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Monday, February 17, 2014

Your thoughts?

So. I am curious. This is obviously an advertisement promoting coyote hunting, with prizes for the most kills, largest male, and largest female. Do you have coyote hunting in your state? How do you feel about it?




52 comments:

  1. That is just sad. Sorry, not a hunter, and certainly not just for sport.
    I don't think we have enough coyote in our state for a hunt like that.

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    1. I'm in favor of hunting for food but it isn't a sport in my opinion.

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  2. Predators have their place and I think the idea of hunting these animals to near extinction is unwise. In certain western states where they've gotten rid of them, the rodent population is ridiculous! One place we camped you could hear the mice scurrying around out tent. They actually trap or poison them here in Illinois. However we do have a pack nearby and it's good to hear them!

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    1. I'm definitely not in favor of hunting to eliminate.

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  3. This kind of stuff always makes me ill. I don't believe in killing another living creature for sport. If I lived in this area I would never patronize the sponsors listed here again.

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  4. I'm sure the people who run this contest will talk about "culling" the population and stuff like that. And I do know someone in Texas who has mentioned his cats being in danger from coyotes. But I find a competition like this distasteful and promoting negative values toward an animal that has its role as a predator in the ecosystem.

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    1. Coyotes are a danger to my cats too, which is why I keep them in at night. But even if I lost a cat to a coyote I wouldn't there to be an open season on them in my woods. I think the 'culling' is just to make sure there's lots of deer to hunt.

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  5. I wasn't sure about Virginia so Googled what's what. My heart sank! VA classifies the coyote as a "nuisance animal" that pretty much can be killed at will. Destroying the balance in Nature because one's bothered is just sick. Thanks for opening my eyes. I'm calling my congressman's office in about 15 minutes to voice my concerns.

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    1. I wonder if the coyotes don't think we're the nuisance.

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  6. :-(

    As if there isn't enough killing in this world already..

    Take care
    x

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  7. deeply disgusted by it.... unless the coyotes are dangerous there and unless they eat lambs and sheep from the farmers

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    1. Right. Farmers should certainly be able to protect their livestock but making a sport is repugnant as far as I'm concerned.

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  8. We have them but not in our back yard. Yet. They will kill domestic cats and dogs. I don't like the sound of that bounty but I won't judge what might be happening in that community.

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    1. I've seen them upon occasion but it makes me happy they live here.

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  9. We have coyotes in some city parks here, but as far as I know, no hunting of them. I totally dislike planned culling of any sort by humans, it's just a chance for trophy hunters. Why make a spectacle of a slaughter of animals. I agree with Dezmond on this.

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  10. If we didn't hunt them in Pennsylvania we'd have some serious problems. They kill a lot of deer, for one, and also prey on cattle and sheep. It appears that we have a state-run $25 bounty and some farmers pay extra. It's a big problem here, because with so much less animal disease and easy food in the cities and on large farms, the population has been soaring since the 1980s.

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    1. Deer are a source of food for the coyotes so my feeling is they should be allowed to hunt them just like we do. And I have no problem with folks protecting their livestock. I do have a problem with open season on them for fun/sport.

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    2. But Patrick I thought the deer population was through the roof in Pennsylvania. Wouldn't more predators help? We have a deer problem here in Cincinnati and I wouldn't mind bow shooting some of them so they would stay out of my garden.

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  11. It kinda turns my stomach. Coyotes are a real threat in some areas; I'll grant you that. Even in our area, many dogs and cats have been killed by them. So to a certain extent, I can almost validate the need to thin the pack in some instances, both to protect the small animals and children in the area, as well as to strengthen the remaining pack. BUT this isn't being presented as a culling exercise. It isn't being presented as something that's good for the community. It's being presented as a killing competition, and that turns my stomach.

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  12. I very much dislike coyotes. They are a nuisance to almost every other animal in my area (western WI). They eat eggs and young of (wild and raised) all the ground-nesting birds as well as attack the young mammals. It's mating season now and I listen to them howl (and my neutered Labs howl back) every night lately! They also really love to howl at the new lambs at the farm across the street from me (despite the sheep dogs on their property). I don't think there needs to be a bounty, but if you have a farm or property they're on, you should be able to shoot them as a nuisance animal.
    erica

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    1. I completely agree that if they're on your property harassing your animals you have every right to shoot.

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  13. Not really into the hunting thing. It bothers me.

    But, I know the news was just talking about how the coyotes are out in force and to watch your pets around these parts. Doesn't excuse the hunting, though.

