Posted on 01/29/2006 5:43:40 PM PST by Mr. Brightside
Today: January 29, 2006 at 17:40:25 PST
Federal Hunt in Arizona Kills 200 Coyotes
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ELGIN, Ariz. (AP) - Federal authorities have killed 200 coyotes in southeast Arizona in the past three weeks after ranchers complained that they were eating calves.
The hunt, which ended Friday, was conducted from aircraft as part of a program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The shootings took place on private and public land used by 10 to 15 ranchers, the Arizona Daily Star reported Sunday.
No documentation was available last week on how many calves had been killed, but the government said it has confirmed losses.
Rancher Rex Dalton said every lost calf costs him $500 to $650 - the amount it could have fetched if it lived to maturity.
"I have seen coyotes attack my calves three times," Dalton said. "I've also seen others with their tails or noses chewed off."
Environmentalists were upset that the government gave no advance public notice. They call the program inhumane and ineffective.
The 200 animals represent 1 percent or less of the area's coyote population, and new ones will arrive within months, Arizona Game and Fish officials said.
Teresa Howes, a USDA spokeswoman, said the agency doesn't issue news releases on the activity "because we do work for private owners."
Ranchers pay $200 an hour for the aircraft rental and staff time, she said.
Aerial gunning is the cheapest and most efficient way to kill and remove coyotes, allowing agents to ensure they don't hit other wildlife, Howes said.
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And I thought the story was about immigrant smugglers. Damn.
Were they home grown or crossing the border illegally. Oh, thats right, coyotes don't vote, yet!
Long overdue. Wolves need to be next.
Ranchers are sustaining immense losses to these predators, both of them. Then their ranches are trashed by the illigal intruders coming in from Mexico.
"Aerial gunning is the cheapest and most efficient way to kill and remove coyotes, allowing agents to ensure they don't hit other wildlife, Howes said."
I was born out west and I do not like coyote. That said, I imagine letting the cowmen kill them would be far cheaper. After all, it's their cattle.
Be a good place for a gunship training squadron
Awwwwwww.
it will not even put a dent in the illegals coming across.... Mexico is in the process of training 70,000 more coyotes... read it right here on this forum this week.
wrong type of coyotes....okay never mind.
I wonder if they will burn the ADC offices in Arizona like they've done in Washington?
Muleteam1
I was thinking that arial coyote hunting could be a *money maker* for the state.
Put it in private hands and let hunters enter a lottery for an arial coyote permit. What fun!
A bit more expensive than allowing the comeback of trapping on public lands. I know the Arizona Game & Fish has programs in place using predator callers and organizing area hunts to help with Antelope fawn survival in northern AZ. I just wonder why something similar wasn't tried here?
www.azpredatorcallers.com/
in the Jan. 2006 newsletter
"...our 3rd Annual Save-A-Fawn event, provide our members with places the department wishes us to call to save the department valuable manpower and money in aerial gunning for coyotes. We could save the department from $10,000 to as much as $30,000 by having a good harvest of predators January 14th and 15th, 2006.Please plan to attend."
Maybe Cattlemen should raise a different type of livestock- man eating lions. That will solve the Mexican coyote problem, plus game ranch hunting of these exotic animals would bring in a very good$$.
Coyotes are still considered a nuisance animal in Arizona; you can hunt them without a permit, and most counties still offer a small bounty on the hides.
On a side note. Here is a pic of a Black Coyote. Kinda interesting. Never seen a black one before.
http://www.cryptozoology.com/gallery/display_picture.php?id=1357
I'm surprised that my treble hooks baited with meat, tied/hanging from branches, are more expensive than "Aerial gunning."
I must be getting a better deal on hooks than the government can.
'They call the program inhumane and ineffective'
Sounds like the press are 'oh for two' describing this program.
Yeah and if the farmers/ranchers do anything about the illegals a judge may very well take away their farm/ranch and give it to those same illegals...
Its already happened...
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