I was at our local feed store, a favorite place to go, and was asking the young guy who was helping me about the coyotes. He told me that the Maryland State Department of the Environment had imported them in to control the deer population.
Well isn't that nice.
He then went on to tell me that like so many other government programs, this one didn't quite work out as planned. Obviously the coyotes did not read their job description closely enough, because they are out there controlling the foal, sheep, goat, and domestic pet population and the deer population keeps right on growing. Oh my.
The upside to this mess, is that he and a friend of his have started a coyote removal business and are doing quite well and would I like to look at his rate sheet for killing them. I said no, not now and thought to mysellf, isn't this a loverly mess.
I would fact-check that. Coyotes haven't been imported anywhere that I know of (and I research and follow these things pretty closely). They migrate looking for new territory. Also, deer is not a prime coyote food, now or ever. They go for small game primarily, mice, rabbits, squirrel, birds, possums, etc. And easy game, i.e. anything domesticated - chickens, cat, dog, baby livestock, lamb, calf, foal, or an already wounded/sick/aged deer.
ReplyDeleteI know I stated that they did (and in fact they did) kill my friends' big mare, however they determined that she slipped and fell in a muddy spot and they tore her up before she could get back up. They would never have been able to bring her down themselves.
I think your feed store guy is embellishing the truth to drum up business. Scare tactics. Coyotes have been "back" for 20 years or more, and if they overpopulate themselves the pendulum will swing back the other way eventually, naturally. All we can really do is not provide them with food, directly or inadvertently. I think this extraordinarily tough winter we're having is making them come close to human habitation then normal to find food.