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    1. I'm okay with hunting for food, be it us hunting deer, coyotes hunting rabbits (or cats for that matter), or cats hunting birds (though I'd much prefer they stick to rodents). That's okay, it's just these mass hunts in the name of 'sport' which is only a sport for one of the parties.

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  14. I don't know if we have that law here but we definitely have lots of coyotes. I see them all the time (mostly at night) and hear them just about every night around our house/area. I think for the most part they leave the people alone and everyone here keeps their dogs inside a fenced area. You have to or you will lose your dog.

    What I think is really disturbing about that poster is that it's listed as a competition where they are giving out prizes.

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  15. I had to look it up, but apparently there are state-run coyote hunts here. I can remember many times being out on the mesa as a teen and seeing coyotes, who always ran away as fast as they could. Our state also has a system of traps designed to keep out wolves, yet we have a big deer population control problem.

    There's a predator to take care of that problem, but I think humans naturally fear other predators.

    I don't criticize hunting for food, because I've enjoyed venison steaks before, but hunting for sport seems twisted to me.

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    1. I think humans want everything for themselves and put themselves and their needs and wants above all the others, even when it's downright stupid to do so. I'm actually in favor of hunting for food.

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  16. I'm not at all into hunting so I'm not into it. But I know that kind of stuff goes on.

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    1. Oh, I know it goes on, too, it just makes me sad.

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  17. Not impressed. I know they are a nuisance and a threat to other animals, but I imagine coyotes think the same of us. What if coyotes had enough intelligence to band together and go after humans? Would that be right? Not sure I'm making my point here. But, just, yuck.

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    1. I think we need to learn how to share better.

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  18. Are the Coyotes eating people's livestock? Stealing pies from window sills? Gobbling small children?

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    1. Not that I've heard.

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    2. I just learned over the weekend that donkeys are kept at farms because they scare off Coyotes.

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  19. I'd rather see domestic cat hunting. Domestic cats are ruining the environment (they are the most destructive invasive species ever).

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    1. I'll have disagree with you. I believe we are the most destructive species ever.

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  20. Hahaha! I thought it was a writing competition and was wondering if "largest" was some odd code for word count. Yes, I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer today. As long as the coyotes aren't endangered, I don't see a problem. Things live. Things die. That's the way it's supposed to be.

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    1. It's true that life and death are all part of the circle, but, to put a different spin on it, how would you feel about hunting of humans? After all, we're certainly not endangered by a long shot.

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  21. I have no idea. I've never heard of anyone hunting coyotes, but I can see ranchers doing so if they've been after their cattle.

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    1. That's perfectly understandable; I'm just against killing for sport, because it isn't really a sport for the coyote.

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  22. Thanks for your fab suggestions, Marcy. I'd been leaning toward red in the kitchen, but needed a push that it would work. You sold me!!! First load of stuff for NC leaves tomorrow, yay!

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    1. I'm glad you liked my suggestion :)

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  23. Hey, Marcy. I have mixed feelings about this one. Obviously, this ad is from our state. Hmmm.... I know the issues we've been having with coyotes. I guess it all depends on the reason. Is this simply for sport or to help control the issue? Rhetorical question, I know. But just something to think about.

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    1. Either way, I'm against mass killings like this for the simple reason that it isn't necessary - imo.

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  24. Ever since reading Barbara Kingsolver's "Prodigal Summer" (one of my favorite books, BTW), I'm very, very against it. That book really educated me, and opened my eyes. I've never been a fan of hunting for sport - what sport is there in killing? - but I understand that some people do it for food, and that's OK with me. But no one is eating coyotes, and their place in the food chain is essential. We hunted so many predators to near-extinction that we now HAVE to hunt their prey to "cull" them. Seems like a giant mess that could so easily be avoided.

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    1. I completely agree and I love Barbara Kingsolver :)

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  25. I just saw a bumper sticker that identified the driver as a proud coyote hunter. I was grouching about it to my kids. I get hunting elk or deer for meat, but hunting for pure sport — just blamming living things to bits for fun — is barbaric. I am under the impression this is mostly what coyote hunting is about; less about protecting livestock.

    On the other hand, I was a reporter for a small town newspaper and covered a story on a coyote who did, in fact, bite a school-age child and tried to drag a baby off a porch. The same coyote had munched up quite a few pets, too. Game and Fish was able to ID which coyote it was and shot it: the attacks stopped, so we know they had the right one. That seemed absolutely necessary, as necessary as putting down a pet dog who turns violent. Personally, I'd like to see this culling in the hands of professionals only.

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    1. In the scenario you present, I think that was handled correctly.

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