Hunters on Wheels Take Aim at Texas Coyotes After Attacks Kill Residential Pets

Coyotes don’t become a problem in a vacuum; they fill gaps we’ve created, and chasing them down with trucks may satisfy frustration, but it rarely restores balance. True conservation demands we fix the land first—because when the system is right, the predators tend to mind their proper place.

NOTE: this article was originally published to San Antonio Express New's Apple News channel on October 29, 2025. It was written by Raul Trey Lopez.

Residents of a Dallas suburb might've heard gunfire early Wednesday morning as the city worked to reduce its coyote population, officials told WFAA-TV.

The city of DeSoto announced Monday that it would begin a “coyote removal operation” at 2 a.m. today in 7 square miles of land near I-35E. Professional marksmen with USDA Wildlife Services — authorized under federal wildlife management protocols — were expected to be riding through targeted areas and shooting coyotes from their vehicles, WFAA reported.

Since June, coyotes have killed residential pets — “several small dogs” — but no attack on people has been reported, according to WFAA. 

Officials said they notified residents of the culling, and set it for the early hours “to minimize public activity and ensure safety,” WFAA reported.