The Utah Department of Natural Resources recently offered an online predator hunting seminar in which one could learn to call, shoot and trap coyotes for a bounty of $50 per dead coyote.
To verify the dead coyote to the state, one must submit the ears and lower jar of the animal, and either the full pelt or the scalp with both ears attached.
Many citizens are unaware of this inhumane state program which has dubious moral value. Utah is now only one or two of state’s offering bounties on coyotes, funded by our tax dollars.
The DNR caters to hunters who want to see mule deer population increased, under the false assumption that killing coyotes will lead to increased herd numbers, or simply more deer to kill in the autumn hunting season. This premise results in our state’s wildlife management system being out of whack with scientific evidence while pandering to the interests of hunters.
I am disgusted that the viewpoints of Utah citizens, like myself, who appreciate and love seeing wildlife in their natural habitat, are so disregarded in our state’s wildlife management policy.
Hunters are presently allowed to kill coyotes 365 days a year with no permit necessary. I live in a Wasatch Front canyon where these coyote bounty hunters can shoot their rifles close to our homes. Our canyon restricts deer and elk hunting to bow hunters only due to public safety concerns about rifle hunting. However, coyote bounty hunters are exempt from this which makes no sense from a safety standpoint whatsoever.
It is time to repeal the provisions of the Mule Deer Protection Act of 2012 that allow bounties for coyotes.
Joan M. Gallegos, Salt Lake City
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