A proposal to regulate the killing of coyotes in California has drawn fierce opposition from ranchers and farmers, who say they need to be able to control the wild canines to protect livestock and pets.
Dozens of people whose livelihoods rely on California’s broad range lands are expected to pack a hearing in Sacramento on Thursday before a committee of the California Fish and Game Commission on whether to remove coyotes from a list of animals that state regulations say can be killed “at any time of the year and in any number.�
kAm%96 >66E:?8 4@>6D 2E 2 E:>6 @7 C:D:?8 E6?D:@?D 36EH66? =:G6DE@4< @H?6CD 2?5 4@?D6CG2E:@?:DED @G6C E96 5:77:4F=EJ @7 >2?28:?8 AC652E@CD[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 DE2E6’D C:D:?8 A@AF=2E:@? @7 8C2J H@=G6D[ H9:49 2C6 AC@E64E65 F?56C 3@E9 E96 DE2E6 2?5 7656C2= 6?52?86C65 DA64:6D 24ED 2?5 42??@E 36 <:==65 F?=6DD E96J 2C6 2 5:C64E E9C62E E@ 2 A6CD@?]k^Am
kAm{2DE J62C[ 2 >2? H2D <:==65 3J 2 >@F?E2:? =:@? :? t= s@C25@ r@F?EJ 2?5[ :? a_ab[ 2 s@H?:6G:==6 H@>2? H2D �62E6? 2=:G6� 3J 2 3=24< 362C[ $:6CC2 r@F?EJ $96C:77 |:<6 u:D96C D2:5] x? |2C49 2=@?6[ H@=G6D <:==65 2E =62DE 6:89E 42=G6D :? r2=:7@C?:2’D ?@CE96C? C2?49=2?5[ 2?5 A@DD:3=J 2 ?:?E9[ DE2E6 C64@C5D D9@H] ~? (65?6D52J[ @77:4:2=D :? *F32 r@F?EJ D2:5 E96J 6FE92?:K65 2 >@F?E2:? =:@? E92E 925 6?E6C65 2 C6D:56?E:2= AC@A6CEJ :? r2>AE@?G:==6 H96C6 2 52J 42C6 724:=:EJ H2D =@42E65[ <:==:?8 7@FC 5@>6DE:4 8@2ED]k^Am
kAm�%9:D :D?’E ;FDE 4@J@E6D :? 2 G24FF>[� D2:5 z:C< (:=3FC[ 2 =@33J:DE 7@C E96 r2=:7@C?:2 r2EE=6>6?’D pDD@4:2E:@?[ H9:49 @AA@D6D AC@E64E:@?D 7@C E96 5@8=:<6 AC652E@CD]k^Am
kAmp? 6DE:>2E65 ad_[___ E@ fd_[___ 4@J@E6D =:G6 :? r2=:7@C?:2[ 244@C5:?8 E@ AC6G:@FD q66 C6A@CE:?8[ 2?5 :? 255:E:@? E@ 92C2DD:?8 72C> 2?:>2=D E96J 92G6 A@D65 AC@3=6>D :? FC32? 2C62D 2D H6==[ D@>6E:>6D 2EE24<:?8 A6ED @C 3:E:?8 A6@A=6]k^Am
kAm%96 4@J@E6 AC@A@D2=[ H9:49 :D :? 62C=J DE286D 2?5 ?@E :? 56E2:=65 7@C>[ 92D H@? E96 324<:?8 @7 2?:>2= C:89ED 2?5 4@?D6CG2E:@? 8C@FAD[ H9@ D2J 4@J@E6D 2C6 ?2E:G6 E@ r2=:7@C?:2 2?5 D6CG6 2 G:E2= C@=6 :? E96 DE2E6’D 64@DJDE6>] %96 4@>>:DD:@?’D (:=5=:76 r@?D6CG2E:@? r@>>:EE66 2=C625J A2DD65 :E @?46 :? y2?F2CJ[ 3FE H96? E96:C C64@>>6?52E:@? 42>6 367@C6 E96 7F== 4@>>:DD:@?[ >6>36CD D6?E :E 324< 2>:5 2? FAC@2C 7C@> 72C>6CD[ C2?496CD 2?5 CFC2= A@=:E:4:2?D[ H9@ D2:5 E96J H6C6 3=:?5D:565 3J :E]k^Am
kAmr2=:7@C?:2 92D =@?8 C68F=2E65 E96 <:==:?8 2?5 EC2AA:?8 @7 >2?J H:=5 2?:>2=D[ C6BF:C:?8 A6C>:ED 2?5 AC@@7 E92E 2 >@F?E2:? =:@? @C 362C 92D <:==65 =:G6DE@4< @C E9C62E6?65 9F>2?D 367@C6 :E 42? 36 6FE92?:K65] xE :D :==682= E@ EC2A 2?:>2=D 7@C E96:C 7FC[ 2?5 E96C6 2C6 86?6C2==J C6DEC:4E:@?D @? 9F?E:?8 2?:>2=D 56D:8?2E65 2D 82>6[ DF49 2D =:>:E:?8 E96 ?F>36C 2?5 E:>6 @7 J62C H96? E96J 42? 36 <:==65]k^Am
