“We study up, we learn, we prepare and we go into the woods prepared. I think that's a much better solution than perhaps leg-holds and destroying the animal.”  Hope Swinimer

Extensive research has proven that coyote killing breaks up families, leaving room for more animals to move in and allows more animals to pair off and breed once a breeding pair is killed.  Humane coexistence strategies are far more effective.  

Feeding coyotes, directly and indirectly, destroying habitat, and keeping dogs off leash, thus causing the coyotes to develop a phobia of dogs, are the real dangers, so hazing the coyotes so they will relocate themselves, and education on the problem with feeding, are the only effective solutions.  Please create province wide wildlife feeding bans, and breed neutral dog safety laws.  https://www.torontowildlifecentre.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Liberty-Village-Coyote-Situation-1.pdf

Killing animals or relocating them breaks up the family.  Removing the mother leaves adolescent and older child girl puppies without the pheromones of the mother.  When a coyote mother has her period, her scent prevents the other females from menstruating.  But removing her removes the pheromones, so the females and males disperse and create more breeding pairs.  

Killing coyotes usually involves body gripping traps like Coneybear snap traps, that are designed to break the animal’s neck or back, severing the spine.  This is touted as “humane euthanasia”, due to results from laboratory animal testing, but in the field, many animals get the nearly impossible to open giant snap traps stuck on their nose, head, ears, bum, or tail.  Leghold traps break feet and animals often bite their feet off to escape. https://thefurbearers.com/blog/leg-hold-traps-are-legal-and-may-be-in-your-community/

Snares strangle the animals and cut into the neck.  Toronto Wildlife Centre has rescued animals from these in the past. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DcpXLjvUu/  “Relaxing Snares” are said to be “humane” like catch poles, but they too often strangle an animal or cut circulation off from the feet if caught on a leg. Many dogs and cats, and even children have been caught or even killed in coyote traps.https://thefurbearers.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-02-26-PR-Pearl-vf.pdf​

https://thefurbearers.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-11-12-News_Pets_in_traps-BC.pdf​

https://youtu.be/3n45s9ynd3E

Shooting is very dangerous too.  Recently two dogs in Elgin were killed by a coyote hunter (the dogs resembled coyotes).  Shooting a fast moving animal usually involves multiple shots and coyotes are often injured and die from infection or lead poisoning. https://nationalanimalnews.com/familys-2-german-shepherds-shot-and-killed-by-coyote-hunter/

We would like the Province of Nova Scotia to ban lethal methods of “pest” control.  A ban on cruel traps should include a ban on rodenticides and glue boards.  Rodenticide bait goes up the foodchain and is prevalent throughout the province. https://www.facebook.com/RFOntario/

But in 2023, coyotes in Mahone Bay were leghold trapped, snared, and killed simply for walking up to people and pets, showing curiosity but posing no threat.  
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/nuisance-trapping-coyotes-mahone-bay-1.7006081

And in 2023, 3 Coyotes in Cape Breton were killed after a cyclist had minor injuries.  

Coyotes in Mulgrave are trapped and dissected by the province because people don’t understand them and consider them “pests”.  https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/mulgrave-coyote-sightings-1.7358909

However, a coyote following a person is normal.  Coyotes are simply escorting a person or dog out of their territory.  

These coyotes killed and dissected will leave room for more.  The real issue is people feeding them.  We would like the Province of Nova Scotia to end the culls.   We would also like them to work with www.coyotewatchcanada.com to humanely educate people on humane coexistence.