Coyotes are as much a part of N.M. as we are

Killing our coyotes for sport is cruel and inhumane, and contests to celebrate the practice should end once and for all.

In response to James A Schmidt’s My View (“Coyote legislation has a hidden agenda,” Jan. 24), I have a few comments.

Schmidt has a way of demonizing the coyote of the Southwest like I have never seen. To the uninitiated, his premise would demonstrate the coyote as the living, breathing abomination of everything evil, something to be feared and destroyed at any cost to preserve life as we know it in New Mexico.

Just to quote some his more descriptive adjectives, try “dangerous,” “aggressive,” “a scourge,” “destructive.” If you’re not bringing your children inside yet, he goes on to say coyotes “attack, kill and eat livestock on a daily basis,” and they “attack, kill and eat family pets right in front of the owner.” If that’s not enough to change your attitude, he finishes up his diatribe describing coyote attacks on innocent girls. And in an attempt to bring advocates for the abolition of hunting contests as evil do-gooders, they are portrayed as “outsiders” from California. God forbid.

Case closed. Kill ’em all and the world will be a safer place. Any sane New Mexican can see through this man’s fear-mongering. As scary as it is, it is totally void of the truth. Coyotes are a natural part of New Mexico’s ecosystem, whose livelihood depends on small rodents, rabbits and such. Cats are, indeed, at the mercy of coyotes, but that is understood by pet owners. Coyotes deserve to be left alone, and we all need to understand that they are a part of New Mexico as much as we are. I open my window at night to hear the howling of these oft-misunderstood creatures. The cacophony of a band of coyotes speaks New Mexico like the loons of my native Maine.

Incidentally, Schmidt conveniently leaves out of his occupation — that he is the owner of “World Championship Coyote Calling Contest,” an Arizona organization dedicated to annual killing contests. As if labeling them “calling” contests makes it sound more humane. They are not game animals. Killing our coyotes for sport is cruel and inhumane, and contests to celebrate the practice should end once and for all. Seven years ago, we put a halt to cockfighting in our state. Let’s continue working in the direction of humane treatment of our cherished coyotes.

Michael Canning, a resident of Santa Fe, is a retired fitness trainer and an outdoorsman.