kAmqFE D@>6[ :?4=F5:?8 A:86@?D[ H62D6=D[ D<F?<D[ 4@J@E6D 2?5 >@DE C@56?ED[ 2C6 6I4=F565 7C@> DF49 CF=6D]k^Am
kAmp?:>2= C:89ED 8C@FAD D2J :E’D E:>6 7@C 4@J@E6D E@ 36 C6>@G65 7C@> E92E =:DE]k^Am
kAm�(6 H@F=5 =:<6 E@ D66 2 C6DEC:4E65 9F?E:?8 D62D@? D@ E92E[ 7@C 6I2>A=6[ 4@J@E6D 4@F=5 ?@E 36 <:==65 5FC:?8 E96 AFA C62C:?8 D62D@?[� D2:5 r2>:==2 u@I[ 6I64FE:G6 5:C64E@C @7 E96 @C82?:K2E:@? !C@;64E r@J@E6]k^Am
kAm(96? E96:C A2C6?ED 2C6 <:==65[ E96 @CA92? AFAD 2C6 =67E E@ DE2CG6[ D96 D2:5[ â€�42FD:?8 6IEC6>6 DF776C:?8 7@C E96D6 9:89=J D@4:2= 2?:>2=D]â€k^Am
kAms2G:5 !2CD@?D[ 2 H:=5=:76 3:@=@8:DE H9@ D6CG6D @? E96 $4:6?46 2?5 tE9:4D p5G:D@CJ q@2C5 7@C !C@;64E r@J@E6[ A=2?D E@ E6DE:7J @? %9FCD52J E92E 4@J@E6D 2C6 6DD6?E:2= E@ E96 64@DJDE6>D :? H9:49 E96J =:G6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 2? 25G2?46 4@AJ D66? 3J %96 $24C2>6?E@ q66] �%96J 96=A C68F=2E6 C@56?E A@AF=2E:@?D[ DFAA@CE[ D@?83:C5 5:G6CD:EJ[ 2?5 4@?EC:3FE6 E@ E96 @G6C2== 962=E9 @7 E96:C 64@DJDE6>D[� 9:D E6DE:>@?J D2:5]k^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@?[ 4@J@E6D 24EF2==J 6G@=G65 E@ C6AC@5F46 >@C6 :7 E96:C ?F>36CD 2C6 5:>:?:D965[ !2CD@?’D AC6A2C65 E6DE:>@?J D2:5[ C6?56C:?8 288C6DD:G6 677@CED E@ E9:? E96:C A@AF=2E:@? 4@F?E6C\AC@5F4E:G6]k^Am
kAm%96 2?:>2= C:89ED 8C@FA !6@A=6 7@C E96 tE9:42= %C62E>6?E @7 p?:>2=D 92D 2=D@ AC@E6DE65 E96 EC2AA:?8 2?5 <:==:?8 @7 4@J@E6D[ =625:?8 E@ ?6HD 4@G6C286 2?5 2 DE2E6 :?G6DE:82E:@? :?E@ 2 $@FE96C? r2=:7@C?:2 EC2AA6C]k^Am
kAm“p==@H:?8 E96 :?5:D4C:>:?2E6 2?5 F?=:>:E65 <:==:?8 @7 4@J@E6D CF?D 4@F?E6C E@ D@F?5 D4:6?46 2?5 E@ r2=:7@C?:2?Dâ€� 9F>2?6 G2=F6D[â€� y6??J q6C8[ r2=:7@C?:2 DE2E6 5:C64E@C 7@C wF>2?6 (@C=5 7@C p?:>2=D[ 7@C>6C=J E96 wF>2?6 $@4:6EJ[ HC@E6 :? 2 =6EE6C DFAA@CE:?8 E96 492?86] â€�#2E96C E92? >2DD <:==:?8 4@J@E6D â€� H9:49 ?6G6C H@C<D â€� H6 >FDE :?DE625 7@4FD @? >@C6 9F>2?6 2?5 67764E:G6 >6E9@5D 7@C >:?:>:K:?8 C2C6 4@?7=:4ED H:E9 E96>]â€k^Am
kAmqFE (:=3FC @7 E96 r2EE=6>6?’D pDD@4:2E:@? D2:5 E92E C2?496CD 2C6 ?@E :?5:D4C:>:?2E6=J <:==:?8 4@J@E6D :? E96 7:CDE A=246] #2E96C[ 96 D2:5[ C2?496CD D66 G2=F6 :? E96 2?:>2=D >@DE @7 E96 E:>6[ 3642FD6 E96J 62E C@56?ED 2?5 @E96C A6DED] qFE 5FC:?8 E96 42=G:?8 D62D@?[ E96J 42? EFC? E@ =:G6DE@4<[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm{:>:E2E:@?D @? <:==:?8 @C 9F?E:?8 4@J@E6D 5FC:?8 E92E A6C:@5 H@F=5 >62? E92E C2?496CD 4@F=5 ?@E AC@E64E E96:C 2?:>2=D[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm�*@F’G6 8@E E@ 92G6 D@>6 >6492?:D> 3J H9:49 C2?496CD 42? AC@E64E E96:C AC@A6CEJ[ <66A :E 7C@> 36:?8 <:==65 @C :?;FC65[� 96 D2:5]k^Am
