Animal abuse, torture a regular practice within federal wildlife agency

This just sickens me:


http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/03/12/animal-torture-abuse-called-regular-practice-within-federal-wildlife-agency/

"It was a productive day for Gary Strader when he pulled his vehicle up to a remote site in northeast Nevada and found nine coyotes caught in leg hold snares set by the federal government. As was routine, Strader, a former trapper with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, signaled his dogs to attack.

His supervisor, who had accompanied him that day, watched and laughed as the dogs circled the coyotes and ripped into them, Strader recalled."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/03/12/animal-torture-abuse-called-regular-practice-within-federal-wildlife-agency/#ixzz2NRcyBSIN

This disgusts me, PB.... absolutely makes me sick to my stomach. I hope they nail those bastards to the wall.

Now, you know how I grew up and where I live... in cattle and sheep country. LOTS of coyote around that prey on calves and sheep in particular, but will also take down a weak, sick or stuck (in the mtns and rocks) cow or steer. As such, ranchers shoot (NOT inhumanely trap!) coyotes that prey on their livestock, which I do absolutely support... It is their livelihood and they have every right to protect that in my opinion. Not to mention, the livestock coyotes kill die a very slow, painful death and suffer for a long time. Not a good situation.

I had what was very likely a grand champion whether (castrated lamb) that was half eaten and left for dead by wild dogs two days before the county fair when I was... mmm, 15 or 16, I think. It was probably the absolute most horrible sight I have ever seen in my whole life. It gave me a real insight into the suffering livestock endure prior to death in process of being eaten by coyotes. I'll never get it out of my head.

Riceme, I have no problem with people protecting their livestock. None at all. Like you said, there's a humane way to do it and a cruel way, and it sickens me to know that humans can stand there and watch any animal be torn apart....on purpose.

That said, I am so sorry about your lamb....I am sad for you. That must have been horrible. I wouldn't be able to get it out of my head, either.

I know how you feel about animals, which is why I went into some detail on the issue. I'm glad that you understand and also support humane protection of folks' livestock.

Thanks, PB. The wild dogs had eaten all the flesh off the neck and spine, then left him for dead to suffer all night... we'd heard them howling somewhere around midnight, but thought nothing of it, as it was a fairly normal occurrence. It always seemed odd to me, as those are not at all fleshy areas... hindquarters & loins would have been my choice, were I a wild dog, but then that won't kill an animal, or not quickly anyways. May have gotten scared off by something... will never know.

I found him at dawn when I went out to feed & exercise and screamed bloody murder when I found him. I'd slaughtered and butchered plenty of my own & others' livestock before, but my dad made me put him down with a .22 rifle kept at the front door, as he was mine... my responsibility, although I pleaded for him to do it for me. It was the only time it ever bothered me... still does, I guess. He was a beautiful animal and aside from the above issues, I took a tremendous financial hit... upwards of $10k, my future college fund.

PB, I have already contacted the USDA and John Campbell with whom I have worked before. I have had issues with the USDA before about their policies on wildlife management, including their poisoning of flocks of migratory birds deemed to be a threat to grain farmers. The use of steel traps is inhumane beyond words and any cruelty should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for the USDA to rebuild their credibility that has taken a deserved hammering over the last few years. It is my belief that the entire USDA needs a restructuring and better oversight and that Tom Vilisak, the Secretary of Ag, needs to roll some heads or go himself.

Quote :

Strader said he was often tasked with hunting for coyote dens while working for the government in remote areas of Utah and Nevada. He described how he would lower his stethoscope into the hole and listen for breathing or whining from the coyote puppies. Then he would drop a phosphorus bomb into the den and cover its opening with dirt.

"The bombs burn so fast and so hot that it sucks all the oxygen out of the hole," he said. "They suffocate."

That's bullshit! They don't suffocate; they die a horrible death being burned alive by the phosphorus.

We have coyotes at our P'cola house and at our house in Hoover, AL. Damn, they make the strangest sounds... drive our dogs crazy. Our dogs want to go outside and bark at them, but I'm afraid that they're gonna get killed.

Eric wrote:

We have coyotes at our P'cola house and at our house in Hoover, AL. Damn, they make the strangest sounds... drive our dogs crazy. Our dogs want to go outside and bark at them, but I'm afraid that they're gonna get killed.

The coyotes have been howling their lungs out for hours each night for the past week or two around my place. It's not uncommon out here at all... just the frequency and duration -- both each night and the overall duration -- that's a little strange. Most of the people who have property down the hill have horses and two of them have mules, and it stirs them up all night.

You're right to keep your dogs in, EE. They might not get killed, but they might very well get seriously injured.