2017 Field Updates & News

December 30, 2017. Hunting Coyotes in Cities Only Makes Coyote Populations Grow: This time, conservation management isn’t a good reason to go hunting. This is a very good retort to the Dec. 26 article below and glad it was published.

December 26, 2017. Coyotes Are Colonizing Cities. Step Forward the Urban Hunter: The pursuit of the predator in settings like strip malls, residential streets and parks is igniting a debate over the benefits and dangers of urban hunting. By Simon Romero, New York Times. To be honest, this has to be one of the most irresponsible articles I have ever read for a major newspaper. To justify killing coyotes in urban areas, for no long term benefit, is ridiculous. And worse, the focus of the article is about a police chief for a town… Hugely disappointing for the NY Times to use minimal facts in an article. Thank goodness that most of the respondents (i.e., comments section) of the article agree with my assessment.

December 24, 2017. Trapping is not economical. Look at how low the fur prices are! It is time to end this barbaric practice of killing animals just to use their fur. This quote at the end of the article says it all: “Overall, it’s going to be another tough market for trappers this year. Many folks will drop out of the ranks and move on to other things.”

December 21, 2017. This is a very exciting development! Coyote Control Based on Scientific House of Cards: Complaint Seeks to End Federal Reliance on Flawed 42-Year-Old Study. Today I became co-author with a major national group to challenge a study that will no doubt start to legally reform carnivore management nationwide. We got a lot of major people to sign on to this including Jane Goodall! It is hopefully the beginning of a new era of challenging special interest dominated flawed wildlife (specifically carnivore) management and this document will be used to challenge carnivore hunting in more local bureaus in the very near future (this winter). Here is a direct link to the official document:

https://www.peer.org/assets/docs/usda/12_20_17_PEER_DQA_Complaint.pdf.

December 21, 2017. Coyotes howl to chat with their neighbors. This is a cool article by two noted coyote researchers, Dr. Marc Bekoff and Camilla Fox, appearing in the San Francisco Chronicle.

December 19, 2017. Why you soon may be hearing shots in the dark. This is a prime example of how out of touch and special interest dominated wildlife management is. This many fully thinks that hunting and killing an ecologically important animal year-round is perfectly ok. And worse, state wildlife agencies bureaucrats, still in bed with the hunting industry, allow them to do it. Truly pathetic.

December 12, 2017. The Undeniable Value of Wolves, Bears, Lions And Coyotes In Battling Disease: Will the Fairy Tale Mentality of Western States against Predators Hamper their ability to slow Chronic Wasting Disease? By Todd Wilkinson. This is a very long and immensely important article with many scientific citations to support the claim that predation is essential to preventing disease spread in wild ungulates (deer and elk).

November 17, 2017. Getting More ‘Wolflike’ Is the Key to the Future for Coyotes: The future of the coyotes that roam from Newfoundland to Virginia could hinge on the animals becoming the ‘wolves’ of the East Coast. Interesting article. I do disagree with quite a few points in the article too such as eastern coyotes only having 8% DNA. Dr. Kays research group repeatedly says that yet other research has documented the eastern wolf to be unique. The number should say that eastern coyotes/coywolves are 25-30% wolves, not 8-25%. That is a major difference. And as readers of my website know, I disagree with Kays and think, yes, coywolves are a thing. Absolutely. That’s why the article was written in the first place. Lastly, deer are widely regarded as being overabundant in many areas and having a large predator is unquestionably a good thing for the ecosystem, not “bad news for deer”.

November 15, 2017. New Paper “Once I Found Out” shows the general public’s distaste for carnivore hunting. This is an exciting new paper that I co-authored with Dr. Jennifer Jackman in the peer-reviewed journal Human Dimensions of Wildlife showing that voters on Cape Cod, MA overwhelming opposed hunting practices on coyotes. I am sure that future research will verify this in most of the U.S. Citation for paper is:

Jackman, J. L. and J. G. Way. 2017. Once I found out: Awareness of and attitudes toward coyote hunting policies in Massachusetts. Human Dimensions of Wildlife, DOI: 10.1080/10871209.2017.1397824.

