JVS Report post Posted February 1, 2006 Authorities kill 200 coyotes after complaints from ranchers Over the last three weeks, federal authorities have killed 200 coyotes in southeast Arizona after ranchers complained that the predators were eating calves. The hunting, which wrapped up Friday, was conducted from aircraft as part of a program run by the US Department of Agriculture. It took place on private and public land used by 10 to 15 ranchers in Cochise and Santa Cruz counties. Environmentalists were upset that the government gave no advance public notice of the latest shootings, which they call inhumane and ineffective. Teresa Howes, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, says the agency doesn't issue news releases on this activity "because we do work for private owners." She says ranchers pay the aerial program's entire 200-dollars-an-hour cost, for renting aircraft and for staff time. No documentation was available Friday of how many calves coyotes had killed, but Howes says the federal program has confirmed calf losses due to coyotes in southeast Arizona. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kwp Report post Posted February 1, 2006 I saw this on the news too. Not quite sure why this is getting press all of the sudden because they have been doing it for years. Guess that the environmentalists were getting bored with their usual protests and decided they needed to find something new. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
