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From: agranok@udenva.UUCP
Newsgroups: talk.origins,sci.bio
Subject: Re: mass extinctions
Message-ID: <3451@udenva.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 12-Apr-87 12:46:22 EST
Article-I.D.: udenva.3451
Posted: Sun Apr 12 12:46:22 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 14-Apr-87 00:31:52 EST
References: <3366@udenva.UUCP> <1415@cybvax0.UUCP> <621@prometheus.UUCP>
Reply-To: agranok@udenva.UUCP (Alexander Granok)
Organization: U of Denver
Lines: 32
Keywords: Wolves vs. Coyotes
Xref: utgpu talk.origins:520 sci.bio:276
Summary: Coyotes have been hunted for years

In article <621@prometheus.UUCP> pmk@prometheus.UUCP (Paul M. Koloc) writes:
>In article <1415@cybvax0.UUCP> mrh@cybvax0.UUCP (Mike Huybensz) writes:
>>In article <3366@udenva.UUCP> agranok@udenva.UUCP (Alexander Granok) writes:
>
>>> It's the same sort of thing with coyotes and wolves today.
>
>>No it's not.  Wolves have been exterminated by humans, because when their
>>normal food sources were swept aside to make room for domesticated animals,
>>they adapted by eating the domesticated animals.  It has been cost effective
>>for humans to wipe out wolves (for assorted reasons), but not coyotes.

I disagree.  I *know* that for many years, ranchers out here in Colorado and
New Mexico (where I am from) have been out to eliminate the "coyote problem."
The only reason that it is cost ineffective to wipe out coyotes, when compared
to wolves (as far as I can tell) is that it just can't seem to be done.  In
fact, in many areas where coyotes were hunted, they actually thrived!  They
were attacked for just the same reason you gave for the wolves.  We now know
that this just isn't the case.  

Though I have seen many coyotes in the wild, I have never seen a wolf.  I would
like to, someday.  I have heard them when I was camping, and it was one of the
most chilling sounds that I have ever heard.  Let's hope that the sound doesn't
disappear forever. 

-- 
                                           
Alex Granok 
hao!udenva!agranok

"A slow sort of country!"  said the Queen.  "Now, here, you see, it takes
 all the running you can do, to keep in the same place.  If you want to get
 somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!"