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What does everyone think of the Coyote Hunt contest last weekend that was sponsered by a gun store in Los Lunas?? There were a couple of hundred protestors for pro and con standing along the street, lots of free speech in action! The winner got his/her choice of a new gun. The gun store also requested that any dead coyotes be brought in to them so they could somehow sell them to someone else.
I am of the opinion that if you are a Rancher and coyotes are killing your livestock, then you have the right to hunt them for that reason. But I am not convinced at all that having a general all-encompassing killing contest is the way to go. These animals are as part of New Mexico and the southwest as any other native wildlife and they should be left alone if they are not killing your animals. I have come across coyotes while I have been out walking in the desert and never once have I had the urge to harass or hunt them. They have not bothered me and seemed as curious about me as I was about them, we all went on our way "happily ever after".
A few environmental groups offered money to ranchers in Wyoming and Montana for every unit of livestock lost to wolves and coyote, if the ranchers can prove it was indeed lost to wolves and coyote (I am not sure if the same happened in NM). Guess what, they could not prove a darn thing for the vast majority of cattle out there.
Cattle grazing in the West is a lifestyle choice, most folks are not profitable, barely profitable or rarely profitable. It is due to the fact that you need sometimes even a 100 acres per head for them to survive solely off the land. Grazing cattle in Florida or elsewhere East, on the other hand, makes perfect sense.
I see no reason why the environment (and animals) have to suffer on account of a few people who want to protect their right to make an unprofitable living. Couple that with the fact that the tax payers effectively pay for their rights to graze on BLM and natl forest lands and these "ranchers" quickly lose any legitimacy. Yes, the BLM grazing program is run at a loss where the taxpayers pick up the tab. This makes the ranchers benefactors of a handout.
As for the rest of the fools showing up to kill, well, speaks volumes about their upbringing and what they are capable of.
Whoever is complaining about their pet dog or cat being killed by a coyote - first off, cats should be indoor pets. Outdoor cats kill wildlife (birds etc.). Dogs should be behind a sturdy fence that coyote cannot cross.
I seen 3 coyotes trying to attack a cow calf as it was being born. At first I couldn't tell what was happening as they were about 150 yards away and then looked through binoculars and the calf was about halfway out and the mom cow was spinning trying to stop the attack. I had a rifle with me and shot two of the coyotes and one got away.
I walked out to the cow, the mom cow delivered the calf, it had bite wounds, but looked like it would be ok.
Needless to say, coyote populations need to be controlled, they have killed many cats and dogs in my neighborhood, my neighbor has lost 2 of her 3 cats.
I seen 3 coyotes trying to attack a cow calf as it was being born. At first I couldn't tell what was happening as they were about 150 yards away and then looked through binoculars and the calf was about halfway out and the mom cow was spinning trying to stop the attack. I had a rifle with me and shot two of the coyotes and one got away.
I walked out to the cow, the mom cow delivered the calf, it had bite wounds, but looked like it would be ok.
Needless to say, coyote populations need to be controlled, they have killed many cats and dogs in my neighborhood, my neighbor has lost 2 of her 3 cats.
Needless to say, cats should be indoor pets and needless to say if you want to own pets you should properly fence your property. That means coyote can't come in and your dogs can't come out. Your cat should stay inside. Cats kill all sorts of wildlife.
As for the calf, I supposed in your world one animal's life is worth more than another animal's life. Oh well, nothing new...
Coyotes, as any other wildlife population needs to be controlled. As a hunter I know where a majority of the money comes from for wildlife population management, habitat improvement, etc., from hunters. I give money every year for licenses that go towards habitat and forst improvement and donate to the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, I bet that is more than you can say.
I do my part, but others talk and do nothing, I bet you are one of them.
I suppose you also think that I should have my 3 year old daughter behind a fence when I am playing with her in the yard or taking her for a walk.
You probably should not live in an area that is so close to wildlife habitat then - you may be better served by living on a clean city street somewhere downtown? I never understood people who would move into what is animal habitat and then attempt to wipe it clean of any life that is inconvenient. I suppose though it is the mentality of the American culture.
I donate plenty to various wildlife preservation organizations AND I purchase yearly passes for state parks etc.
In a system where hunting licenses fund national forests or state parks, everything is set up in such a way that it encourages hunting. That's not my view of it but unfortunately the gun industry and hunting lobby are too big to successfully fight. In addition, most govt wildlife management employees are avid hunters themselves. If forests and other public lands were funded solely by tax payer dollars, you would have no claim as you stake it above.
The best way to control the population of animals is to let them sort it out. As it is now, we have removed all the predators and you seem to be the judge, the jury and the executioner. Deer are exploding, coyote are exploding etc. and the only "control" seems to be you or folks like you. That's not right and it will never "hold up" long term.
In any case, to get back on topic - I think it is despicable and disrespectful to offer rewards to kill living beings, no matter what these beings are.
OD
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