A public outcry has forced the Alberta government to prohibit the recreational hunting of coyotes using dogs.
Few people use dogs to hunt coyotes, but media reports this spring highlighted the hunts and the outcry was fierce.
“Many residents let us know they were concerned about it, that’s for sure,” said John Girvan with Alberta Agriculture’s animal industry division.
Richard Lyons, with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, said callers assumed that the government supported the activity because it allowed it.
“There was an impression that that was the case,” Lyons said.
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“There was publicity in the spring and many people notified the government that they were concerned about dogs killing coyotes.”
Changes to the Wildlife Act and the Agricultural Pests Act make it illegal to hunt coyotes with dogs, but livestock owners will be able to get temporary permits to hunt with dogs if they can prove coyotes are responsible for killing or injuring their livestock.
Neither Lyons nor Girvan had solid statistics on how many producers use dogs to kill problem coyotes.
“We suspect it’s very uncommon,” Lyons said.
“We suspect there will be very few permits issued.”
Girvan said the agriculture department recommends prevention as a better way to control predators.
It suggests producers burn or bury dead livestock, supervise animals during high-risk seasons like lambing and calving, use guard animals or add predator-proof fences.
Violators can be fined up to $2,000, serve up to one month in jail, or be given a combination of both penalties.
