Another Step Backward

The Government of Saskatchewan, not the most enlightened group, has just put a bounty on coyotes. Yup, now farm kids can earn Christmas shopping money killing coyotes and cutting off their paws. All four paws have to be presented before the bounty will be paid. I assume the government must think that cutting off just one paw, like the right front paw, or something like that was just too complicated for these rural folk.

This new initiative was recently announced by Agricultural Minister Bob Bjornerud. He calls it the Saskatchewan Coyote Control Program. The program will pay $20.00 per coyote and some Rural Municipalities are adding another $10.00 or so to the bounty.

This all raises the image of guys driving around in their pickups, with a rifle, a case of beer and a bag of coyote paws in the back, looking for more Christmas money.

As one would expect wildlife and environmental groups are up in arms but, in the eyes of these farmers and ranchers, environmentalists are mostly pinko city folk, so nothing for this Saskatchewan Party Government to worry about. That same bunch who wanted to keep the long gun registry in place.

So Merry Christmas rural Saskatchewan.