The program involves the trapping and killing of coyotes, feral
pigs and other animals that encroach on local farms and urban
lands. The San Benito County Board of Supervisors canceled the
program in 2002, but in June 2007, the supervisors voted to bring
it back.
Hollister – After a five-year hiatus, San Benito County’s Wildlife Services program is active again.
The program involves the trapping and killing of coyotes, feral pigs and other animals that encroach on local farms and urban lands. The San Benito County Board of Supervisors canceled the program in 2002, but in June 2007, the supervisors voted to bring it back.
Agricultural Commissioner Paul Matulich said Mark Klassen, the county’s new wildlife specialist, started training in July and has been responding to calls since mid-August.
“It’s been a little slow,” Klassen said. “Word hasn’t gotten out yet in the urban areas.”
Supporters say farmers and other residents need the program for protection. The Sacramento-based Animal Protection Institute organized a campaign to cancel the previous program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and funded by county money.
API Project Director Monica Engebretson said Wednesday she hadn’t heard about the program’s revival, but she added that the institute is generally opposed to the USDA’s use of lethal methods to control coyotes.
“It’s cruel and inhumane, and in the end it results in more coyotes,” Engebretson said. “It’s endless killing.”
Engebretson said farmers and ranchers need to look at non-lethal methods to control the coyote population. Klassen agreed.
“Ideally, when there’s a conflict between humans and wildlife, we’d prefer to resolve the conflict just by manipulating the environment,” he said.
Unfortunately, that’s not always possible, Klassen said. In one recent case, Klassen said he advised a grower whose grapes were being eaten by coyotes to build an animal-proof fence. But the “prohibitive cost” might be an issue.
“I can’t tell them what to do,” Klassen said.
He also noted that supervisors want to make sure his activities are divided equally between rural and urban areas. So far, the only urban complaints Klassen has responded to are possums in San Juan Bautista and a call from a trailer park in Hollister, while he’s been more active on ranches, particularly since calving season has started.
When approving the program, the Board of Supervisors directed Matulich to present annual reports on the wildlife specialist’s work. Chairman Don Marcus said if he hears complaints that the specialist is focusing on coyotes or on rural areas, he will investigate.
“It’s too early to define the success of this particular agent,” Marcus said.
Matulich has said the program will cost the county about $66,000 per year, but he and Klassen both said that without the program, animals can do a lot of damage. In the case of the grape-eating coyotes, Klassen said animals are costing the grower $10,000 per year.
“People out at ranches, they have a different perspective,” Klassen said. “That’s not genocidal. It’s to a great degree financial, the decisions they make. It’s a fine line to tread.”
