Russell Springs ? The fight over the fate of prairie dogs in Logan County escalated during the weekend, when two exterminators started spreading poison, much to the surprise of the landowners.

One of the landowners, Larry Haverfield, said he contacted his attorney on Monday to figure out a way to fight the poisoning.

The Wyoming-based exterminators spread the poison on land that has been targeted for reintroduction of the federally endangered black-footed ferret – an idea that has been strongly resisted by some in the area.

Last week, the Logan County Commission, which has fought the ferret reintroduction, rejected a prairie dog management plan proposed by Haverfield.

Two days after the plan was submitted, Haverfield received a letter from Logan County Attorney Andrea Wyrick rejecting the plan and saying the county would proceed with eradication on Haverfield’s land – and send the bill to him.

Haverfield said he has already spent $8,000 on poison for a border area included in his management plan. He said it could cost more than $100,000 if the county poisons his entire ranch.

The poisoning on Saturday started on neighboring land owned by Gordon Barnhart, who is Haverfield’s partner in the ferret-reintroduction effort.

Barnhart, who lives in Haven, told Haverfield that he had permission to ask the exterminators to leave. The exterminators left but returned about four hours later, accompanied by a Logan County sheriff’s officer.

Haverfield said the sheriff’s officer didn’t want him to talk to the exterminators, but he was able to tell them that he was going to put cattle on the pasture.

It is illegal to spread the poison in pastures where cattle graze.

The two men left, saying they had plenty of ground to cover, Haverfield said.

Barnhart, who also had a prairie dog control plan rejected, said he was not aware poison was going to be spread on his land Saturday.

“It surprised us,” Haverfield said. “We just didn’t have any idea.”

Haverfield said until his lawyer can take some action, he hopes to delay the poisoning by scattering 1,600 calves around his ranch and on Barnhart’s land.

“I don’t know if they can trump the cattle,” he said.

Farmers and ranchers consider the prairie dog a pest, saying it destroys pastures and fields by digging holes and tunneling. They also say the rodents compete with cattle for grass to forage.

Supporters say prairie dogs are considered a keystone species of the prairie grassland because many other species depend upon the prairie dog town ecosystem.

Logan County’s prairie dog population has multiplied rapidly this year and county commission members have expressed concern that introducing ferrets would hurt current efforts to control the prairie dogs with chemicals.

Black-footed ferrets are one of the rarest mammals in North America and are on the Endangered Species list. The Wildlife Service has wanted to reintroduce the black-footed ferret to parts of its historical range on the Great Plains for years.