Not a good day on the Sheep ranch for Wile. E.

I dont mean to say its not neccesary. I only mean that something so beautiful is shot because they are doing something that comes naturally makes me sad for the coyotes. If that turns you on killing shit that you dont eat then go for it. Its better than poison for sure. Anytime , anything has to die so man isnt inconvinienced is sad in my eyes. Take it or leave it, just my view.  I hope they are all clean shots. Rats are different. Kill all rats. Wait, they are kinda cute though.

Craig - if you knew the effects coyotes have on sheep, deer, elk, turkey, etc. populations you might not feel quite as bad. Until I did some research I had no clue how devastating to other wild game coyotes and feral pigs have become.

They weren't a problem before we were here.

I know. I'm just feeding Craig some of the propaganda I read in hunting magazines. There are certain parts of the country where coyotes are tearing up deer populations, though...mostly because human encroachment has pushed coyotes into places they were rarely seen before...and coyotes are flourishing.

Thats cool Dustin. Once upon a time there was a balance within all animals. Then greed was set upon the planet. Not by all. Just one.

So do people shoot coyotes for fun or out of necessity? I get the sense they do it more for fun, using the necessity argument to defend it.
Kinda reminds me of the guys who speared the tiger shark in self-defense, claimed to be heart-broken over it, then posted up pictures and reports all over the web.

Kinda sad.

I'll gladly shoot a coyote that is killing a farmer's sheep or terrorizing a vineyard's drip system....mostly because I think it's fun, and because I want to have one full-mounted and I'll keep the pelts from them.

I certainly don't fish out of necessity. I fish because I think it's fun. Same reason I shoot ground squirrels. I can justify it by saying they destroy at least 30% of the alfalfa farmer's crop up North, or that the farmers lose cattle when they step in the holes and break their ankles...but the truth is that I do it because it's one of the funnest things I've ever done.

Fair enough, but every time I bonk a fish on the head or slit its throat and watch its life bleed out, I feel a hint of sadness and guilt, definitely not a thrill. I enjoy the fishing and the eating, but not so much the killing.

I'm the same way. I don't feel any remorse for ground squirrels, but I shot a badger once so I could have it mounted and felt pretty bad after I actually had it in my hands. It was a hell of a shot though...lol. I shot it head on at 250 yards with the very first field shot taken out of my .204. It's profile was about the size of a CD.

To make it even worse, the taxidermy place somehow screwed up the mount and I never did get it.

And I never have shot a coyote, BTW, but I really want one mounted....and there's definitely no shortage of coyotes.

I'm a cat lover too, but if I get the chance to shoot just one bobcat I'll take it. Having small predator mounts in my place is just something I've always wanted. Kinda like an exhibit in a museum. I guess it is what it is...

And I never have shot a coyote, BTW, but I really want one mounted....and there's definitely no shortage of coyotes.

I'm a cat lover too, but if I get the chance to shoot just one bobcat I'll take it. Having small predator mounts in my place is just something I've always wanted. Kinda like an exhibit in a museum. I guess it is what it is...

My grandparents had a friend who owned his own logging company, so he had some bucks. He had a big ranch house and he had a HUGE den with a big fireplace a pool table in the middle and then every other single inch of the room was nothing but mounts, easily a few hundred. it was cool

I used to hunt a lot loved the hunting but never relished the kill or the Brag shots.
Saying that it is neccesary is as extreme as PETA most of us are in the middle.
I find it hard to belive that Ben would shoot one, but I could see him trying to tame one

Dustin have you been to Foster's Bighorn in Rio Vista ? Worth the trip but a little spooky for some.  http://www.fostersbighorn.com/FBH_Web_Site/Home.html

This was one morning at the Sheepranch where I was just finishing a big painting job and Bob, the owner shows up and says, come on boys take a lookie at what I got from the other ranch....
Apparently these 2 had been killing dozens of sheep, maybe a hundred in a few years, killing machines, I wish I got a good shot(pic) of the mouth with the lips pulled back, theys some badass chompers. Bobs livelihood pretty much depends on how many sheep end up in a Ethiopian restaurant on a piece of spongbread. Coyotes can kill all the babies in a year so....

 Coyotes can kill all the babies in a year so....
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Ben you absolutley right. Seriously , the mans livelyhood is more important. I have a print of a coyote in my living room you would just love Ben.

Out here in the valley there are groups of coyotes that will taught dogs until they escape from a yard then kill them. More than a few labs around here have met their fate this way. There are only a couple around where I live but they do a good job of keeping the ferral (and domestic) cat population under control.

-Brian G

The misguided persecution of coyotes has only served to expand and increase their population. It has been very well established that we can protect livestock such as sheep and cattle without killing wildlife. Ranchers who have no problem with predators usually practice good husbandry methods such as using guard dogs, burros, llamas, electric fence systems, and trained herders; shed lambing; and corralling or partial confinement at night. Preventive, non-lethal measures work best when dealing with coyotes.

http://www.predatordefense.org/about.htm#staff

http://www.predatordefense.org/docs/coyotes_letter_Dr_Crabtree_11-04-97.pdf