STOP December Coyote Killing Contest In New Mexico!

Once again Mark Chavez, the owner of Gunhawk Firearms is sponsoring an animal slaughter contest. Scheduled for December, his sites are once again set on coyotes. His claims of helping farmers is nothing more than promotion for his business, which appears to be benefiting at the expense of local wildlife. This must be stopped!

FACTS ABOUT COYOTES: DID YOU KNOW?

• Coyotes often mate for life

• Generally pack members are related, but sometimes a pack will accept a solitary coyote as part of it’s “family”

• Coyotes do not prefer to be “loners”; when individuals do stray from their native packs, however, it is referred to as drifting

• Altruism has been observed in coyotes when they bring food to other trapped or injured coyotes

• Coyote packs have highly defined territories that they defend

• Studies have shown that den sites are used over and over throughout successive generations

• Killing coyotes cause their procreation to increase

• Wolves are natural predators of coyotes, and where wolves have been reintroduced, coyote populations have been reduced by 50 percent

• Coyotes can travel speeds up to 40 miles per hour

• Coyotes typically breed at 22 to 34 months of age

• Coyotes have excellent hearing and are often able to hear mice under deep snow, or thick grass

• Coyotes have more vocalizations than any other wild mammal in North America

• Coyotes regurgitate food for pups when they are 5 to 6 weeks old, and introduce solid food at 8 to 10 weeks

• Coyotes are opportunistic omnivores and will eat almost anything – snakes, frogs, grasshoppers, grapes, peaches, melons, pumpkins and skunks.

• The mutually helpful relationship between coyotes, crows, and magpies allows all to find food more easily.

• In most states, there are few if any regulations that protect coyotes

• Attacks by coyotes on humans are rare, and are almost always associated with people habituating them with food. Or in some instances where coyotes have been kept as pets, they may become aggressive

Coyotes form strong family bonds. Males and females work together to raise their young and, later, when the pups are old enough, the families hunt and defend together. While coyotes can be a threat to livestock,  it has been determined that we can protect livestock such as sheep and cattle without killing wildlife. Ranchers who have no problems with predators use methods such as guard dogs, burros, llams, and electric fence systems as well as other humane and more effective methods. Preventive, non-lethal measures work best when dealing with coyotes. Not needless slaughter which Chavez promotes with his "killing contests" done for profit and the cruel sport of others. This only increases the coyote population and generates a cycle of killing and cruelty. Please stop this needless and cruel slaughter now.