Spice of Life

In their never-ending battle with coyotes, ranchers have used guns, traps and poison but still claim they lose $37 million worth of sheep each year to the predators. Now, after two years of experiments on 2,000 sheep, researchers at the University of Wyoming have come up with a pungent, Tabasco-like chemical compound synthesized from peppers that may be the most effective deterrent of all. When sprayed on sheep, the hot sauce chills a coyote's appetite. One spraying can be effective for up to 28 days. But researchers admit to one obvious concern: coyotes might eventually learn to like, rather than shun, their lamb spray.

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