Don’t Mess with Texas’s Governor, Coyotes

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

If you’re a fan of Texas governor Rick Perry, Ashby Jones says, you’ll likely become an even bigger fan after learning that he shot and killed a coyote while jogging in Austin. According to the AP:

Perry says he needed just one shot from his laser-sighted pistol to take down a coyote that was menacing his dog during an early morning jog in an undeveloped area near Austin.

Perry told The Associated Press he sometimes carries his pistol, loaded with hollow-pointed bullets, when he jogs on trails because he’s scared of snakes — and that he’d seen coyotes in that area.

When the coyote came out of the brush toward his daughter’s labrador retriever puppy on a February jog, he charged it and shot it with his .380 Ruger pistol.

He put a laser sight on a .380? The Ruger LCP is a small gun:

The Ruger® LCP™ is a compact .380 Auto from the industry leader in rugged, reliable firearms. From backup firearms for law enforcement to licensed carry for personal protection, the LCP is the perfect choice.

Designed with both male and female shooters in mind, the LCP is as affordable as it is reliable. At just 9.40 ounces (with an empty magazine), the LCP is lightweight and ideal for all-day carry — ensuring you have it when and where you need it.

Anyway, there’s some talk about the legality of what he did — which demonstrates that this happened in Austin, not Texas proper:

An Austin City ordinance prohibits firing handguns within city limits, with some exceptions, according to the Chronicle. Another ordinance says in the city limits may not knowingly shoot, kill, or hunt a wild animal.

The issue, it seems, will likely turn on whether Perry was inside the city limits when he fired the shot. Zoning records, according to the Chron, indicate that Perry’s rental home is within the city limits.

But hold on, says Perry’s office. Perry spokesman Mark Miner cited a section of the Health and Safety Code that says a coyote that is about to attack domestic animals may be killed by a person witnessing the attack.

“If he had to do it again, he would,” Miner said.

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