Confederate Sharpshooter

I think I have figured out part of the problem we are facing with humanity today. Or at least part of it. It seems that a large percentage of the population has become so far removed from reality that they no longer understand how things work, at least as far as the laws of nature are concerned. Several examples spring to my mind, but let’s start with this latest bit of insanity:
Lake rescue aborted; coyote presumed drowned
So let me get this straight- the City of Chicago brings out a helicopter, at least a couple of fire trucks, ambulances, ice divers, and paramedic crews to save a coyote?
Onlookers are outraged when the rescue attempt is called off for the safety of the crews? And my favorite quote from the story: "The coyote would have acted just like a dog," she said. "It would have clung to the person trying to save it." This wisdom is from CeAnn Lambert, who runs the Indiana Coyote Rescue Center. I have to wonder just how many wild animals Ms. Lambert has really rescued when she equates a coyote with a dog. (Perhaps it’s like The Humane Society of the United States, which uses a name that sounds a lot like another organization to raise money, but in reality is a political organization that tries to ban hunting and firearms. That’s just a guess on my part, though.) Personally, I’m still trying to get my arms around the need for an organization to rescue predators that are causing havoc in nearly every state of the USA, and costing millions of dollars to farmers and landowners as well. Just a couple of ‘for instance’ stories from a local news source, WXII. First, this one.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- A Winston-Salem farmer said coyote attacks on his livestock are starting to cost him thousands of dollars.
Overnight Thursday, a coyote attacked and killed one of Thomasville Road farmer Mac Tymball's cows.
Animal control officials said coyote sightings and attacks across Winston-Salem are on the rise.
He said wild dogs and coyotes have killed five cows since December.
"I have lost five cows at $600 a piece, and that hurts you in the pocket," he said.
Forsyth County Animal Control officers said that, in recent months, they've received an increase in coyote complaints within Winston city limits.
"They're killing my cows and calves," he said. "You're in the city limits. You can't shoot them. What're you supposed to do?"

Please note that last sentence, which no doubt was placed near the end of the story on purpose. No, you can’t protect your property any more. You must wait for professionals from the government to come and use a humane trap, tag the loveable little critter, nurse it back to health, and release it back into the wild- so it can return and munch down on a few more calves. Yeah, that makes sense.

If that doesn’t convince you, check out these other stories all from the same news source, in the same area:

· December 10, 2008: Coyotes! Danger To Pets
· July 12, 2006: Forsyth Community Concerned About Coyotes
· March 4, 2005: Troxler Pet Put To Sleep After Wild Animal Attack
· March 2, 2005: Ag Commissioner's Wife Injured In Coyote Attack

I’d love to see the bill for the attempted rescue. Helicopters aren’t cheap, say a few hundred per hour- never mind paying the pilots. Fire trucks, paramedics, cops, etc. run the bill up in a hurry. And I do hope we didn’t have too many humans waiting in line for a crew to become available to help them out with a minor problem like a heart attack or stroke. The decision to call off this nonsense was the correct call. Personally, I think the humane thing to have done would have been to give Mr. Coyote a mercy shot to the head, at least sparing the creature a prolonged and painful death from drowning. Of course, that could never be an option with an audience of city dwellers who get all their information on animal behavior from cartoons and cable television. As the saying goes, there’s your problem right there- people who don’t understand nature keep trying to tell those who do how to solve the problem.