Coyotes killing domestic livestock in Firth

Several people living just south of Firth have had nearly a dozen goats and sheep killed by coyotes in the past couple of months.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services has confirmed that coyotes were, in fact, the predators killing the domestic livestock. Todd Sullivan, with Wildlife Services, set out traps for the coyotes, but the traps were tampered with by people. Sullivan also said Wildlife Services shot a coyote Monday morning, and will continue hunting them.

Jan Mecham had one of her baby billy goat’s killed earlier this month.

“I’ll never get that look of him out of my face, he just looked so surprised,” said Mecham. “And half of him was gone.”

Mecham said coyotes are nothing new to Firth, but the number of them and the way they’re behaving is getting alarming.

“These things are not scared,” said Mecham. “They’re running out of food, so they’re starting to attack things that cannot fend for themselves, like the goats.”

In late May, Keith Young had three of his sheep killed by coyotes. After he had another lamb killed just a few weeks ago he moved most of his flock to a pasture in Blackfoot.

“I had to move all my sheep except the ones that I can put in the barn at night,” said Young. “I can keep four head here.”

Young said he’s never seen his sheep so spooked.

“Oh yeah, they know,” said Young. “All you have to do now is open the gate and they’ll run over you now to get to the pen.”

Wildlife Services suggests people in the Firth area keep their domestic livestock penned up at night.