TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

Each time I wander down to the L.A. area, I'm astounded by the number of wild coyotes living in extremely close proximity to housing developments. After some casual on-line research, I found that the animals not only live among humans, but are largely responsible for the disappearance of thousands of dogs and cats.

My wife, Candy, has a friend living in Reno. One afternoon, in broad daylight, the woman had the horrible experience of watching the family's dog get carried off by a rather nervy coyote that caught the poor pet only feet from the front door. She tried chasing the animals, but had to stop when the coyote stopped and growled--still holding her beloved canine.

Here in Bakersfield, my wife recently had the unnerving experience of being stalked by a pack of coyotes hell-bent on attacking the family dogs, or possibly herself. The wild animals came close -- within 35 feet -- so that now, she never walks our pets without some form of firearm protection. These animals were located along the river near the bike trail on Allen Road.

The huge upsurge in the overall numbers of urban coyotes stems from the fact that cities now refuse to allow proper management of the species, like hunting, for instance. Understandingly, the result of safety concerns, firearms have been outlawed within the city limits, and because of this, the animals have developed into fearless and often dangerous canine scavengers.

When I was growing up out in the desert community of Buttonwillow west of Bakersfield, to see a coyote was an unusual sight because a bounty was being paid for each one of their hides. They were relatively rare and remained in check simply because a good rifle in the cab of a truck made it so.

The smart coyotes -- the ones that lived to tell about their experiences -- never stopped or looked back, because those that did, immediately became fodder for whatever cannon we had in the vehicle that day. They also remained far from town, where they could ply their natural trade of catching rabbits, cottontails, mice and kangaroo rats without much human interference.

Each day I read the Lost and Found in the Californian and I am shocked by the numbers of pets that are listed but never recovered by their owners. I hate to be the one to bring up the reason for the mass disappearances, but someone has to do it. It's an outright shame, for sure, but let's call facing the truth a piece of simple math, if you will:

If a cat or dog has gone missing anywhere near the city limits of Bakersfield or any outlying community or housing tracts, especially those along the Kern River, blaming the shocking losses on the out-of-control coyotes who hunt within our city each evening becomes a distinct possibility -- or even a certainty. Unperturbed by what I call the "lessons of the rifle," these animals roam unchecked, learning to survive quite well on a diet of little Fluffy the Pedigreed Cat or Fido the Pampered Wonder Dog, trusting pets that have never before had to face a conniving carnivore.

Can the tsunami of unwanted coyote be stopped? You bet. We won't be able to get them all, but we can make their living in town darned right uncomfortable. If you are having problems within the city or no-shooting zone, simply contact the California Department of Fish and Game at (559) 243-4005 and ask to speak to a warden.

Explain the problem, give him the times and dates the problem animal(s) show up, and let him do the rest. The state actually hires trappers and other pest removing professionals to contain or even depredate out-of-control animals, which, by the way, are the property of the state.

Friends of the NRA on tap

It's not too early to think about attending the 2012 NRA Dinner and Auction held Feb. 3 at the Bakersfield Elks Lodge. Contact Cyndi Benson (661) 205-8569; Kari Auge (661) 316-7959; or John Lindgren (661) 699-4568 for more information or special early bird ticket sales. Lots of guns will be given away at the event.