House bill would allow live sale of troublesome coyote
Associated PressLOUISVILLE, Ky.
Farmers who are tired of having their livestock killed by coyotes are backing a bill that would make the live sale of the troublesome animal legal.
House Bill 608 would allow coyotes to be sold to fox pens, which would allow the animals to be chased with hounds for training or hunting. The bill sailed through the House last week and is now in a Senate committee.
The measure is aimed at getting a handle on coyotes, who have had their way with the state's rabbit and quail populations while also attacking livestock farms.
"It's not just the farming," said John Dawalt Jr., a Grant County farmer who has had thousands of dollars in livestock killed by coyotes. "The things are attacking young dogs, house pets. They're a tough animal to deal with and it's costing money right now."
If the sale of live coyotes becomes legal, trappers could sell the animals they capture to owners of hunting enclosures who could use the coyotes to train hunting dogs.
Opponents, however, say trapping and selling coyotes is cruel to the animals and promotes the spread of infectious diseases like rabies.
"It's just terrifying and it stress them and they don't meet with a very humane end," said Pam Rogers, Kentucky legislative coordinator for the Humane Society of the United States. "They're probably going to be torn apart by the dogs."
Rep. Royce Adams, D-Dry Ridge, the bill's sponsor, said steps would be taken to ensure the coyotes captured are healthy, adding sales will be suspended if there is an outbreak.
Adams also said the coyotes would not be mistreated at the hunting enclosures.
"We're not feeding them to the dogs," Adams said. "They chase them because that's the sport. It's just like chasing a fox with hounds. It's a sport."
Rogers said there are other ways to deter coyotes without trapping them and selling them off. Llamas and mules can be used as guards would stop the coyotes from approaching livestock, according to Rogers.
Larry Carr, a cattle farmer in Owen County, called the use of llamas an "impossible" alternative.
"Those things are, in my opinion, (the ideas of) idiots who don't have any idea what's going on," Carr said.
Indiana adopted the sale of live coyotes a decade ago and hasn't had a problem with disease according to Division of Fish and Wildlife staff specialist Linnea Petercheff.
The debate over the bill may be moot, however. Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Tom Jensen said the bill might not receive a hearing before the current session of the General Assembly comes to a close.
Associated PressLOUISVILLE, Ky.
Farmers who are tired of having their livestock killed by coyotes are backing a bill that would make the live sale of the troublesome animal legal.
House Bill 608 would allow coyotes to be sold to fox pens, which would allow the animals to be chased with hounds for training or hunting. The bill sailed through the House last week and is now in a Senate committee.
The measure is aimed at getting a handle on coyotes, who have had their way with the state's rabbit and quail populations while also attacking livestock farms.
"It's not just the farming," said John Dawalt Jr., a Grant County farmer who has had thousands of dollars in livestock killed by coyotes. "The things are attacking young dogs, house pets. They're a tough animal to deal with and it's costing money right now."
If the sale of live coyotes becomes legal, trappers could sell the animals they capture to owners of hunting enclosures who could use the coyotes to train hunting dogs.
Opponents, however, say trapping and selling coyotes is cruel to the animals and promotes the spread of infectious diseases like rabies.
"It's just terrifying and it stress them and they don't meet with a very humane end," said Pam Rogers, Kentucky legislative coordinator for the Humane Society of the United States. "They're probably going to be torn apart by the dogs."
Rep. Royce Adams, D-Dry Ridge, the bill's sponsor, said steps would be taken to ensure the coyotes captured are healthy, adding sales will be suspended if there is an outbreak.
Adams also said the coyotes would not be mistreated at the hunting enclosures.
"We're not feeding them to the dogs," Adams said. "They chase them because that's the sport. It's just like chasing a fox with hounds. It's a sport."
Rogers said there are other ways to deter coyotes without trapping them and selling them off. Llamas and mules can be used as guards would stop the coyotes from approaching livestock, according to Rogers.
Larry Carr, a cattle farmer in Owen County, called the use of llamas an "impossible" alternative.
"Those things are, in my opinion, (the ideas of) idiots who don't have any idea what's going on," Carr said.
Indiana adopted the sale of live coyotes a decade ago and hasn't had a problem with disease according to Division of Fish and Wildlife staff specialist Linnea Petercheff.
The debate over the bill may be moot, however. Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Tom Jensen said the bill might not receive a hearing before the current session of the General Assembly comes to a close.
