Predator Masters

I had never heard of the group Predator Masters until yesterday when I received my email newsletter from the Southwest Environmental Center announcing a Saturday-morning protest at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, where the Predator Masters organization is holding its annual three-day convention.  Predator Masters is a Utah-based group that encourages recreational killing of coyotes; and because they claim not to be sponsoring a hunting contest they are allowed to hunt coyotes on BLM land here in southern New Mexico.  And, apparently, the annual convention attracts members from across the country.

I adamantly oppose hunting for sport.  I do not oppose hunting game for food, nor do I oppose legitimate predator control, nor the culling of herds to control overpopulation.  But killing for the sake of killing I cannot condone.  No matter what one thinks of the much-maligned coyote--and I happen to have great respect for this highly intelligent species--a loosely-organized coyote hunt, where everyday citizens are allowed to roam BLM land calling out animals in the hopes of killing one, is not to be tolerated.