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Coyotes in Their Economic Relations

Written by David E. (David Ernest) Lantz

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Coyote

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About this book

"Coyotes in Their Economic Relations" by David E. Lantz is a scientific publication written in the early 20th century. This bulletin, published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Biological Survey in 1905, examines the economic impact of coyotes on agriculture, particularly focusing on the sheep industry in the western United States. The work highlights the coyote's habits, food sources, and their detrimental effects on livestock, while also discussing methods of control and protection against these predators. In this comprehensive report, Lantz outlines the various aspects of coyote life, from their abundance across the U.S. to their diet, which includes both beneficial and harmful prey. He emphasizes the negative economic consequences of coyote depredations on ranchers and sheep farmers, citing significant losses in livestock. The document explores various strategies for managing coyote populations—including poisoning, trapping, hunting, and the introduction of coyote-proof fencing—as possible solutions to alleviate the pressures coyotes place on agricultural activities. Lantz's research advocates for practical measures that could enhance sheep production while restoring coyotes' ecological roles as natural predators of harmful rodent species.

Reading guide

Themes, characters and key ideas in Coyotes in Their Economic Relations, written by Chaptra AI.

  • about 8 hours
  • advanced
  • informative
  • analytical
  • authoritative

David E. Lantz's "Coyotes in Their Economic Relations," published in 1905 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is a seminal scientific bulletin examining the economic impact of coyotes on agricultural industries, particularly sheep farming, in the western United States. The report meticulously details coyote habits, dietary preferences, and their perceived detrimental effects on livestock, while also acknowledging their role in controlling rodent populations. Lantz comprehensively explores various predator control methods, including poisoning, trapping, hunting, and fencing, advocating for practical solutions to mitigate livestock losses. This historical document not only reflects early 20th-century scientific approaches to wildlife management but also highlights the complex, often conflicting, relationship between human economic interests and natural ecosystems.

“The coyote, or prairie wolf, is perhaps the most widely distributed and generally known of all our native carnivorous mammals.”

Key themes

Human-Wildlife Conflict
This is the overarching theme, exploring the inherent tension and conflict between human economic activities (agriculture, particularly sheep farming) and the natural behaviors of wild animals (coyotes preying on livestock). Lantz's report is fundamentally an attempt to understand, quantify, and mitigate this conflict from a human-centric perspective.
Economic Impact of Nature
The bulletin explicitly frames the coyote's presence and behavior in terms of its economic cost and benefit. Lantz meticulously attempts to quantify the financial losses incurred by farmers due to coyote depredation and implicitly weighs this against the economic benefit of coyotes controlling rodent populations. This theme underscores a utilitarian view of nature, where its components are valued based on their contribution to or detraction from human economic prosperity.
Scientific Management of Resources
Lantz's work exemplifies an early 20th-century approach to scientific management, where biological research is applied to solve practical problems for human benefit. The bulletin advocates for systematic, evidence-based strategies for wildlife control, reflecting a belief in humanity's ability to understand and manipulate natural systems for optimal resource utilization. It's about applying scientific principles to 'manage' a species deemed problematic.

Worth discussing

How have scientific understandings and ethical considerations of predator control evolved since 1905?

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