December 25, 2023. In some great news, New York is the latest (10th) state to ban wildlife killing contests. How they are still legal in most states is a different story, but this is very good news.
December 19, 2023. What it looked like as Colorado wildlife officials released 5 Oregon wolves in Grand County: This is the first time a state — not the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — introduced an endangered species into wildland in the U.S. Here’s another article on the wolf reintroduction!
November 30, 2023. All about wolves. This was done on Maine NPR called: Maine Calling. It is a good 50 minute interview on wolves potentially returning to Maine.
November 29, 2023. US agency ends use of ‘cyanide bomb’ to kill coyotes and other predators, citing safety concerns. This is fantastic news! Here is another article on this historic decision.
October 31, 2023. Are Eastern Wolves Being Killed in Maine? Who’s responsible for making sure they aren’t? – This is a good article questioning how the state of Maine can let these creatures be killed.
October 16, 2023. Could these be wolf pups in northern Maine? Cool video submitted by my colleague at the Maine Wolf Coalition. The broader heads of these canids is very intriguing.
October 12, 2023. Wolf advocates push for canid protections. This is a good article in the Adirondack Explorer on our collaborative effort to get wolves better protected by protecting ‘coyotes’ which in the Northeast are actually coyote/wolf hybrids.
September 8, 2023. Wyoming Sheep Rancher Says Coyotes Guard His Flock, As Does Eagle-Stomping Ewe: A Riverton, Wyoming, sheep rancher said he stopped randomly shooting coyotes after some of them became “guard coyotes” for his sheep herd, which included an eagle-stomping ewe. This is a very promising article that hopefully more ranchers will adhere too.
September 5, 2023. Endangered red wolves need space to stay wild. But there’s another predator in the way — humans. This is a very detailed AP article on the eastern coyote’s close relative, the red wolf. Well worth the read.
August 25, 2023. From Maine: Non-hunters should have say in wildlife management. The state of Maine is getting closer to equitable wildlife management, but as a recent bill to protect “coyotes” for half the year show, entrenched interests still sabotage active inclusion.
August 22, 2023. Policy framework for coexisting with wolves, bears and mountain lions could benefit both people and the environment. This is a very important potential initiative that the federal government could do to encourage the presence of these important and mostly popular animals.
August 11, 2023. New Paper Suggests Reframing Deer Impacts. I have always been irked about how much folks complain about “deer overabundance” and mostly blame the lack of wolves/cougars for that. It is partly used to justify more and more hunting of them, while agencies allow their predators to freely be killed. Here this paper describes the fact that deer are only one of the herbivores that historically lived in the eastern U.S. and that they likely had similar ecological effects in history which makes sense since humans have only been here for around 12,000 years. It is well worth the read; and note there is a link to the actual scientific paper within the article.
July 25, 2023. As decades long wolf debate rages on, advocates promise more field evidence: The Maine Wolf Coalition Inc. says its research will show that wolves exist in Maine, while state biologists say they’ve only seen evidence of coyote/wolf hybrids.
July 20, 2023. New York considers ban on cash prize contests for hunting coyotes, squirrels, some other wildlife.
July 19, 2023. Life without predation. This is a good article by Jeannine Fleegle who works for the PA Game Commission. She basically tells hunters that you need to be better if you don’t kill a deer, because predation is not a huge issue for deer in her state. We might question why her state allows a year-round season on an animal that can at least kill some deer to reduce (even if slightly) their population.
June 29, 2023. Petition Urges Interior Department to Ban ‘Cyanide Bombs’ On Public Lands: More Than 70 Conservation Groups Oppose Deadly M-44s. I am proud to be one of the co-signers to an obvious bill/letter. The fact that we have to petition to stop using poison on our public lands speaks volumes about our government. (Note: The actual petition from this Press Release is within the first paragraph).
June 12, 2023. A LETTER TO USFWS DIRECTOR MARTHA WILLIAMS: Upcoming Status Review For The Gray Wolf. I am proud to be a part of this effort!
May 25, 2023. It’s Time To Ban Wildlife Killing Contests In New York. This is a good article, but I find it absolutely amazing that many states still allow this disgusting practice of literally slaughtering ecologically important animals. June 25, 2023 (link): In some great news: Ban on Wildlife Killing Contests Passed by New York Legislature: Animal Legal Defense Fund supported legislation heads to Gov. Hochul’s desk.
May 19, 2023. Are there wolves in Maine? It depends on what you call a wolf. Note: I sent a strongly worded letter retorting Mr. Webb’s claims. There is strong evidence that eastern wolves are a unique species, we know that the sample in question was a wolf based on DNA testing, and that scientists do know how to classify one canid from another. Hopefully the article will be updated.
