Let coyotes, not hunters, control Valley Forge deer, animal-rights advocates say

Philadelphia Inquirer ^ | 10/18/2010 | Jeff Gammage

[Kid Shelleen]

For months they've run on the periphery of the debate over the plan to shoot deer at Valley Forge national park:

Coyotes.

A small number have taken residence inside the park, among the "urban coyotes" that dwell in places from New York to Chicago to Beverly Hills, Calif.

Now, animal-rights advocates are arguing that the number of coyotes in Valley Forge should be encouraged to grow, as a way to provide a predatory check on the deer and eliminate any cause for gunfire

[Celtic Cross]

Shoot the deer and the coyotes.

Problem solved ;)

[WKUHilltopper]

Apparently the ‘Yotes haven’t done the job yet.

I say let the animal “rights” (as if they have rights) idiots be forced to have these critters live in their homes and charged with taking care of them.

[mountainlion]

Around here the coyotes only kill dogs, cats and baby deer.

[Repeal The 17th]

I’m more of a Genesis 1:28 kind of thinker.

[crusty old prospector]

Coyotes mostly eat small rodents. Why don’t they introduce wolves?

[pollywog]

We lost our beloved 14 year old cat to a coyote last month.
Don’t even get me started on what I think of our current laws!!!!!!

[I cannot think of a name]

One itty-bitty problem.

We have lots of deer and lots coyotes down here in Texas. And the coyotes soon figure out that scrounging around humans is a lot easier than chasing down deer (Fluffy the cat is a lot easier to catch than Bambi).

Between hunting in the wild and hunting around civilization - they coyotes will always head for town. In fact we have a couple of cities (Hill Country Village and Hollywood Park) where they deer AND coyote problems!

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

From the article;

“If you and your jogging partner should be approached by a coyote, is it possible to outrun the beast? Answer: You don’t need to outrun the coyote. You only have to outrun your jogging partner.”

[CrappieLuck]

Coyotes live mostly on rodents, road kill and turkeys. They are not wolves and can’t take down a mature deer. They’ll kill fawns, though.

[Celtic Cross]

Here in eastern MA, we've got ‘coywolves’. Thats is, coyotes crossbred with wolves from Canada. They're big, they're mean, and they're everywhere. From posh Concord to rural Lakeville. I recall a time I was walking at night, but in a very suburban neighborhood. Damn things started howling from the trees, and it scared the living daylights outta’ me, having never heard that noise outside the discovery channel. I did some research, and found the howl most similar to be that of wolves that have just made a kill.

[ctdonath2]

So the solution is to replace managed unnatural predation with ... unmanaged unnatural predation?

[Osage Orange]

Wait until one of these animal-rights advocates...loses “Fluffy” their dog or cat...to a coyote. I’ll bet they will turn into closet coyote killers.

[Kenny Bunk]

And the coyotes soon figure out that scrounging around humans is a lot easier than chasing down deer (Fluffy the cat is a lot easier to catch than Bambi).

Yo Tex, you apparently never met anyone from Philadelphia. Valley Forge is now just close-in suburbia and the soccer moms rule the roost. Facts mean nothing.

These are people who feed dear on purpose, and feed coyotes with their garbage. Because of the hunting ban, they literally pick up DOZENS of deer from the roads every day in winter.

The good news is that many local restaurants feature "New Zealand" venison on the menu!

[Slyfox]

They should take care of the "problem" the way General Washington and his boys did.

Fill a musket, don a three-cornered hat and commence to shooting.

[kidd]

Excellent thinking moonbats.

Bring in more coyotes. Won’t do much about the deer overpopulation, but it’ll certainly increase the incidence of rabies.

[trickyricky]

"Why don’t they introduce wolves?"

Why not man-eating Bengal Tigers?
Maybe they could reduce the human infestation,
which should really please the animal rights nuts.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

If they don’t like gunfire ... invite bowhunters. Problem solved.

[FrankR]

Using “animal rights” as a baby step toward gun control...that’s ALL this is...

[I cannot think of a name]

“and feed coyotes with their garbage”

We also have a home and some property about 40 miles from the city. All the old timers know that you don't leave anything out to ATTRACT coyotes, and you won't HAVE coyotes.

Now we have city people building Mac-Mansions and leaving crap EVERYWHERE. And, ta-da, we now have coyotes EVERYWHERE. We've owned that property since the ‘70’s had never seen coyotes out there until the last five years.