12 November 2017Family Of Coyotes Welcomes Lost Dog As One Of Their Own. This is a fascinating article. Many people have reported over the years of their dog having friendly interactions with coyotes/coywolves… I can’t explain it as I would think most such interactions would be aggressive unless it is a young wild canid interacting with a dog. Only they know the answers for sure!

11 November 2017. Why We Hate the Media. A cool article by Peter Yaremko countering a sensationalist piece on Cape Cod coywolves (eastern coyotes) which appeared on channel 5 Boston.

9 November 2017. 11 things more dangerous than wolves. This is a great and important article about the relative lack of danger one faces from a predator.

5 November 2017. Are coyotes a duck’s best friend? This article is a little old but is important as it discusses the clear benefits of larger carnivores like coyotes. It is from Retrieverman.net, by Scottie Westfall.

26 October 2017. Deer hunting myths ignore science (guest essay by Ashley Pankratz). Many fascinating and great points are made here including the fact that important predators like foxes and coyotes (including eastern coyotes/coywolves) are killed with little restriction for half the year (article based in New York).

26 October 2017. Coexistence between wolves and livestock is a delusion: When it comes to public lands, native wolves should get preference. Interesting article, focusing on the western US, by George Wuerthner.

25 October 2017. Ontario failing to protect special wolves: Report. What’s new: An agency in North America doing nothing to protect wild canids. It is very sad when these are the agencies that should be protecting the very animals discussed. The end of the article is encouraging, though, with this comment “In the area where they predominantly live, they (eastern wolves) should be protected from harvest,”

September 28, 2017. Endangered U.S. wolf denied new habitat, as critics charge that politics trumped science. Here is yet another great example of politics dominating wildlife management, and specifically seemingly always anti-carnivore state wildlife agencies. It is good to see a biologist, Mike Phillips, speak up on the wolves’ behalf. I can’t stress it enough – state wildlife departments need serious reform and should not be in charge of carnivore management in their current capacity where they capitulate – almost always – to a relatively ignorant anti-carnivore hunting base (of course, this doesn’t nearly include all hunters – just the ones that determine policy). To say they don’t have room to roam in places like the Grand Canyon and western Colorado is an utter lie and shows that the USFWS has no spine to do what is right.

September 24, 2017. Oregon Dept of Fish and Wildlife releases a Coyote & Wolf Identification Quiz. While this is a great way to learn to differentiate the two related species, and importantly to not shoot a wolf by “accident”, the bias against coyotes is always there by these agencies. The quote “It is important for coyote hunters to always check their target to make sure it is a coyote. During the late summer and fall, it can be especially hard to tell a young wolf apart from an adult coyote,” is very problematic. Why should coyotes be hunted in the late summer in the first place? That is completely against the tenets of the “North American Model” that these agencies always mention, even honor. The only practicable thing to do from this statement would be to establish seasons on coyotes just like all other wildlife.

August 31, 2017. Ticks make you nervous? You need more coyotes. This is a nice editorial on the importance of predators, mainly foxes and coyotes, to prevent wildlife transmitted diseases.

August 30, 2017. Great video produced by Predator Defense on the Profanity Peak Pack and how they were sold out and killed off (in Washington State). On the link is my endorsement, among others, of the video.

July 9, 2017. Please check out this really cool update to my homepage where I added the following video of my work.

July 8, 2017. Overwhelming support for the Endangered Species Act: 425 organizations in all 50 states sign on to the letter. I am happy to report that Eastern Coyote/Coywolf Research was a signer to this important document to maintain the ESA as it stands.

July 3, 2017. If you pay taxes, you’re funding the inhumane killing of America’s wildlife: The federal government kills an average of three native animals a minute. I’m not sure how many more articles have to be written to reform Wildlife “Services” an agency that ironically mostly serves conservative independent folks in rural areas. I guess when you are the ones getting the subsidies then you don’t want the program to stop including the hypercritical legislators that support it.

July 3, 2017. Maine Voices: We must learn to live with ‘coyotes’: Studies show that spending money trying to control our native population of coywolves is almost entirely a waste. This is a great article written by John Glowa and counters the May 8, 2017 article I discuss below.

June 24, 2017. In some great news, the City of New York creates a “New initiative to raise awareness for the wildest New Yorkers of all”. This is a great way to peacefully coexist with deer, eastern coyotes, and many other animals. It is a great, proactive way to live with wildlife around us. Here is another article on the topic and an article from New York City itself.

