Northern Ag Network posted on November 02, 2012 15:24
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The following is portion of an article from Drovers CattleNetwork:
A New Mexico coyote hunting contest has drawn the ire of opponents nationwide, many of whom have signed an online petition demanding that the hunt be cancelled. Death threats have even been received by the owners of the gun store hosting the hunt.
The coyote hunting contest was originally the idea of Calibers Gun Shop of Albuquerque, but public pressure caused the store to cancel their plans. This week, however, Mark Chavez, owner of Gunhawk Firearms in Los Lunas, N.M, told the Las Cruces Sun-News his shop will sponsor the contest to be held Nov. 17 – 18.
“I was raised on a cattle ranch and I know the importance of keeping the coyotes in check and keeping your herd strong,” Chavez said.
The New Mexico Cattlegrowers Association and New Mexico Woolgrowers Inc., say coyotes cause significant economic loss each year. In 2009, the last year reported, losses to predators in New Mexico included 5,500 sheep and 3,700 lambs. In 2010, the loss of beef cattle exceeded 220,000 head across the southwestern United States.
Source: Drovers CattleNetwork
Posted by Haylie Shipp