lucky little gal
Story sent from Canada:
I received a call from Animal Care and Control today. They had picked up a coyote that had been caught in a leg-hold trap.
The guy at ACC said that he just couldn’t put her down. So, I met him out at the rehabilitation center where the coyote is now in one of our outdoor enclosures.
Although the coyote would rather be free, at least she is still alive. She doesn’t look as though she was hurt by the leg hold trap and she appears to be healthy.
I gave her a nice dinner for her stressful day. Since she doesn’t appear hurt, we’ll release her soon as soon as we find a good place for her. The bad news is that we can’t release her back to where she came from.
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How nice that they called you! It gives me hope to know that there are good people out there. I wonder what the story was and why the trapper didn’t get her.
I hope there is a good place for her to be released.
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Of course it is her home which she is tied to: her family and territory. The ones released by Stan Gehrt tried to make it back to their homes. They all died in the process. If released too far from home, there are more obstacles — people and cars — that the coyote has to deal with.
Not only that – in her desperate search for food she could get into trouble with people and their pets!!!
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Someone called ACC to say that they had seen her in the leg-hold trap. So there is another good person out there.
We do have places to release coyotes. Unfortunately it won’t be with her family or in her own territory. And, they don’t all make it when they are released in a new place. I hate this, but at least we are giving her a chance.
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Couldn’t it be done at night – who would know? The whole experience will be aversive enough to keep her from going into the area where she was trapped.
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Unfortunately, I do not know where she was found. They don’t want me putting her back in the same area.
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The attached is not a good photo, but a photo none the less of our latest visitor at the rehabilitation center. She is curled up in front of a heat lamp on a drizzly day. She ate all of her kibble last night but neither of the rats that I left for her. I guess she doesn’t like them if they are not alive and running from her. She will get more kibble, rats, insects and other goodies tonight.
I am still working on getting the location of the spot where she was found. It may take me a few more days. Once I find out where she was found, I’ll get her released close by.
I know that she is not keen on where she is and she is afraid. However, she is warm, has food and shelter and it is temporary. We will get her back where she belongs soon.
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It’s a great picture! And you are an angel!!!
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I found out where the coyote was found. I am working on a clandestine release within a couple of blocks. Will keep you posted.
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Yay!!!
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Just wanted you to know that the coyote brought in for rehabilitation was returned to her neighborhood on Wednesday night about 11:30 pm. I wasn’t there, but here is what was relayed to me. She was at the back of the kennel during the drive until she got close to her neighborhood when she could tell that she was almost home. Once the door was opened, she bolted out. About halfway to the tree line, she turned around and looked at the person who released her. Then she went on her way to find her family.
We all just love a happy ending.
Coyote Yipps 
Apr 07, 2013 @ 13:01:02
She sure looks beautiful to me – as they all do.
I was (pleasantly) surprised that ACC chose to get involved with a trap, which as we know, is taboo for others to even touch. Had she been stuck in the trap beyond the legal time for it to have bee checked? Just wondered how they got around that, unless it’s a trade secret ;) So glad for the happy udpate. I can never grasp how anyone could look them in the eye and do this to them. All for fur or fun.
Apr 07, 2013 @ 21:27:24
Fur fun, and blood fun. Do you know if all the pelts of the coyotes killed during the coyote killing contests were sold for coats?
Apr 07, 2013 @ 13:30:22
Oh, I needed to hear this – congratulations! This week our county newspaper published an extensive article “Family, Fun, and Fur” about a man who introduced his 2 teenage daughters to the pleasures of trapping. They explain that trapping isn’t cruel but a fun family hobby/business that benefits local farmers. State law requires use of smooth leg holds so bones are rarely broken and traps are checked every 24 hours thus animals aren’t entrapped for days. The article doesn’t address how the animals are then killed. I expect its a shot or blow to the head. According to the article, trapping season runs from after deer season until Feb. Coyote hides sell for $40 in this area and this family trapped 16 this year – along with foxes, bobcats, raccoons, and other animals. According to the family, trapping is more of a hobby because there is little or no profit after they pay for supplies.
Must say I cringe at the thought of a wild animal caught in a trap for hours awaiting its demise. And in terms of wildlife management, it seems ineffective. In the article, the family points out that once coyotes are eliminated from a farm, fox make a come back. Then fox must be eliminated to protect chickens. I wonder, once the coyote and fox are gone, who controls the proliferation of rabbits, mice, and rats? Do we then turn to poison? Our chickens were well protected with a good fence and solid hen house.
I’ll never understand why Man insists on altering nature’s natural balance. It never seems to work.
Comment from one hunter on coyote hunting – “Not good to eat. If you kill one coyote, two show up for the funeral. What’s the point?” Yes, what’s the point?
Apr 07, 2013 @ 23:13:45
It varies from place to place. I’ve seen photos from northeast “contests” where someone is scarfing up the coyote bodies (I refuse to call them “coyote carcasses” even though that may be what they are). Whether they pay the hunters or simply take them off of their hands, I do not know as it has never been clearly explained. For others, there are instructions on the sign-up sheets stating it would be the responsibility of the hunt participants that all bodies must be removed from the premises. I sense that there might be a lot of waste. Here in NY there are more foxes killed than coyotes. Here are pics of the 2013 contest results at one club near Rochester NY. Sorry, I know it’s sad. But these are taking off in popularity.
There are 5 pages of photos:
http://lewand.tripod.com/barkmooncontestalbum/index.album/foxpros-new-york-state-predator-hunt-photos?i=0
At the same time, there is a bill now pending to make wildlife killing contests illegal in NY state. It is now in the environmental committee. It’s been floating around in one form or another since 2004. There has been little support because a) most people are not familiar with the “contests” and b) very few knew about the bill. It’s come to the attention of a few groups, however, so at least that is a beginning.