06/02/2026
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For decades, the Bureau of Land Management used so-called cyanide bombs to control predator populations on public lands. Efforts from environmental groups got the controversial tactic banned in 2023. But now the Trump administration has quietly approved its reuse.
These are weapons called M-44s — spring-loaded poison traps that spray sodium cyanide powder when triggered.
“M-44s are indiscriminate killers and cannot be used safely,” Predator Defense wrote in a statement. “They are meant to kill coyotes — which any true conservation biologist can tell you is an exercise in futility — but they also kill endangered species, essential native predators, and countless beloved dogs, none of which can read warning signs. They have also poisoned countless people.”
Environmentalists have long scrutinized the tactic, arguing that it is inhumane, indiscriminate, and dangerous to the public
