RMEF Warns of Colorado Wolf Reintroduction Ballot Initiative

[TRnCO]

I'm not advocating that people shouldn't hunt coyotes, only that hunting is not an effective method of population control. Cattle ranchers can and do believe what they want, but hunting coyotes doesn't put a dent in the population. It's pretty much the same with pigs. People who say they are hunting them to control the population are either lying to justify their love of hunting pigs/coyotes, or are misinformed in the effect their hunting is having. Again, I don't care either way, just pointing some things out.

I agree with all of this, BUT this is far from what you stated earlier. I know very well that hunting in general really has little impact on the coyote population in general. It's a temporary reduction, at best. I read a study some where that showed that 70% of a coyote population would have to be killed annually, to have an actual impact on numbers. Hunting can't do that. That's why many ranchers pay for government airplane gunning and trapping.
Now did hunting push coyotes into big cities, or did the coyote adapt to an area where they have plenty of food, and yes, no hunting pressure. Did at one time cites allow shooting within the city limits, and now they don't? To say that hunting pushed coyotes into the suburbs is arguable. IMO, they adapted to an area where they find lots of easy food and eventually they lose their fear of man. Plenty of coyotes in cities now that have no concept of hunting pressure, but yet they certainly have no reason to move back out in the country.
So if you were a rancher would you stop all coyote hunting on your property? Knowing what you know! Would you be willing to let the coyotes have a few calves each year, because after all, they're just doing what they do when they kill and eat a calf, or three. OR would you rather make an attempt to reduce their numbers in hopes that instead of killing 3, they don't kill any calves?

One other thing, not all coyotes are calf killers, BUT once they start there's only one way to stop them. So again, if you're a rancher do you leave em alone until after you start finding dead half eatin' calves, or do you try to be pro-active and prevent the problem from starting? Or maybe you find a good source of rabbits and bring them in and release them, you know, in hopes that the coyote changes it's preferred food source. Sarcasm....