'Coyote problem' is a people problem

Killing coyotes won't work. Wheaton is wrong, and their plans will only exacerbate the problem. Coyotes are pack animals dominated by an alpha male and an alpha female. Since most of the hunting is done by female coyotes, trapping them will net about 75 percent of females. If you trap and kill an alpha female, the remaining females instantly go into heat. This breeding continues until a new dominant female is established. If two females remain in the pack, you've just increased the breeding by two times. But, hey, we're killing coyotes - that has to do something, right? No, you are just making the problem worse. (For more information, see my blog, www.wilderness-sportsman.com/wsblog.)

And speaking of making problems worse, the development of park land isn't helping. See the recent issue with Ackerman Park in Glen Ellyn, where 340 trees were going to be felled for two soccer fields.

This "coyote problem" is a people problem, of that there is no doubt. By continuing to develop park land and open spaces we have pushed our furry neighbors right into our yards - enough so that they can grab our cats for lunch. I know that Wheaton cites "public safety" for coyote trapping, but this is a laughable reason. Your odds of being attacked by an animal that is not your pet? 1 in 4,200,000. The odds of dying accidentally by a gun? 1 in 5,314. Finally, the odds of dying by heart disease are 1 in 5. Maybe Wheaton should quarantine the Burger King in Danada Square. That's far more dangerous than any coyote.

If Wheaton is so concerned about public safety, perhaps the town should stay open past 8 p.m. Its residents are dying of boredom. Maybe a little electricity in the form of the wild coyote is just what that sleepy town needs.

Michael Hodges

Naperville