Trapper John the Hog Man claimed he ate a coyote, but it was a jab at critics

St. Rose nuisance coordinator says law required euthanasia

“They’re delicious,” an angry Trapper John the Hog Man said of claiming he recently ate a coyote.

The unfortunate coyote was not eaten as Trapper John claimed on his Facebook page, but it was “humanely” euthanized.

Trapper John said he made the false claim as a jab at his critics, the ones who disagreed with euthanizing a coyote that recently fled into the Dat Dog restaurant on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans and hid in a corner on the balcony.

Trapper John, better known as John Schmidt of St. Rose, who is a nuisance wildlife coordinator, was called to the scene.

Although a rescue was planned for the animal, that’s not what happened.

Public opinion split down the middle on the move.

“I run into so much crazy crap with people,” he said.But Schmidt said he followed the law – coyotes are among the animals that can not be relocated and must be euthanized within 12 hours of capture.

Dat Dog President Bill DiPaola expressed sadness and shock over the death and announced plans to hold an event to change the law.

Trapper John said he aimed his comments at the “save the coyote” people and it made the news.

But he questioned how the news would have went had the coyote bitten anyone and particularly so if it had rabies, which they carry.

Despite sympathy expressed for the Dat coyote, Trapper John cited a recent horror story in Kenner.

“It actually ran to a guy walking his Chihuahua and it grabbed it,” he said. “And it went off and ate it.”For the record, Trapper John hunted that coyote and euthanized it, too.