Then they shot another one.

The idea was to get the mad cow crisis back in the news media. But when the Oct. 9 shootings appeared on the six o’Clock news, viewers were first told they were about to see "shocking" footage. Then they turned angrily against the farmers and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was deluged with phone calls.

The backfiring stunt was organized by members of the Union producteurs d’agricole du Quebec.

"That was just out of desperation," said Pontiac County dairy farmer Chris Judd and local representative of the Quebec Farmers Union in western Quebec. "And there’s lots more of that desperation. They’re just not telling the press."

Judd was not associated with the publc shootings, which happened in the Lac St. Jean region, north of Quebec City. But he did say that Quebec farm leaders are planning new demonstrations on Parliament Hill or in Quebec City and he likes the idea of dropping off live animals at either location.

"If anybody’s going to shoot an animal it should be the government," he said. "We should let some cows loose on Parliament Hill and let the RCMP look after them and let them shoot them."