al.com; Coyotes, wolves cougars blog reader Mark La Roux
I'd be curious to know if anyone has ever bothered to do any genetic testing of the 'large coyotes' that Chris Banks (Tennessee Valley Wildlife Control) mentions in The Times coyote article on May 27.
If the larger ones have a mix of red wolf, what then? Still shoot?
Also, as a habit we tend to shoot the largest of any group, be it coyotes, deer, elk, or wild boar.
Shooting the alpha female in a family of coyotes is the worst thing possible: she's the best birth control for all the other females.
The dispersed young then hunt for whatever easy food they can find-often in our backyards.
Also, I would think the worst thing we could do as humans is 'surrender the woods' at an outbreak of those oh so scary coyotes. On the contrary, have adults wander the woods and (during this 'crisis' only) leave obvious signs that a top predator (you) has been there.
They will get the hint. Maybe a non-lethal paintball for the hard-headed ones? Not in city limits of course. Killing them by either trap or gun won't work as some will disseminate from other areas and start the process again. Just another money trap.
Kudos to Dr. Karen Hill Sheppard of Huntsville Animal Services for continuing a non-interventionist policy for Huntsville. We have gotten used to the 'song dogs' and see them as part of our wildlife community along with all the other critters, some both irritating and fascinating.
Maybe Redstone and Decatur should follow this lead to inclusiveness.
Mark LaRoux
Huntsville
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