Killing coyotes is a necessity

By John DiGiacomo, Las Vegas

Thursday, April 30, 2015 | 2 a.m.

Regarding the letter about banning coyote hunting (“Ban coyote killing contests in Nevada,” Las Vegas Sun, March 30):

It’s obvious the writers aren’t hunters, so let me tell them some facts about coyotes.

For starters, they used to be nicknamed “song dogs of the West.” They’ve become so numerous that they now inhabit every part of our lower 48 states plus Canada, Mexico and Alaska.

These magnificent animals take away from real hunting opportunities such as deer, elk and antelope. They will eat anything that walks, crawls, slithers and flies. They cost states millions of dollars that could add to the state’s revenue through game permits, food, lodging and equipment.

Coyotes are so numerous that no special permit is needed to shoot them on sight. If you’re in an area where shooting is legal, you can kill a coyote any hour of the day or night. In fact, Utah will pay $50 per coyote you turn in to the Division of Wildlife Resources.

I drive a delivery truck in Henderson and have seen coyotes crossing Boulder Highway, near Jokers Wild, in residential sections in downtown Henderson and once around 5 a.m. leaving the parking lot of a middle school.

No, it wasn’t someone’s German shepherd. I’ve lived, hunted and fished in Nevada for 43 years, and I know a coyote when I see one.

Granted, attacks on humans are rare, but pets and even children playing in the backyard are fair game. The coyotes need to survive, and being so numerous, the animals they eat are declining. So a child, in their eyes, can be their next meal.

There’s too many of them, so any method that will lead to fewer coyotes, I’m all for.