The Arizona Game and Fish Department will be lethally removing coyotes north of the Phoenix metro area next week. Officials say the effort is aimed at improving the area’s pronghorn antelope population.
The operation was planned strategically to coincide with antelope fawning season, the time when newborn antelope are most vulnerable.
Amy Burnett is a spokesperson for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. She said the pronghorn population has suffered in recent years due to drought and other factors.
"We don’t want to take any animals that we don’t have to," Burnett said. "This is only a program to give the antelope a boost during this critical fawning time. The coyotes in this area are really smart and they follow the does and they know that this is the time the fawns are dropping."
The last time the agency engaged in lethal coyote removal was 2007. According to Burnett, 43 animals were removed from the area at that time.
