OCR Text |
Show Local Hunt Poor To Miserable Coyotes Got There First This year's deer hunt has varied lrom "poor" to downright "miserable" In the local area. The deer are relatively scarce and small. Experienced hunters have remarked on the absence of fawns and the over abundance of coyotes, signs of coyotes and remains of coyote kills. They say the absence of fawns indicates that next year's deer herds will be smaller yet. The upsurge In the coyote population In one season of "save the darling beasties" thinking has just about wrecked the area's deer herds. Something seldom reported before are the attacks against cattle and humans by these predators. A young hunter was attack-ed by a coyote outside Hatch early In the hunt. The hunter thought the snarling beast which menaced him was somebody's dog. He yelled at it as it kept advancing to attack him, finally shooting from the hip to' frighten it. Fortunately the bullet hit and killed the slavering animal just before It was close enough to leap at him. That same day a hunter took a shot at a coyote which was cutting a thrce-month-old calf out of a herd of cows preparatory to killig it. Other areas of the state have reported similar or more dangerous attacks by these predators. Meanwhile, back at the hunt: The difficulty of getting a shot at a decent-sized deer has led hunters to gun down critters they would not have wasted a (continued on back page) HUNTING POOR cwtuitiota irocn front pace) x bullet on in other years. Carcasses of a size you could cook by stuffflng and popping into the oven whole, like a turkey, have been turned over to the meat cutters to butcher and wrap. A twenty-four pound deer carcass hanging on the butcher's hook makes you think somebody's pet pussy cat Is never going home again. |