Went out to the lease this weekend and found some little tags (warning of cyanide) pointing to what looks like a land mine. Can anyone explain how these work?

Coyote or dog grabs a hold of it with their mouth and it sprays cyanide down their throat.....bye bye doggy pretty quick after that. Keep your dogs tied up unless you don’t like them very much.

Having raised several thousand head of goats, I used cyanide guns to help control coyotes and feral dogs. These are spring loaded guns. The capsule is a small cartridge containing cyanide powder which is inserted into the gun. Once the gun is set, you paint a foul smelling attractant onto the gauze that the canine grabs and pulls. This attractant is only good for canines, it won't attract a cat. when the spring loaded gun goes off it forces the cyanide powder into the dogs mouth. At that point the clock starts ticking. In all the coyotes I killed with these guns, I never found one more than some 50' away. Now when you use these, you are required to use eye protection etc. and carry in a front pocket something called an antidote!!

I thought using poisons like that were banned because vultures or other animals that might eat on the carcass would ingest the poison and also die.

-TJ

If I am not mistaken sodium cyanide only kills the animal that pulls the M-44 and gets it into its mouth. It is not like some other poisons that will keep on killing whatever eats the intended victim.

M44 (cyanide device)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


The M-44 consists of a capsule holder, a cyanide capsule, a spring-activated ejector, and a stake. Bilingual signs warn about the device.


When the trap is set, only the capsule holder and capsule protrude above ground level.
The M44 cyanide device (also called a cyanide gun or cyanide trap) is used for the killing of coyotes, feral dogs, and foxes. It is made from four parts: a capsule holder wrapped with cloth or other soft material, a small plastic capsule containing 0.88 grams of sodium cyanide, a spring-powered ejector, and a 5-7 inch stake. To install the trap, the stake is first driven down into the ground, and then the capsule is put in the holder, screwed onto the cocked ejector, and secured to the stake. The wrapped capsule holder is smeared with scented bait to attract coyotes and make them bite and pull on it. (The use of a bite-and-pull action makes the trap less likely to be set off by non-canine wildlife.[1]) When the trap is triggered, the spring propels a dose of sodium cyanide into the animals's mouth, and the sodium cyanide combines with water in the mouth to produce poisonous cyanide gas.[2] In addition to the cyanide, the capsule contains Day-Glo fluorescent particle marker (orange in capsules used by the Wildlife Services, and yellow in capsules prepared for other users).[3]

History[edit]
The M44 was invented in the 1960s to replace a similar device known as a 'Coyote Getter', which had been in use since the 1930s. The Coyote Getter used a .38 Special pistol cartridge case to contain the sodium cyanide mixture, and ejected the cyanide with a primer. That design made the Coyote Getter quite hazardous, because the wad and cyanide were ejected with great force. For example, in 1959 a 15-year-old boy lost one eye when he accidentally set off a Coyote Getter by stepping on it, in 1966 a man was hit in the left hand and died from cyanide poisoning, and between 1965 and 1971 at least 17 humans were injured by Coyote Getters. Therefore, in the early 1960s the Fish and Wildlife Service started to develop a safer, spring-based replacement device. Much of the work was done by James Poteet, a Predator Control Specialist in Midland, Texas who received a patent for the device in 1967. The new device was gradually phased into Federal management programs beginning in 1967, and by November 1970 it had substantially replaced the Coyote Getter.[3][4]
Since its introduction, the M44 design was updated several times to solve problems such as caking in the cyanide capsules or malfunctioning ejectors. One effort in 1977-79 resulted in a completely new, slightly larger cyanide ejector called the M50. However, a field evaluation in 1982 showed that the older Poteet-designed M44 actually performed better, and the M50 was phased out. In 1984, the M44 ejector body and capsule holder were redesigned as it became necessary to replace the dies that had been used since 1967 to cast those metal parts. That model is still produced today, with some minor adjustments.[3]
Use against Canidae[edit]
The M44 is in frequent use by the USDA Wildlife Services in their programs to eliminate coyotes. For example, in 2016, out of the 76,963 coyotes that Wildlife Services killed, the M44 was used to kill 12,511 of them (16%).[5] State agencies in South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico and Texas also use the device.[6]
More recently, M44 devices have begun to be used in Australia to control foxes and wild dogs. There they are loaded with sodium fluoroacetate (also known as 1080 poison) instead of sodium cyanide, and are called 'Canid Pest Ejectors'. The NSW Parks and Wildlife Service carried out trials in 2005-2011, and in 2016 they were approved for general use. The mechanical devices and lure heads are sold freely, but because the toxin capsules contain a regulated poison they require the purchaser to have a state permit.[7][8]
Criticism[edit]
Use of the M44 device has been criticized by animal welfare and environmental groups, as the devices have many unintended victims, including pets and endangered species; strongly indicative of a lack of selectivity, instead of the supposed high level.[9] In 2003, Dennis Slaugh of Vernal, Utah, was on public lands and mistook an M-44 for a survey marker. When he pulled on it, the device shot sodium cyanide powder on his face and chest causing him to become violently ill.[10] In February 2006, an M44 device killed a man's dog in Utah, as the dog and owner were walking through public land. The man was also affected by the cyanide in the device, and is seeking compensation from the US Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Service, along with the Utah Department of Food and Agriculture.[11] In 2012 a family dog was killed in Texas.[12] In 2017 a 14-year-old boy in Idaho was injured, and his dog killed, by an M44 near his home.[13] Between 2013–2016, M44 devices killed 22 pets and livestock animals.[14] On April 11, 2017, a month after the boy in Idaho was injured, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it would be ending the use of the device in Idaho indefinitely.[15]
In August 2017, WildEarth Guardians submitted a petition to the Environmental Protection Agency requesting that they prohibit use of sodium cyanide devices. During the public comment period WildEarth Guardians and the Center for Biological Diversity organized a write-in campaign and the EPA received more than 20,000 letters from the public against the devices. In an interim decision in June 2019, the EPA decided to keep the M-44 devices approved (noting that without them producers of sheep, goats, and cattle would likely incur higher costs and/or more livestock loss), but added some restrictions e.g. about use near public roads or private land.[

