For decades, the Bureau of Land Management used so-called cyanide bombs to control predator populations on public lands. The controversial tactic was banned in 2023, but the Trump administration has quietly approved its reuse. An April memorandum signed by the BLM and the Agriculture Department’s Wildlife Services program, published by advocacy group Predator Defense, shows that the BLM has effectively repealed the ban on the deployment of M-44s—spring-loaded poison traps that spray sodium cyanide powder when triggered.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. It is only a matter of time until one kills a child.” A controversial management tactic Prior to 2023, the BLM used M-44s to minimize predation on livestock, manage wildlife diseases, prevent wildlife threats to human safety, and control invasive species. Environmentalists have long scrutinized the tactic, arguing that it is inhumane, indiscriminate, and dangerous to the public.