May 19, 2023. When wolves move in, they push smaller carnivores closer to human development – with deadly consequences. This was a fascinating study in WA state.
May 15, 2023. 7 Ways to Protect Livestock from Predators. These are great suggestions from the Farm Bureau!
May 10, 2023. Watch: Likely Maine wolf caught on trail camera: The Maine Wolf Coalition, Inc. has shared trail camera footage that it says shows a male wolf in the Maine wilderness.
May 2, 2023. Commentary: Put an end to wildlife killing contests (in New York). Not only is indiscriminate killing cruel, it’s no way to manage an animal population. I find it very telling about the state and people that run these agencies, this one in New York, when they still allow these barbaric practices to continue.
May 1, 2023. Rethinking Wolf Pack Stability: New research confirms wolf hunting hurts more than just the supposed top wolf. This is a fascinating study (here is the actual scientific article) about the importance of not killing wolves.
March 27, 2023. LAUREN BOEBERT WAVED AROUND PICTURES OF DEAD BABIES IN HER CALL TO GUT THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT: Republicans used conspiracy theories and unsound science in a hearing proposing to end protections for wolves and grizzlies. My comment: This is utterly outrageous. A tiny fraction of the people determining wildlife policy. Unbelievable.
March 15, 2023. Press Release: New York wolf had wild diet! In some big news, the wolf killed in December 2021 had a wild diet. Check out Eastern Coyote/Coywolf Reseach’s Press Release and one from Center for Biological Diversity.
February 27, 2023. The Weekly Anthropocene Interviews: Amaroq Weiss, Senior Wolf Advocate. An Exclusive The Weekly Anthropocene Interview. This is a fantastic and very detailed (and long) article that discusses wolves and some of the work the we at the Northeastern Wolf Recovery Alliance are doing. It also mentions a bit of my work and the eastern coyote/coywolf and its hybrid status.
February 14, 2023. Islanders Get Advice on How to Handle Coyotes. This is a cool article about eastern coyotes colonizing Martha’s Vineyard, which is a roughly 5 mile swim from the mainland. There are some good practical tips on coexisting with these animals.
February 11, 2023. Restrict the killing of eastern coyotes in Maine. This is a Letter to the Editor I sent to a Maine newspaper.
February 4, 2023. Loved, hated and overrated: Here’s what you had to say about coyotes in Maine. It is great to see most people in Maine speaking positively of the eastern coyote/coywolf. Increased respect will eventually get them increased protections.
February 2, 2023. New study links human-caused wolf mortality to pack collapse. This is a fantastic study, showing how humans killing wolves, even at the edge of national parks, affects pack dynamics.
February 1, 2023. Coyote seen roaming downtown Toronto near Queens Quay. It is nice to read a non-hysterical article. Pretty well down. Education goes a long way!
January 30, 2023. Citizen Sues NH Fish and Game over lack of representation. This is very good news for people that care for all wildlife and to not have hunters and trappers as the primary stakeholder in wildlife management.
January 30, 2023. Drinking coffee with the Song Dogs of Forest Dale. WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER DOCUMENTS THE LIVES OF COYOTES IN MALDEN (MA). This is a cool story and brings a positive life to this important predator, even in urban areas.
January 24, 2023. LIKE PHEASANTS? THANK A COYOTE. . This is a very important article, especially considering that it comes from a sporting/hunting group that are stereotypically against predators. I’d love to see more of this type of article!
January 21, 2023. How Bills To Stop Killing Coyotes With Snowmobiles Went Down In Flames: FORMER MONTANA LAWMAKER QUESTIONS WHAT KIND OF RELIGIOUS PEOPLE WHO WORSHIP CREATOR WOULD CONDONE TORTURING LIVING PRODUCTS OF CREATION. This is a great article on the hypocrisy of canid management.
January 5, 2023. Are there wolves in Maine? An interesting article. There are a couple of minor issues, including the author not just saying that the eastern coyote and coywolf is the same animal – just different names. It isn’t like we have both roaming the northeast. Also, it is likely that the eastern wolf and red wolf are the same animal. While Maine surely had this animal, or genes from them in hybrid populations with gray wolves, it is doubtful that red and eastern “timber” wolves lived there together.
January 4, 2023. A collared wolf from Michigan’s U.P. roamed more than 4,000 miles before it was killed. This is fascinating information and shows how far wolves can travel. If this wolf went east, instead of west and north, it could have ended up in the Northeast!
