Update June 13, 2008. Updated July 3. Record number of eastern coy-wolves (eastern coyotes) slaughtered in Massachusetts; token Wildlife Watching Areas discussed. Update June 14: Article on "Record Number of Coyotes Killed in MA," with my comments. Update July 3: Outrage: half the population of eastern coywolves killed on Cape Cod 2007-08. Unbelievable.
First, I am starting to refer to the eastern coyote as a coy-wolf to accurately reflect what the animal actually is. I am currently working on a collaborative peer reviewed publication on the topic. God forbid someone from a state wildlife agency listens to (i.e., reads) our future publication.
The latest issue of MassWildlife News details the record number of coyotes shot by 187 Massachusetts hunters. Once again Mass Wildlife caters to the minority of hunters who want to shoot coyotes simply for the recreational opportunity of killing them. I become increasingly amazed by the utter red-neck like tendencies of all Fish and Game Departments nationwide. They cater to the most minority of people simply for recreation opportunities. I am confident that in the next 10 or so years there will be a national Canid Protection Act that recognizes the inherent value and the social, family oriented tendencies of coyotes, wolves, and coy-wolves, similar to the Raptor Protection Act that forbids the random shooting of hawks, eagles, and falcons.
The Division repeatedly mentions that they have the shortest hunting season on coyotes, yet they make no mention that they allow a hunter to shoot unlimited numbers – a veritable slaughter is allowed if a hunter wants to. That is simply unacceptable to most people these days. Of interest in Mass Wildlife’s post is lots of language about licenses, new hunters, record numbers but nothing about whether this activity reduced human-coyote interaction (which was allegedly one of the purposes behind the new hunting season) and the PAC (Problem Animal Control) listing. Here is their, in my opinion, sad post (notice how the article also makes no mention on the ecological importance of having a predator in the ecosystem; it is all about how many can be killed): My comments are in red:
COYOTE FIGURES FOR 2007-08
Final figures gathered by MassWildlife's five district offices totaled a record 442 coyotes taken by licensed hunters (i.e., people that simply buy $30 permits from Mass Wildlife) during the 2007-2008 coyote season. The coyote harvest for 2007-2008 nearly doubled from the previous season total of 222. 199 coyotes were taken in the Southeast District, 34 in the Northeast District, 50 in the Central District, 58 in the Connecticut Valley District, and 99 in the Western District. 2 additional coyotes were checked in at a Western district check station, but the hunting locations of these animals were not documented. The Eastern coyote is a protected game species (for half the year and can be killed in unlimited numbers for the other half; that is some protection) in Massachusetts with the shortest coyote hunting season in the United States. The 2008-09 hunting season dates for coyotes are October 18, 2008 March 7, 2009.
Approximately half of the increase in harvest was attributed to 5 additional weeks newly added to the 2007-08 season and the other half of the increase was attributed to an increased harvest during what had been the traditional season dates. 58 coyotes were taken during shotgun hunting season for deer. Since 2002, the Division has seen a steady increase in the number of coyotes harvested as well as the number of successful licensed hunters. 173 licensed hunters were successful in taking at least 1 coyote compared to 84 successful coyote hunters in the 2006-07 hunting season. More details on harvest information will be posted in the hunting area of MassWildlifes website.
In the summer of 2007, the Fisheries and Wildlife Board promulgated new coyote regulations designed to balance public interests and respond to public inquiries and concerns while recognizing the coyote as a protected valuable wildlife species. The two most significant regulation changes involved expanding the coyote hunting season by five weeks, which also allowed for coyote hunting during the shotgun season for deer. Secondly, coyotes were added to the list of 25 species that Problem Animal Control (PAC) agents are currently authorized to remove, with a certification training requirement for any agents who want to manage individual problem coyotes. Laura Hajduk, recently hired MassWildlife Furbearer Biologist, said that agency staff are currently developing a certification training program required for interested PAC agents which will be offered this year. Yet of course MDFW makes no mention of the success, or lack thereof (probably) of what this slaughter does on preventing interactions, which are so rare to begin with.
