Warning: I picked pictures that are not too graphic, but they may be unsettling.
Wolf and Coyote Contests
For this
next blog, I would like to discuss two other animals that are killed in these
contests, Wolves and Coyotes. If any of you have spoken to ranchers,
you probably have heard about a common problem they face daily; their animals
are being attacked and/or killed by wolves and coyotes. I don’t know
of any rancher who does not have some sort of a weapon in their possession to
try to take care of this seemingly endless problem. This is an
understandable stress from ranchers, since their source of income is in
jeopardy daily. But where is the line drawn from protecting livestock
to the mass killing of these creatures just because they are in range of your rifle?
According to the National Park Service Yellowstone, "there were 95 wolves counted in the park, 34 in the northern range, and 61 in the interior as of December 2013".
In Salmon, Idaho, an organization known as Idaho for Wildlife, holds a contest at the beginning of the year called Idaho For Wildlife's Predator Hunting Contest and Fur Rendezvous. This event no longer has an entry fee, but as stated by coyote contest, they award a $1,000 prize for two separate categories: most wolves and most coyotes. Plus, since your'e never too young to shoot something, children as young as 10 years old are encouraged to participate in this "family event".
This is a video from the above contest that took place in January 2014, their first "killing derby". It shows how the coyotes are weighed and how cash prizes and trophy winners are determined. That year no wolves were found and shot. Though it is not too graphic, please don't watch if it might be too much for you.
A contest I found to be more unsettling then any I have read about takes place in San Angelo, Texas. This contest is called the West Texas Big Bobcat Contest, but the name doesn't say it all. Although the grand prize winner is determined by whoever shoots and brings back the biggest bobcat, they have one major rule. According to coyote contest bobcat, in order for a participant to be in the running for the grand prize, they must also shoot "either 5 Grey Fox or 5 Coyotes (NO MIXING OF THE TWO!)". They have a team entry fee of $200 which all pays into the grand prize and 3 jackpots. The DFW Wildlife Coalition states that "bobcats do not attack people. In fact, bobcat attacks are virtually unknown". According to numerous government sites, the bobcat population is somewhat of a question mark, probably because they are so introverted. So why do the people in San Angelo feel the need to kill them? And what is their rationality for killing the extra 5 animals?
According to the Humane
Society of the US, "approximately 5,000 gray wolves are thought to
remain in the lower 48 states" and they have been taken off the endangered
list. These hunters seem to think they are
doing the world a favor by eliminating these "beasts" but as Warren
Cornwall points out in an article on wolves from NatGeo,
"when more mature adults were killed, less seasoned adolescents move in
and are more likely to prey on cows and sheep". Wolves main food sources are ungulates, so when the mature adults are killed and unable to teach their young to hunt, the juveniles may turn to the easier prey; livestock and other domestic animals.
Washington Fish and Game announced that "In the past 60 years, there have been two wolf-caused human fatalities in North America (Canada and Alaska)", and that wolf attacks on domestic dogs have been because "Wolves view dogs as competitors or territorial intruders". Several states, such as Washington with House Bill 1258, are attempting to find ways to relocate the wolves into more "wolf popular" areas. The coyote population still seems to be flourishing even with these events to eradicate the species.
Washington Fish and Game announced that "In the past 60 years, there have been two wolf-caused human fatalities in North America (Canada and Alaska)", and that wolf attacks on domestic dogs have been because "Wolves view dogs as competitors or territorial intruders". Several states, such as Washington with House Bill 1258, are attempting to find ways to relocate the wolves into more "wolf popular" areas. The coyote population still seems to be flourishing even with these events to eradicate the species.
So are these events really about helping control the animal population or we stuck in this mindset that we still have to prove we are the bigger, badder species? This isn't just about saving the livestock.
As you mentioned, i too wonder what was the reason why one had to kill 5 wolves for 5 coyotes in order to gain entrance for a bob car hunt It is known that the coyote population is growing but does the same apply to bob cats?
ReplyDeleteYou also mentioned killing older coyotes it results in younger coyotes preying on cows and sheep. What would the older coyotes prey on? Are there any other solution to control the increasing population other than killing them?
Do we have the means to migrate them or for farmers to provide more safe keeping for the live stock?
I recently visited a wolf sanctuary in Divide, Colorado and was very interested in the information our tour guide gave us concerning wolves. He said that if a landowner sees a wolf on their property, that wolf has more than likely been there before the landowner built on that piece of land. So we are really on its domain and not the other way around. He also cited the breakdown of the ecosystem without wolves to move the cattle grazing on the and. When the cattle are allowed to continuously eat up all of the resources, the land suffers along with the animals who depend on it.
ReplyDelete