Thanks to NPR, I just learned something shocking: lethal cyanide "bombs" are sometimes used on public lands to eliminate coyotes but they can kill your pet dog just as readily.
An Idaho teenager noticed something unusual almost completely buried in the ground while he was out walking near his family property with his dog. When he bent down to check it out, the item detonated, covering him and the dog with a fine powder.
The boy ended up at the hospital but he survived. Sadly, his dog died.
The device is an M44 cyanide device, sometimes called a "cyanide gun" or "cyanide trap." Its primary use is to kill coyotes, foxes, and feral (wild) dogs, to prevent them from harming livestock like sheep and poultry. The device is buried flush with the soil with just the "business end" of it exposed. That part is smeared with an attractant to lure in the target predators and when they bite or pull at it, the M44 erupts with a lethal dose of cyanide to the animal's face.
It is used on federal lands by the U.S. Wildlife Services (part of the USDA) for predator control and may be used by state agencies on state public lands as well. There are rules and regulations governing its deployment in order to minimize risks to people and pets.
For example, only certified installers are supposed to deploy the devices and they are supposed to be visited and inspected weekly after deployment. Also, bilingual signs are required to be prominently displayed in areas where the M44 is used to warn people of its presence and dangers. Investigations continue but it seems the required signage may not have been posted properly in the Idaho case.
Although it's unlikely you will encounter an M44 just anywhere, you should be aware of what they are and what they look like if you do sometimes visit public lands for a walk in the woods with your canine companion (or a curious small child!). While they aren't scattered willy-nilly all over the place, I think there are enough in use that dog owners should be educated about M44's: 12,511 coyotes were killed by the devices in 2016.
As might be expected, there is controversy about this method of predator control just as there is about other methods used. My intention in this diary is not to promote or reject a ban on the devices because I simply don't know enough; I would like to learn more in the future about the issues and options in balancing public safety, risks for livestock, predator population balance, and so on before I take a position.
But, since this was something brand new to me, I thought it may be unknown to you also. If you have a dog and visit public lands, I thought you would like to know about this potential risk and take suitable precautions. Be safe with yourself, your kids, and your pets!