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Gunnery Sgt. Shane Smoger, station Airfield Operations chief, fires a 12-gauge shotgun at a bird during a Bird/Animal Aircraft Strike Hazard depredation exercise near the airfield here Feb. 4. While always used as a last resort, lethal force is sometimes necessary to curb bird populations around the airfield. Depredating over water causes another set of concerns because the bird must be collected if at all possible. Leaving dead animals of any kind has the potential to attract more winged predators, which is counter-intuitive to the BASH program’s goals.

110204-M-0855M-008.jpg Photo By: Cpl. Joseph Marianelli

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Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan - Gunnery Sgt. Shane Smoger, station Airfield Operations chief, fires a 12-gauge shotgun at a bird during a Bird/Animal Aircraft Strike Hazard depredation exercise near the airfield here Feb. 4. While always used as a last resort, lethal force is sometimes necessary to curb bird populations around the airfield. Depredating over water causes another set of concerns because the bird must be collected if at all possible. Leaving dead animals of any kind has the potential to attract more winged predators, which is counter-intuitive to the BASH program’s goals.

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