Coyote Chronicles ~ July 2021
Those of you who follow our work have witnessed what a roller coaster ride the last few months have been for wildlife.
‘Killing spree’: Wisconsin’s wolf population plunges after protections removed, study finds
As many as one-third of Wisconsin’s gray wolves probably died at the hands of humans in the months after the federal government announced it was ending legal protections, according to a study released on Monday. Poaching and a February hunt that far exceeded kill quotas were largely responsible for the drop-off, University of Wisconsin scientists said.
And Still the Song Dog Sings
IT IS GOOD to hear the coyotes singing again. For a few weeks last month we were awakened now and then to their yips and wails coming from someplace across the canal where they’d been prepping for this season’s litter of pups. We hadn’t expected to hear from them this year because of the big yellow machines that have lately come and leveled the forest that once grew over there, and scraped the surrounding fields to rows of rubble and naked flats of glaring sand. But still the coyotes are out there, somewhere in the cracks and crawlspaces of the greenspace that used to be. And in those quiet hours before our daily bombardments of heavy machinery, those tenacious little beasts, bless their hearts, are singing.
Montana and Idaho Have Legalized Killing Wolves on a Massive Scale
The two Republican-controlled states have passed laws that could decimate the wolf population and endanger a major conservation success story.
VA Residents: Next Steps to Ban Wildlife Killing Contests in Virginia!
The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources Board recently voted 10-1 to advance a regulation prohibiting wildlife killing contests to a public comment period. Many thanks to those of you who have thus far spoken up in support of the proposed regulation.
Notes from the Field: Dr. Michelle Lute on the Latest Science About Coyote Diets and Behavior
One of our greatest challenges at Project Coyote is tackling the myths and assumptions humans make about coyotes, their behaviors, and intentions: “I saw a coyote during the day, he must be rabid!” or “Those coyotes were trying to lure my dog away so they could eat her.” Perhaps familiarity really does breed contempt or, perhaps more accurately, unfamiliarity breeds assumptions that are not necessarily accurate or favorable (but that phrase doesn’t roll off the tongue as easily).
#STOPTHEKILL Billboard Campaign ~ Double Your Dollars!
As a Project Coyote supporter, you’re aware of our nationwide efforts to ban Wildlife Killing Contests—a barbaric practice in which contestants compete for prizes and cash to kill the most or largest of a target species such as coyotes, wolves, bobcats, or foxes. But although friends of wildlife know of the prevalence of these lethal “contests,” most people have no idea that wildlife killing contests are taking place in their home state—and that this deadly bloodsport is perfectly legal.
America’s Wolves Need You!
President Biden made news late last month when he revealed his grandchildren’s well-founded concerns about the fate of America’s wolves—concerns he professed to share and promised to address.
NV Residents: Help Ban Wildlife Killing Contests in Nevada!
The Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners (NBWC) will soon discuss wildlife killing contests for a second time and may provide direction to the Nevada Department of Wildlife to consider a regulatory prohibition on contests across the state.
MT Residents: Montana’s Wolves Need Your Help NOW!
The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission is considering regulations to align their already deplorable wolf hunting season with the even more egregious recent legislation calling for an all-out war on wolves. Increased bag limits, liberalized trapping seasons, and snaring on private lands are all on the table. Please speak up NOW before it’s too late!
Idaho’s Wolves Still Need Your Help!
Now that the heinous legislation SB 1211 allowing the slaughter of 90 percent of Idaho’s 1,500 wolves has become law effective July 1, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game is seeking public comment on regulations to align with SB 1211 and allow wolves to be killed with traps, snares, dogs, and in dens along with pups.
Animal Killing Contests: Is That Legal?
I literally had no idea. None. Until I recently saw that a bill in Oregon failed to pass (for the third time!) which would have prohibited the killing of coyotes in contests for cash or prizes. With the prize going to the hunter (used loosely) who can kill the most coyotes over a specified time. One Oregon rep justified these contests by stating that “the average number of coyotes killed by a competitor is less than one” and that these contests “bring a surge of tourism” to remote parts of the state. Seriously? How do you kill “less than one” coyote? And what Neanderthal plans his vacation around going to the remote parts of Oregon to kill coyotes?