarantulas and other bird-eating spiders.”

We need no more examples after that one.

So what’s the fascination with keeping pets that can kill you?

Art and photo by Ryn Gargulinski

Some may go for the status thing. Owning a deadly spider and man-mauling bear can be quite cool, no? It may also be a better babe magnet than a puppy.

Others may think they have that special animal connection, a bonding power that surpasses the beast’s wildest desires. “Oh, wild tigers may kill other people, but I have a special way with animals.”

Some pets, like the python, can be kept safely with a lot of caution and knowledge. But others, like the bear, may be a little tougher to contain if he decides he wants you for dinner.

Which brings us to the idiots. Even if keeping an exotic or potentially killer pet is not stupid, the way some people handle them are.

A pet, no matter the species, is still an animal.

Perhaps none of these deaths could have been avoided by smarter moves – but they could have been avoided by not keeping these creatures as pets in the first place.

What do you think?

Have you or someone you know been injured by an exotic pet or wild animal kept as a pet?

What’s the most dangerous pet you’ve ever kept? Yes, a chihuahua can be dangerous.