Coyote population proliferates even as animal advocates howl over hunt

More than five months ago, an official from the Nevada Department of Wildlife shocked a few hundred inhabitants of Sun City Summerlin when she talked about the overabundance of coyotes living in Las Vegas and especially within the Summerlin area. In fact, she suggested that so brazen are these natives of the American West that it shouldn’t surprise you to see a coyote or two strolling along the Strip on any given day.

At that time, Jennifer Waithman, NDOW wildlife education coordinator, also explained how this symbol of typical wildlife is no immediate threat to humans, as long as you don’t bother them. However, since then there have been a number of significant developments regarding this outcast member of the dog family.

For one thing, two months ago, the California Fish and Game Commission voted to ban contests offering cash prizes as incentives for killing coyotes, as well as some of their friends, such as bobcats and foxes. It is the first state law of its kind in the country. And that’s especially noteworthy when you consider that coyotes can be found in every state in the continental U.S., even in the vicinity of such major population centers as New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Chicago.

And for another thing, almost as if it were an invitation to Californians with Nevada hunting licenses, a contest held a month ago in the Reno area attracted 64 hunters who put up $30 each for the privilege of killing coyotes.

Needless to say, this sent up a howl suggestive of the coyote mating call among animal welfare advocates, irrespective of the fact that, for the most part, the coyotes outwitted their human opponents. Hunters bagged a measly 12 coyotes in an area that is overrun with the wily creatures.

A representative of Nevadans for Responsible Wildlife Management was quoted by a Reno TV station as saying, “It shows a profound disrespect for non-human life … To simply kill an animal for the heck of it on a weekend — take its life with no second thought about it — to us is offensive.”

One of the organizers of the contest explained, “Coyotes kill dogs, cats, chickens. There’s always an abundance of them.”

While ranchers and farmers throughout the state have been at war with coyotes since the first settlers, Waithman told her Summerlin audience last summer that “Seeing a coyote is no cause for alarm. Just leave them alone. They won’t bother you as long as you maintain a safe distance. And don’t attempt to corner them. Coyotes rarely attack humans. There is no confirmation of any human in Nevada ever being bitten by a coyote.”

Still, there’s no law against killing coyotes in Nevada. Nor is there any head-of-steam movement to emulate the California prohibition of coyote-killing contests.

Doug Nielsen, NDOW spokesman, put it in perspective during an interview.

“There’s a very viable population of coyotes in Nevada, and for that reason, they are an unprotected species,” he said. “They have no level of protection at all in Nevada. As for the Department of Wildlife, we don’t monitor them as we do other animals. And we have no regulations that prohibit the shooting of coyotes.”

Nielsen added that, “In the Las Vegas Valley, there’s probably a coyote for every lot. I’d say that our department receives two or three calls a day from people who are concerned about coyotes, people who have seen them.”

Summerlin in particular has a strong population of coyotes, he said, explaining, “that’s partly due to the many golf courses in the Summerlin area. Golf courses and their natural wash commonly attract coyotes.”

Another thing that attracts them is small animals, such as rabbits, squirrels, birds and small pets.

“That’s their basic food source,” he said.

Coyotes, especially in population centers, have also become accustomed to the presence of humans.

“And humans who have small dogs and cats as pets should be mindful of coyotes in the area if they let their pets roam freely,” Nielsen said.

He added that, in some cases, “It’s hard to get people to understand that they shouldn’t leave food outside for either their pets or small animals. If you feed rabbits and squirrels, you are also inviting coyotes.”

Herb Jaffe was an op-ed columnist and investigative reporter for most of his 39 years at the Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J. His most recent novel, “Double Play,” is now available. Contact him at hjaffe@cox.net.