Dear HCN,
Susan Cockrell’s letter
attacking my research into nonlethal federal management of coyotes
in the Oct. 23 issue of High Country News proves that, once again,
you can lead some horses to water but you can’t make them drink.
But the hopelessness of some tasks just encourages folks like me (I
love my job!). So (read carefully Susan), here’s the
thesis:
Wildlife Services is not an
indiscriminate killer of wildlife. It is an agency that actively
strives to come up with new, innovative methods to resolve problems
that will only continue to grow with burgeoning human populations.
Join with us to develop better and more humane methods. Or at least
stop pointless, fact-free whining, read the literature, and then
criticize us for what we actually do.
Cases in
point: Defenders of Wildlife principal biologist Martin Smith, who
recommends the work of Wildlife Services National Wildlife Center,
and recent comments by scientists at Defenders of Wildlife Denver
meeting, all agreeing that sometimes you have to kill a problem
coyote.
Russ
Mason
Logan, Utah
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Stop the propaganda.
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