Token Wildlife Watching Areas
Perhaps not surprising, the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife has also posted information (which has been on their website for years) on Wildlife Watching Areas, no doubt a knee-jerk reflex to my push to establish a non-hunting area (town of Barnstable, MA) dedicated to wildlife watching area. Their post makes no mention of the fact that none of these areas are off limits to hunting where wildlife watchers, which greatly outnumber hunters, can watch their creatures without fear of them getting shot. Again, the lack of non-hunting wildlife watching areas, makes it obvious that the Division is designed to cater to hunters. This needs to change, now. Read their post on this issue:
WILDLIFE VIEWING SITES POSTED ON LINE
A new addition to MassWildlifes website has been posted for wildlife watchers. A listing of the 67 Wildlife Viewing Sites as designated in theMassachusetts Wildlife Viewing Guideare now posted on line in the Recreation area. The Wildlife Viewing website provides helpful hints on how and when to watch wildlife, links to Viewing Site webpages, and updated telephone numbers for current site information. Use the material presented to plan a wildlife viewing trip and to make the most of your time in the field, whether it be going on a coastal whale watch, looking for wintering bald eagles, or just spending an hour in a nearby park. Take advantage of the sites listed on the website and discover the scores of others that are your gateway to wildlife watching.
Trips and outings for the specific purpose of watching wildlife are increasingly popular. In fact, figures compiled by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2006 indicate 71 million Americans are involved with wildlife viewing each year, YET THERE ARE VIRTUALLY NO AREAS THAT ARE SOLELY DEDICATED TO WILDLIFE WATCHING AREAS THAT DON’T ALLOW HUNTING. Here in the Bay State, about 1.9 million residents participated in wildlife viewing activities. To help meet the demand for information on wildlife viewing opportunities, and to make the experience more enjoyable, Massachusetts, as a partner in the National Watchable Wildlife Program, developed a wildlife viewing guide in 1996. The project involved the collaboration of state environmental, tourism and transportation agencies, federal agencies, state conservation organizations, and utilities. Copies of the 1996 Massachusetts Wildlife Viewing Guide are still available for purchase from MassWildlife. Purchasers are reminded that certain information such as telephone numbers may be out of date. The Viewing Guide is available for purchase from MassWildlife'sWestboro Field Headquartersfor $5.00/copy.
Wildlife Research vs. Hunting
I hope I am wrong on this, but I bet that the same people (Mass Wildlife) that established these liberal coyote hunting seasons (oh yeah, but purportedly the shortest in the U.S.) will give us the run around on our permit renewals for 2009.
Update June 14: Article on "Record Number of Coyotes Killed in MA," with my comments in red.
Coyote kill hits record number in Massachusetts
Posted by mbrault June 12, 2008 23:16PM
By DAN RING
dring@repub.com
BOSTON - Hunters in Massachusetts killed a record 442 Eastern coyotes during the season that ended in March, partly because of a state board's disputed vote to lengthen the season by five weeks.
State officials last year decided to extend the season after people complained for years about coyotes attacking pets or livestock.
The state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife reported today that the number of coyotes killed by hunters was up 99 percent from the 222 killed in the prior season.
During the season that began in October and concluded in March, a total of 157 of the coyotes were killed in Western Massachusetts. Another 199 were taken in the southeast part of the state, where some residents have worried about coyotes in suburban areas.
Thomas K. O'Shea, an assistant director for the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, said today the hunting season was extended to enhance opportunities for hunters and to provide an additional management tool to control problem coyotes. (They are the ultimate hypocrites; they make us go through multiple rounds of review to study the same animal, yet they never read our peer reviewed publications that come about from this research; yet they have no definition of problem coyotes and they ignore the majority of people that spoke against this hunting extension; there are other "tools" for dealing with problem animals than by killing them especially when there is absolutely no evidence that the coyote(s) that get shot are problem coyotes)
"It was a positive effect with the extension of the season," O'Shea said. (Bull. How do you measure that; Mass Wildlife's definition of success is to allow a minority of people to shoot species that many would like to watch; success is measured in total kill; remember this is a social, family-oriented animal and its carcass is only used for its pelt - you don't eat them; it is for purely recreational purposes).
State officials attributed half of the increase in coyotes killed to the additional five weeks of the hunting season. They attributed the other half to an increased kill during what had been the traditional hunting season for coyote.
Linda S. Huebner, a deputy director for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Springfield, said she was disappointed to hear of the sharp jump in coyotes killed by hunters.
