Sadly … I had to put a coyote down yesterday because it was attacking my bird flock, and going after my boy (duck) DJ. Historically, I’ve tried NOT to shoot coyotes, and have even not pulled the trigger with the crosshairs center-of-mass on a trespassing coyote. But, in this case, the coyote was essentially an “active shooter” going after my birds. THAT … I can not allow, not right in front of me anyways.
There is a moral to the story here: country living involves both the taking of life, and the making of life. That’s just the way it is. Putting predators down isn’t fun and games, it’s just part of the dynamics of raising livestock in an area (over-) populated with predators. I love dogs, and coyotes are essentially just wild dogs, so it is a joyless thing to have to take one’s life. Sad actually. BUT … it would have been even SADDER if this bitch would have gotten a hold of DJ the duck, or even one of my hens. If the coyote was going after one of my roosters, I might have turned the other cheek, because I could stand to lose a roo or two for having a few more than needed. But, alas, that’s not the way it played out.
However, as pointed out in the video, while I had to take one life, I also intervened in another way to create about 5 to 8 new lives by putting the duck eggs in the incubator. If I didn’t … they would have just been coyote snacks. Life. Give and take. Country living. Plain. Simple. 😉