Our county trapper does not use them anymore. There are strict guidelines of where they can be placed. One mile from the closest residence. Neighbors need to be notified, etc
He is using leg hold traps and snares in "slides" under the fence only now. When one is installed, a metal sign needs to be placed 10 feet from the installation of the device.

These things are deadly but effective. Please be aware of all locations where they are placed on the ranch. Don't jack with them. If you have access to a ranch property and ride around and see one of the metal signs, the gun is within 10 feet. Don't let your dog run ahead of a vehicle if they are in the area. They will follow the scent and pull the device and you will have a dead dog. Make your kids or guests aware of what they look like and where they are. If you are riding around in a vehicle, point them out from the vehicle. Do not get out and look at them. You are leaving your scent and the coyotes will avoid them. They are nothing to be played with. County trappers carry an antidote in their shirt pocket and in case of an accidental discharge, they will take the antidote immediately to avoid death. I don't know what the exact rules are anymore but land owners could take a course and be certified to use them on their property. Certification allowed purchase of the devices and cyanide. I got certified years ago but never bought any because the stories I heard of accidental discharges scared made me to steer clear. Also be aware they are placed normally on ranch roads and near fence lines where coyotes travel. A device can stay active for a long time. There are stories of fence lines being cleared by hand and a forgotten installation going off and the individual barely made it to the hospital.

A sign has to be place at the entrance of a property. It is printed in English and Spanish. If you see this sign, you should be aware that the devices are on the property and be aware. Education is key to avoiding these devices. They are not to be fooled with. If one has been pulled, they will have an orange dye around it indicating a discharge. What ever pulled this device will be within 100 feet or so. We don't have any on our ranches anymore. I depend on our county trapper to do the control of these sheep, goat and deer killing machines.

I used traps, guard dogs, and cyanide guns for years. I got more coyotes with the cyanide guns than anything else. Never had an issue personally with any accidental discharge but if so, that's why you carry the antidote. I always detailed exactly where each gun was set on paper so if something happened to me there would be no question as to location and number of guns out. I finally stopped using them since my guard dogs were doing their part and I had to remove the guns when I opened up a new pasture to the goats since the dogs would be with them. At almost 74 now, I don't think I would use them again. Just dogs, traps, and lead!

Could not help but notice your handle...not many folks know where Frio Town is these day. As a youngster I can remember going there and buying Polled Hereford bulls from the Saunders family. Are you from that area???
Adios,
Gary

Wow! We have an old metal sign at the gate to our lease, warning of predator control devices. It's pretty faded, but I'm sure this is what it is warning us about. Next trip out, I'll get a pic of it and post it.

Very true Gary, not many folks have heard of Frio Town. Even if they did, they probably couldn't find it on a map since its a real ghost town or what's left of it!! My ranch is a tad north of Frio Town. Spent a lot of time in that area as a kid growing up and still do. Hunted varmints in a big area around there. I knew Butch so I am surprised I never met you.