She said coyotes help people by eating rodents such as mice and rats. (I have to agree with MSPCA on this one)
"We don't think hunting is a solution to conflicts with coyotes or other wild animals," Huebner said. (Again, I agree; non-hunters have no voice in current wildlife management - that needs to change)
During a meeting in Hadley on July 31, the state Fisheries and Wildlife Board voted unanimously to extend the hunting season for coyotes so that it ran from Oct. 13 to March 8, including the two-week shotgun season for deer.
Prior to that change, the hunting season for coyote was from Nov. 1 to the end of February, but it excluded the hunting season for deer.
O'Shea said there are about 10,000 coyotes throughout Massachusetts, except for Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. (This is the most insulting number I can think of; all of the peer reviewed data [including my own data] available on eastern coyotes indicates that they live at much, much lower densities but they refuse to use any of the data that my research team has collected; my estimate would be 3,000-5,000 in MA which would be a fairly high number; I think their erroneous 10,000 figure justifies more coyotes being shot; as such the 422 coyotes is no doubt 10% of the entire state population and they had a mere 183 people killing these coyotes; Their 10,000 figures means there is more than 1 coyote per square mile throughout the entire state a figure 2-3 times greater than reported in the literature - they must be doing research that I and others are not aware of)
He said more and more people are interested in hunting coyotes.
"You can see they utilized the additional opportunities these regulations provided," he said.
The state board also voted to have the coyote listed as a problem species for animal control, allowing licensed business people to trap or kill individual coyotes on private property if they are damaging property or threatening safety. The state is developing a training curriculum for certifying such businesses to remove coyotes. (Articles like this will make it easier for my family and I to move to a different, more progressive state/area [i.e., National Park area] to study wildlife that all people, not just hunters, get to enjoy)
Update July 3: Outrage: half the population of eastern coywolves killed on Cape Cod 2007-08. Unbelievable.
I recently received the figures from those 442 eastern coywolves killed in Massachusetts and I am shocked: 144 (or 34.1%) of those coyotes (coywolves) were killed on Cape Cod. That is at least half of the entire population on our small peninsula. That is up from 86 in 2006-2007 and 38 in 2005-2006. The fact that Mass Wildlife does nothing to regulate this literal slaughter is not surprising for an agency that is in bed with these people that care to do such a despicable act. This past winter/spring, I received numerous emails/calls from people about how disappointed they were because they never saw the coywolves that they regularly used to see. They were positive they had been shot and killed which broke their hearts. Boy, were they right. The town of Falmouth, for instance, went from 2 to 4 to 28 (yes, 28) in just the past 3 years. That is likely over half of the entire population and I was told that only 2 people were really involved in this killing.
I am so outraged that we have a bunch of rednecks running and determing wildlife policies for the state. I was recently interviewed by the Falmouth Enterprise and made the comment (which is absolutely true) that non-hunters have no voice in wildlife management. They interviewer told me that Mass Wildlife responded by saying that we were given the opportunity to comment on the proposed hunting season. However, they know that that was simply lip-service since the decision was made ahead of time to go forward with the increased season. The public hearings seemed to be mostly against the hunting increase (I went to 1 hearing and others told me the same at other hearings) yet the decision was made to increase it anyway. This is very similar to the undemocratic, anti-science decisions famously made (repeatedly) by the Bush Administration.
It is unbelievable that half the population on the Cape has been killed by a minority of people (1 coywolf/eastern coyote per square mile is a lot of coyotes which would mean that 300 on the Cape would be a lot). It will do nothing to prevent the loss of pets since the other half of the coyotes will still be around to potentially prey on them (house cats). So what is the point? To give the minority of the people a chance for a killing contest while ignoring the social, family-oriented nature of these beautiful animals. I am sure that many of those people wanted to prove me around about my positive feelings for coyotes and took it as a challenge to kill as many as possible. And the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife just sat back and watched. I suggest that they change their name to the Department of Extreme Hunters to better reflect who they cater to (and don't get me wrong, they aren't catering to the average hunter that appreciates nature; they are catering to the small population that wants to destroy another species and doesn't appreciate the whole of nature; and Mass Wildlife gives them free reign to slaughter as many as they want 6 months a year).
I will say it again: If you are a non-hunter, you have no voice in wildlife management. That is why I am considering a career with the National Park Service where animals (exception being at the Cape Cod National Seashore where many of these coyotes were probably killed) are actually appreciated that are alive, not dead. How sad that many of our favorite animals that we liked viewing in our neighborhoods are now dead - skinned for their pelts, or killed and left untouched simply because they are predators and a nuisance to some people.