June 16, 2017. Invasion: Coyotes. While a poorly titled show, this is a great educational piece on living with coyotes from Channel 5’s program, Chronicle (Boston). My friend and colleague, John Margarunis, does a great job on the program giving good sound advice for living with eastern coyotes.

June 12, 2017. When politicians cherry-pick data and disregard facts, what should we academics do? While not coyote specific, it speaks to the importance of scientists speaking out to support their conclusions especially when they are misrepresented.

June 10, 2017. Study doesn’t support theory red and eastern wolves are recent hybrids, researchers argue. This is very interesting and links to a study suggesting that eastern/red wolves are unique canids. This makes sense as the eastern coyote/coywolf is a hybrid between western coyotes and eastern wolves, mostly, with a little gray wolf and domestic dog as well.

May 31, 2017. New York City’s citizens are collecting coyote scat for science. This is a great, in depth article.

May 30, 2017. Why killing coyotes does not make livestock safer. Great article in the journal The Conversation.

May 26, 2017. On the value of coyotes and other non-human life. A great article from the USA Today.

May 16, 2017. Petition seeks halt to Cape Cod National Seashore coyote hunts: More research urged on all carnivores included in proposed ban. This is a very well written and important article following the May 4 release of the petition (scroll 3 stories down on this page to see petition from May 4).

May 8, 2017. Maine coyotes getting bigger, more wolflike: Scientists say there’s a reason for that: With 8% wolf DNA, the coyote species that prowls the Northeast is an evolving hybrid that’s becoming a more effective predator of deer. I would note that eastern coyotes/coywolves actually have about 25% wolf DNA. Unfortunately, some scientists don’t accept the eastern wolf as a unique type of wolf which accounts for the low-balled 8% wolf DNA comment. Also, the uneducated responses from the so-called sportsmen in the article is astounding.

May 8, 2017. With little science, Cities (in CA) Struggle to Formulate Coyote Policies.

May 4, 2017. A special thanks to Louise Kane, Elizabeth G Brooke, John Maguranis, and Predator Defense: https://www.facebook.com/PredDefense/ for creating this important petition to ban carnivore hunting at Cape Cod National Seashore. It is due time that the park service treats this area like the national park that it is and for more people in the East to have a chance to experience a national park setting without having to travel out west. It is hoped that 1000s of signatures are gathered and that you might not only sign on but also forward this petition to your networks and help us recruit many other signers to force Seashore staff to recognize this important area and give it the proper protections it deserves. This is a great situation where someone can feel empowered in making a difference by singing on to a document that has a chance of achieving its intended goals.

April 30, 2017. Typical behavior from a western state wildlife agency: Wyoming regains wolf management again and immediately opens a wolf season in over 80% of the state just while females are denning. They should really be proud of themselves for getting to kill more wildlife; maybe even some little wolf pups in the process (sarcasm intended).

April 28, 2017ACADEMIC FREEDOM FIGHT ON REPRISALS OVER WOLF SCIENCE. Washington State U. Scientist Says Official Restraints Due to Political Pressure. This is fascinating as it is so similar to what I have experienced. This is a very important read to get perspective to my situation. Fortunately for Dr. Wielgus, the group PEER is representing him. Also, here is a copy of Dr. Wielgus’ Testimonial detailing his ‘Complaint of Academic Freedom Violations‘.

April 26, 2017. Fantastic editorial “Let the Coyotes Be” coming from Connecticut.

April 21, 2017. Can coyotes fill the ecological gaps left by lost wolf populations? This is an interesting study coming from Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. It provides compelling evidence that eastern wolves and eastern coyotes are different ecologically in a northern wolf/coyote system. However, and unfortunately, the study does not mention how the eastern coyote/coywolf is already a hybrid between western coyotes and eastern wolves and that they prey quite a bit on deer and may be a dominant predator in the southern parts of the Northeast that just has deer as its dominant prey species.

April 20, 2017. Coyote in Philadelphia. Interesting account of eastern coyotes/coywolves colonizing some of the last areas that they haven’t yet (apparently) reached: cities in the Northeast.

