Review of the Missouri Coyote Control Guide

Booklet Review: "Missouri Coyotes-A Guide to Management, Nuisance Prevention and Damage Control." By Ron McNeely. Missouri Conservation Commission, 1997 pp.1-32.

This review was first published in "The Probe", the official newsletter of the National Animal Damage Control Association.For other items published in the Probe by Stephen Vantassel click Probe. If you would like your product reviewed click Review.

To obtain your copy click Coyote Control Guide

To see other reviews click Reviews by Stephen Vantassel

This is the third publication produced by the Missouri Department of Conservation that I have reviewed. As can be expected, this booklet lives up to the high standards set by its sister publications. Ron McNeely, a Missouri state biologist, has done a fine job in presenting information that is technically responsible and yet still understandable to the general public.

The booklet begins by discussing the life history of the coyote. Pertinent facts about coyotes such as home range, weight, feeding habits and reproduction are all covered in ample detail. Care is taken to help incur a positive view of coyotes in the reader's mind. The concerns of sportsmen are allayed by McNeely noting that coyotes have little impact on game species. The belief that a coyote bounty would solve problems was also debunked by a few brief words in the introduction.

Mr. McNeely proceeds in listing the various ways coyotes become a nuisance. The typical topics such as predation on pets, livestock etc. are all covered. The amount of information on livestock predation should help any rancher react responsibly to the coyote threat. I should note that this booklet blames dogs for a great deal of livestock predation. One sidebar gives clues as to how one can distinguish between dog and coyote attacks. A topic that did seem out of the ordinary was how coyotes can pose a threat to airplanes. The concern seems to center on the chances that a coyote could be struck by a plane and possibly sucked into the engine, thereby creating a danger similar to a bird strike. I only wished that Mr. McNeely had provided some evidence of this concern.

Damage prevention information centers on farmers and ranchers. Non-lethal methods are listed briefly. This brevity is partly due to the fact that many non-lethal methods simply don't work in the long term. However, two non-lethal control measures are discussed in some detail. The first is the use of guard animals. They touch on the major facts in using guard animals and then encourage the reader to obtain their booklet on guard animals. Fencing is the second non-lethal method. Diagrams are presented to show the landowner how to properly build a coyote proof fence. The booklet educates the reader on electrical and non-electrical fences.

The majority of the book concentrates on lethal control. Given that lethal control provides the most effective resolution to coyote damage, this much attention to lethal control is quite appropriate. A variety of techniques are briefly discussed, including den digging. Don't get the wrong idea. This booklet does not teach a philosophy of killing coyotes anyway you can. Nor does it recommend a kill them all and let God sort them out philosophy. Rather it provides information on various methods which are effective and informs the reader which ones are legal and which ones require a special permit. Of course all the instruction is based on Missouri game laws.

McNeely goes to great lengths teaching the reader how to trap coyotes using footholds and snares. I found the instruction to be excellent. All the issues ranging from trap choice, preparation, sets, and scents are all covered. The illustrator Mark Raithel really shows his drawing ability with some excellent line drawings on trap sets. One wonders whether Mr. Raithel sells proofs of his artwork. Three final items bear mentioning about this booklet. The first is a wonderful diagram of a coyote's teeth. Dotted lines are placed along the incisors and canines to show how old the coyote would be if the teeth wore down that far. Unfortunately, the diagram didn't say if it was to scale. But I think it is. The second item is the instruction on making coyote lures. Three recipes are provided for the stout of heart and the weak of nose. Last but not least, a wonderful diagram on the differences between coyote and dog tracks. Again, I just wish they had said if the tracks were to scale.

As you should be able to tell, I have high praise for this booklet. I give it an A grade. It didn't get an A+ grade because it neglected costs and didn't give enough detail on hunting. Don't let these concerns cause you to look elsewhere.

To obtain your copy click Coyote Control Guide

To see other reviews click Reviews by Stephen Vantassel

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9/7/03

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