Judge Marshall P. Young banged his gavel. "Guilty," he said. "Guilty of trespass."

Jerry Janvrin was found guilty on September 19, 2003, of ridding the country of a sheep-killing coyote. Most consider him a hero. To the jury that convicted him, he was a man guilty of a misdemeanor trespass because he had flown his coyote-getting rig just over a neighbor's fence.

Janvrin, an aerial coyote hunter and cattle and sheep rancher in Harding County, South Dakota, says that coyotes can cause substantial damage to sheep herds, plucking off unsuspecting lambs and even ewes, when the coyotes get brave enough. In the 33 years he's worked as a coyote hunter for the Multi County Predator Control District, Janvrin estimates he's snagged thousands.

"They pay me to control predators," he explains. "Ranchers here have a real problem with coyotes, especially the sheepmen." He says that flying is one of the best ways to find and shoot coyotes. But he doesn't go after one seriously unless he's darn sure he can finish it off. "Coyotes are smart. If they get away from you once, they're just about impossible to get close to again."

Another local pilot, Clark Blake, president of the Multi County Predator Control District, which includes Harding, Butte, Meade and Lawrence counties on the western edge of South Dakota, agrees. "If Jerry hadn't tracked that wounded coyote and shot him, that coyote would likely still be prowling the country, killing sheep."

Janvrin's arrest was the breaking point for many area ranchers. Sheep outfits within the district are assessed according to their numbers of sheep, and the fees collected pay the pilot to control coyotes. The pilot they pay managed to finally put down a coyote that had been plaguing the area's sheep producers, and he was arrested and criminally charged. "It's like they know if they give me enough hoops to jump through," says Janvrin, "eventually I'll miss one and they can grab me and press charges."

Producers in the county were angry enough that almost immediately after Janvrin's sentencing, they "locked up" over half a million acres of land from hunters. Many hunters are siding with the landowners. In fact, some of them also feel abused by the state agency. As one hunter (hunting on public land in Harding County) said: "It's like we're guilty of a hunting violation until we prove our innocence."

Carrie Longwood is executive director of South Dakota Stockgrowers Association.

Spring 2004 Contents