April 10, 2017. Outrage: Video of eastern coyote hunts on Sandy Neck Beach, Barnstable, Cape Cod, MA. No wonder why I have a tough time getting research permits. The state of MA and town of Barnstable would rather have people trampling over the dunes and shooting at and killing canids (see video for the up-close graphic accounts) while making videos of coyote hunts in the area rather than learning about them. Now it all makes sense (sarcasm intended).

April 10, 2017. Great story from CA: This Wolf Sanctuary Helps Military Veterans Heal From PTSD. I’m convinced that this could also be done with eastern coyotes/coywolves if state wildlife leaders allowed this center to form in MA (or nearby).

March 26, 2017. Animal Talk’s podcast on coyotes with author Dan Flores. A good 26 minute piece on Flores’ new book Coyote America.

March 21, 2017. Poison (set for coyotes no doubt) kills a dog and Idaho and nearly kills a boy. It is absolutely appalling that this is still allowed, and no matter who the President, he (including Obama) has yet to ban these devices. You know this must be serious if even Fox News article suggests these should be banned.

March 13, 2017. Dingo predation decreases after dingos are left alone (i.e., not killed). This is important and adds to evidence suggesting that leaving predators alone is the right thing to do for so many reasons, yet state wildlife agencies still allow long and unethical hunting seasons on many predators like dingos, coyotes, and wolves. The scientific article is available from the link.

March 6, 2017. Great article on red wolves by Ron Sutherland: By night, hunters would blast red wolves into extinction. This is yet another example of special (hunting) interests sabotaging a popular and formerly successful program; it is no surprise that North Carolina’s division of wildlife department favors doing away with this program, all to support special interests. I remind you of this paper that I wrote about the red wolf program a couple years ago.

February 17, 2017. In some more great news, bill to ban coyote hunting contests in New Mexico is moving forward!

February 13, 2017. Coyote Hunting Spurs Debate Over Ethics And Ecology. This just aired (noon-1 pm) on Vermont Public Radio and had many, many people questioning the logic of eastern coyote or coywolf hunting seasons and killing contests and asking for the seasons to be revised and shortened. Kudos to everyone speaking up in defense of these animals!

February 9, 2017. Protesters gather (in Illinois) to protest coyote hunt. This is a great story on how a few individuals can make a difference.

February 7, 2017. More information on ‘coyote’ hunting competitions, this one from upstate New York. The comments are great and ridicule the individuals partaking in such an event. It is important to remember that most state wildlife agencies support this at least indirectly by not banning it, yet states like MA make conducting research a nightmare for a scientist.

January 30, 2017. Barber by day, wily coyote whisperer by night. Great article in the New York Times on my friend, Frank Vincenti.

January 29, 2017. Hundreds gather for Northeast regional coyote hunt. I will be consistent with reporting these types of “activities” (aka events): it reminds me so much of hatred and racism. As far as I’ve ever seen, it is always white males participating in these activities. The fact that state wildlife agencies do nothing to stop these killing-for-fun-contests says an awful lot about them. I hope that more and more politicians see this for what it is: killing in the name of hatred and ignorance… and then go about to stop these activities. I can sleep better knowing that I’ve already co-written legislation to reform carnivore management both state and nationwide.

January 23, 2017. No good argument for coyote killing contests. This is a good and important editorial coming from Las Cruces Sun-News (New Mexico) and is showing that many western states are becoming more progressive and protective of wildlife compared to states in the East that do nothing to protect eastern coyotes/coywolves. But this is a good start if enacted into law as it will show how far behind other states are in wildlife protection statues (or lack thereof).

January 17, 2017. Predator hunters converge on Wytheville for predator killing tournament. This is horrendous and shows a complete lack of respect and understanding of the importance of predators… It reminds me so much of hatred and racism shown to other humans. It is important to remember that state wildlife agencies just about nationwide allow these activities by doing nothing in their legislation (except for CA right now) to prevent this abuse of wild. In fact, in the comments section it shows that supposedly 3 employees of Virginia Fish and Wildlife supported the event. Not surprising given the biased make-up of wildlife department employees.

January 3, 2017. Long Island barber howls at local coyotes to save them. This is a nice article on my friend Frank Vincenti, as he documents eastern coyotes/coywolves expanding from New York City to Long Island.

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