| | | Varmint Hunting | The term "vermin" refers to a pest, or nuisance
animal, especially if it has the capacity to carry a
disease that can either be transmitted to people, or,
more commonly, that can be transmitted to livestock or
other farm animals. The term comes from the Latin word
"vermis" which means worm, and refers to the larvae of
an insect that had the nasty habit of burrowing into,
and ruining supplies of food.
Animals that are considered varmints in some areas may
not be considered such in other regions. It really
depends on the impact the varmint has on the
indigenous animals in the area, or upon the vegetation
specific to a region. Often times, a varmint species
ifs one that has been introduced to an area to be
raised for food, and has gotten loose and bred in the
wild. Without the natural predators that kept it's
population in check in it's native environment, the
newly introduced vermin will breed unchecked,
eventually taxing the environment, and starving out
any native animals that may depend upon the same
resources for food. In order to keep this from
happening, the mass extermination of the vermin may be
warranted, and in some cases encouraged or mandated by
local government or conservation groups intent on
bringing their environment back into balance.
In other cases, the classification of a species of
animal as a pest or vermin depends solely on the
impact the animal in question has on local farmer or
ranchers. For instance, the prairie dog plays an
important role in the American Southwest. The prairie
dog's tunnels serve to decompress the soil that has
trampled down and compacted by herd animals, such as
cattle or sheep, raised by area ranchers. They also
serve as a primary food sources for many indigenous
animals. Despite their importance to the local
environment, their wholesale slaughter is accepted,
due to the fact that they eat crops designated for
ranchers to feed to their livestock.
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