Letters to the Editor

(Santa) Hats off

Hats off to the loyal Elf Force members who showed up on Saturday the 10th, at 8 a.m. to put away the Christmas decorations for the Village. It is a rewarding experience for me to share the conclusion of another holiday season with the many volunteers who show up year after year.

Once again Doug Averill, secretary of decorating, with the able assistance of Deb Navratil, had the activities of the day well organized. With the experienced volunteer efforts of Centurytel employees and other volunteer lift operators, the work was completed in a short time. The hospitality provided by “Mister” at the Garden Bar was a welcome way to wind up the festivities.

We will look forward to participating in this fun community activity again, and encourage other area residents to join the Elf Force when it’s time for Christmas 2009.

Edd Blackler

Bigfork

Coyote Ugly

From January 3 to 17, 2009, trapping organization Montana Furbearer Conservation Alliance is holding a statewide coyote killing contest fundraiser, smugly named “Howler Hauler.” Teams are invited to kill as many coyotes as they can, then send in photographs of the mass slaughter to judges who will determine which carnage merits the grand prize.

This weekend’s scenario may look something like this:

Teams will roll out in their Dodge 4x4s with an arsenal of traps/weapons, including distress calls, to begin blasting away or trapping any coyotes who unwittingly take the bait. After the hit, bodies are piled into the truck bed.

January 17, coyote carcasses galore, the final “weigh-in,” a photograph of blood-smeared animal flesh and fur worthy of sending to the judges for the grand prize - a percentage of the entry fees. And of course the satisfaction and exhilaration of doing the livestock industry a great justice, plus pelts to sell.

The irony of the situation is that the more coyotes killed, loss of livestock or furbearing prey being the justification, the more often coyotes reproduce. They begin mating at an earlier age when their population is threatened, as well as have larger litters. The more they are attacked, the more resilient they become. When one species is eliminated, it upsets the balance of the entire ecosystem, in this case most directly affecting the prey population.

Killing contests are barbaric, cold-blooded excuses to wage wholesale warfare on species deemed pests by those who feel they have more right to inhabit planet Earth than their prey. My family of hunters, all of whom refuse to enter killing contests, assure me that ethical hunters don’t kill for pleasure or fun. Are trappers excused from ethics because of the nature of their “sport”?

Susie Waldron

Kalispell,  MT