So today the wife and I are in Fort Collins driving southbound on College Ave near Old Town. Next thing I know, I hear a rather loud bang, and a hawk is now laying on the passengers side of our hood. I put on the emergency flashers, pull over, put on a glove and as gently as possible put it in the back of the vehicle.

The Fort Collins office of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife is a 3-4 minute drive down the road. Off we go. I don't see or hear much movement from the bird. His head and neck was very limp, he was trying to breath, and his eyes were open and blinking. I think small chance, but maybe he'll make it.

We arrive at their office, I go inside, absolutely no one in the office, and the receptionist way in the back finally comes forward. I ask her to round someone up to come look at and take the bird. Well, we don't take animals here. Really? I hadn't planned on this happening, my wife is in the car with a bird that may or may not come back to life, likely pissed off, and you won't ask one of the officers to come assist and take this poor bird. I'm getting upset now, and proceed to tell her that I really don't just want to go dump him in the parking lot, and that I thought I was doing the right thing by bringing it here. If it dies, they can use it for educational purposes or something, but I just didn't want to throw it in the street like trash. She finally goes in the back after me telling her I wasn't going to drive to some raptor rescue place she mentioned. Isn't that their job??

Ranger in Charge and Ranger nice guy show up. Mr in Charge wants to talk to me about the way I spoke to his snowflake receptionist. I wasn't rude, but very direct in telling her I wanted them to handle this. He proceeds to tell me to stay in the lobby, and tells me I need to apologize to the snowflake about how I spoke to her. I proceed to tell him, I'm a tax payer, he works for me, and he needs to get out in the parking lot and help me take care of this poor bird before it comes to life in the back of my car. Once they both finally make their way out there, my wife is in the back with the poor guy, who is now very dead, with it wrapped in a hand towel, about to cry over it.

I guess I may have been too direct, but did I really need to have this clown try to lecture me, instead of first assisting me with the real reason I was there? It was very upsetting to us both, and obviously not something we really wanted to deal with in the first place.

Sorry no pics, but I do have a small dent in the fender where he hit it at god knows what speed. Rant off.

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I guess I may have been too direct, but did I really need to have this clown try to lecture me, instead of first assisting me with the real reason I was there? It was very upsetting to us both, and obviously not something we really wanted to deal with in the first place.

Negative on being too direct.

Little snowflake and Ranger-IveGotACrushOnTheReceptionist-Rick can grow up or fuck off.

Nice effort! Not to direct IMO.

Too bad about the hawk and good on you for making an effort.

IMO, what's more outrageous than the snowflake is the ranger being more concerned about the snowflakes feelings, than attending to the hawk.

This thread is not the place for it, but I see big problems for this country with its sissification of our young men.

Good for you, trying to save the hawk, and being assertive with the people in the Ranger office -- those who stupidly expected you to respect their authors-tay.

I've had this experience before when I was just trying to find out what to do with what looked like a very sick bird. Turns out there are very few raptor rescuers on the front range and CPW offices often don't even have a list of them since they are not directly part of the state apparatus.

I really don't think DOW handles animal rehab. Where would they even put the animals?

I know nothing about Colorado, but TX Dept. of Wildlife hand delivers multiple raptors to my vet clinic/rehab center on a weekly basis. Sometimes as far as 2.5 hours away. And almost always with a smile on their face and some interesting stories.

Sorry CDW is obviously not that concerned.

Tommy

Good for you.

I can tell you horror stories with the DNR/DWS and good stories from the DNR/DWS.

I've seen them from good, concerned conservationists to corrupt badge heavy shitbags.

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Originally posted by ScorpionBoy:
I really don't think DOW handles animal rehab. Where would they even put the animals?

Understood, but they of all folks should have a network and a valid concern for animal welfare. I sure didn’t leave that facility with either of those being something they cared about.

Nothing wrong with being direct. Some people a wrapped up tight in their own world and being direct can cut through the fog and bring those people into the real world.

Hmmm not so sure about this one. Not exactly sure of your tone and what was said, but they either have the capacity to take in wildlife or they don't And if they don't, then I'm not sure what you're so upset about. Telling them you "want them to handle it" when they don't have the knowledge or equipment to do so is not the best idea.

quote:

Originally posted by DonDraper:
Hmmm not so sure about this one. Not exactly sure of your tone and what was said, but they either have the capacity to take in wildlife or they don't And if they don't, then I'm not sure what you're so upset about. Telling them you "want them to handle it" when they don't have the knowledge or equipment to do so is not the best idea.

Seriously? Parks and Wildlife? Don’t have the knowledge? Alrighty then.

It's pretty much like rushing into a "Dept of Health" office somewhere with a heart attack victim and expecting them to have a physician on hand to save them.

quote:

Originally posted by DonDraper:
It's pretty much like rushing into a "Dept of Health" office somewhere with a heart attack victim and expecting them to have a physician on hand to save them.

That wasn’t my expectation, I expected them to take it and take it to their network. I wasn’t comfortable having a protected bird of prey in my possession. They are in the position of managing wildlife in all capacities. What was I thinking.

I’ll leave it at that. Obviously we won’t agree.

You weren't too direct. And the officer was out of line in being more concerned about his receptionist than the bird.

Thanks for trying to help the bird.

They are a public servant and should know better. You did the right thing and if the lady can't take the heat, she should find another job.

I am sure this is not their first case of an injured animal so they should know the local or other qualified wildlife rehabilitation centers.

I have had run-ins with people misbehaving in the National Forest or other wildlife areas so I get a description and/or license number and write a letter to the appropriate agency. They usually respond and sometimes have personnel in the area when I returned at a later date.

Over the summer I had a fish kill in my backyard which is brackish water. There were a few hundred dead fish. Late in summer, my guess the cause was dissolved oxygen. I called the state DEP, they thanked me for the call but wouldn't come out. They said my guess was probably right. This is the same agency that sets up nets in the late spring to see how many fish come in to spawn.

quote:

Originally posted by coloradohunter44:

quote:

Originally posted by DonDraper:
It's pretty much like rushing into a "Dept of Health" office somewhere with a heart attack victim and expecting them to have a physician on hand to save them.

That wasn’t my expectation, I expected them to take it and take it to their network. I wasn’t comfortable having a protected bird of prey in my possession. They are in the position of managing wildlife in all capacities. What was I thinking.

I’ll leave it at that. Obviously we won’t agree.

I’m with you on this one. I wonder if there wasn’t a little office romance involving the snowflake or maybe that putz thought he was making points. Colorado has certainly been going downhill lately.