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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".
These contests happen on a regular basis across the country. In most cases there are 8 or 10 teams of hunters that show up to hunt. The folks that oppose this hunt have turned it into a circus. Last I saw they now have 60 teams signed up.
And by their own admission, the group that set up the protest says they had about 20 to 25 people, not "hundreds"
My rancher grand dad always controlled the coyotes by only shooting mating pairs and leaving the singles.
I'm sure this is a common rancher practice since breeding pairs and their pups wreak havoc on livestock, but leaving the rest to control other undesirable varmints.
Shooting loose dogs on your land on the other hand.....
The coyotes have a 'Pet Dog and Cat' killing contest year-round in Los Lunas and other New Mexico towns.
Honestly, I don't see much of a problem with the event except for the attitudes of some of the participants. I'm not a fan of morons with a penchant for wanton killing that these events tend to attract.
I don't think coyotes need to be made extinct by any means, but population control is important since they can do some damage in heavily populated suburbs if their numbers grow out of control.
The cottontails and jack rabbits in my neighborhood voted overwhelmingly in favor of the hunt. As a group, they felt that the hawks, owls and bobcats were hard enough to deal with without adding coyotes into the mix
We have a deer hunting season, etc. so why not a coyote hunting season?
It keeps them under control and more manageable......if they are led to breed uncontrolled
food supplies would be spread thin and they will attack our pets or cattle to a greater extent.
We have a deer hunting season, etc. so why not a coyote hunting season?
Coyotes are an unprotected varmint species which means anyone who holds a legal hunting licence can hunt a coyote with a legal weapon during daylight hours 365 days a year.
FWIW - this coyote hunt has gained National Recognition. I read about it this morning in the Local New Hampshire Union Leader newspaper. Although I have no objection to pest control I do think this "contest" is just a way for the dealer to sell more guns, ammo and other gear on this weekend. I doubt if there will be a proportionate increase in "controlled" coyotes.
There does seem to be an increase in the number of people objection to this hunt. That does not surprise me as not all that many people realize that wild coyotes are not the same as Wylie E. Coyote of Loony Tunes fame.
Moderator cut: Off topic
Last edited by Poncho_NM; 11-19-2012 at 11:07 AM..
FWIW - this coyote hunt has gained National Recognition. I read about it this morning in the Local New Hampshire Union Leader newspaper. Although I have no objection to pest control I do think this "contest" is just a way for the dealer to sell more guns, ammo and other gear on this weekend. I doubt if there will be a proportionate increase in "controlled" coyotes.
There does seem to be an increase in the number of people objection to this hunt. That does not surprise me as not all that many people realize that wild coyotes are not the same as Wylie E. Coyote of Loony Tunes fame.
Moderator cut: Off topic
The gun store is donating the proceeds, so all is not lost:
Quote:
Mark Chavez is the owner of Gunhawk Firearms said that he plans to collect and sell all of the coyote pelts, have a taxidermist take care of them and then each one for $50; Chavez said that the proceeds will fund a scholarship for a local agriculture student.
Chavez said that he hopes to raise $2,500 this weekend for the scholarship:
:[I'm] going to show the public this is not a waste. I would like to raise about $2,500. I think that would be a nice scholarship for someone."
Last edited by Poncho_NM; 11-19-2012 at 11:07 AM..
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