Don't Feed The Squirrels
Ron Spomer Outdoors Coyotes
You have to admire folks with a passion for wildlife. But not when they're stupid about it. The problem with loving wildlife is ignorance and emotion, two familiar human conditions that lead to unanticipated and unintended consequences. Like killing with kindness. An unknown coyote lover near Boulder, Colorado, recently "helped out" his/her fanged and furry friends by dumping burritos and other food where coyotes have been loitering near town. Who says there's no free lunch? The guy must hate bunnies. Oh, I'm sure if you asked him/her, he would say he loves cuddly bunnies and all other wild creatures, but she's clearly chosen sides -- and it's not the side the bunnies would have liked. By giving coyotes extra food, she increases their survival rate. This decreases the survival rate of innocent prey animals like rabbits, squirrels, songbirds, baby mule deer and any other wildlife a well-fed coyote has the additional strength to hunt and kill. I'm guessing the coyote feeder won't want to be in the spring meadow to hear the anguished cries of the next fawn her coyotes tear apart. This is why wildlife management by emotion is a bad idea. Help one critter and you hurt another. Humans are always upsetting the balance of nature by changing habitats that either hurt of help species. Lawns decrease populations of prairie chickens but increase populations of robins. Cutting forests to make soybean fields kills off warblers, orioles, tanagers and woodpeckers, but soybeans feed whitetails, squirrels and turkeys. Love wildlife? Great. But do it by supporting habitat enhancement, not individual animals. # # #
