This page is intended for you, the viewer, to take action to support eastern coyote conservation.
Contents:
Legislative Help Needed!
Wish List
Legislative Help Needed!
1. Please help support my Captive Coyote study. Click here to go to my March 1, 2008 field update to see how you can help. Thanks in advance! Update March 30, 2008: permit request denied - click here to read why and see my response.
2. Make Barnstable a wildlife watching refuge - Update April 29, 2008 (see bottom for tourism information and contacts)
My latest request won't surprise you if you read my book and/or have known me for some time. I have previously requested this in a letter (click here to see 18 page report on this issue); incidentally this letter has caused anger among the Barnstable hunting community with one gentlemen (term used loosely) repeatedly trying to get me fired from my teaching position. I asked that the town of Barnstable not allow coyote hunting in the town for 2 reasons: 1) for animals to have refuge in at least 1 town in the state (coyotes and other animals can legally be killed anywhere in Massachusetts where hunting is allowed - i.e., large enough wooded areas); and 2) to specifically protect the majority of our study subjects (although some do leave the town of Barnstable).
Massachusetts currently does not have one single public area dedicated to wildlife watching despite wildlife watchers outnumbering hunters 30 to 1 and outspending them $469 to $58 million (2001 figures) in this state alone. All of the wildlife watching areas are relative small, private areas, such as those owned by Mass Audubon, but they alone don't provide an ecosystem level of protection because they are too small. Even the state's largest national park, Cape Cod National Seashore, allows hunting despite most national parks nationwide not allowing hunting (national park mandate is a hands-off approach where human consumptive uses are not allowed and strict preservation is; Cape Cod National Seashore, created late, in the 1960s, is an exception). However, wildlife watchers currently have no way of supporting wildlife management in most states unless they buy a hunting (or related) license. Read the following article (click here ) about the millions of dollars wolves bring to the economy in and around Yellowstone National Park.
What you can do. Email the following people (below) and request that there ought to be one large area (such as a town) where animals are protected from people killing them, assuming that they do not create a public health threat (like a rabid coyote or maybe scientifically documented overabundant deer). For instance, there is no evidence that hunting and killing coyotes affectively limits their numbers or their danger (or lack thereof) to people. In fact, killing coyotes can be counter productive because it potentially removes territorial coyotes who might prevent multiple young coyotes from entering a given area and potentially breeding. There is increasing evidence that populations in a local area can increase following the death and removal of resident breeding coyotes. Picture this: a dominant male is killed in an area. However, his mate and 3 of his daughters remain in his territory. A young male traveling through the area finds that there is no breeding male present so he matches up with the pack. That male could potentially breed all 4 of those females should they choose to remain in that territory that the breeding male and his mate used to patrol.
Please request that you want the town of Barnstable to be a wildlife watching area dedicated to non-consumptive wildlife uses. Mention that there ought to be a relatively large place where researchers and wildlife fanatics (some hunters included) can study wildlife (deer, coyote, fox) without having their study subjects get shot. In addition, there should also be a place in Massachusetts (similar to the many national parks out west) where animals are not under constant management (i.e., killing) pressures from humans. Finally, you might want to stress that supporting a wildlife watching area does not necessarily make you an anti-hunter; rather, it makes you a pro-wildlife watcher. After all, an animal can be killed only once, while it can (potentially) be watched unlimited times!
Update April 7, 2008: Note: some people requested more precise information and sources for the wildlife watching facts. Here are some facts from 2001:
In an urban state like Massachusetts, 1.3 % (n = 64,000) of the population ≥16 yr participates in resident (i.e., within their state) hunting while 1.5 million people (30.9% of population; 23.3 times the number of hunters; c² = 1.3 × 106, df = 1, P < 0.00001) watch wildlife and contribute $469.3 million to the economy compared to $58.5 million in hunting (U. S. Department of the Interior et al. 2001). In Maine, a more rural state, 12.2% (n = 123,000) of the population legally hunts while 520,000 residents in Maine (51.7% of population; 4.2 times the number of hunters; c² = 2.5 × 105, df = 1, P < 0.00001) brought in $259.1 million watching wildlife compared to $119.1 for hunting (U. S. Department of the Interior et al. 2001). In many areas, wildlife watching is an order of magnitude more important in terms of participation and revenue. For example, in California in 2001 nearly 6 million people participated in wildlife watching while less than 300,000 participated in hunting (c² = 5.2 × 106, df = 1, P < 0.00001); hunting expenditures totaled $315 million (or $1,050 per person) while wildlife watching totaled over $2.5 billion (or $430 per person) (Caudill 2001).
References:
Caudill, J. 2001. National and state economic impacts of wildlife watching. Addendum to 2001 national survey of fishing, hunting, and wildlife-associated recreation. United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Economics, Arlington, Virginia.
U. S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service and U. S. Department of Commerce, and U. S. Census Bureau. 2001. 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/FHW01.pdf.
Sample letter to send to the addresses below
Following Jonathan Way’s lead, I request that the town of Barnstable be declared a wildlife watching area dedicated to non-consumptive wildlife uses (but with fishing/shell fishing still allowed). Massachusetts currently does not have one single public area dedicated to wildlife watching despite wildlife watchers outnumbering hunters 30 to 1 and outspending them $469 to $58 million (2001 figures) in this state alone. All of the existing sanctuaries are small in size and are privately owned (e.g., Mass Audubon's land holdings). Even the state's largest national park, Cape Cod National Seashore, allows hunting despite most national parks nationwide not allowing hunting. There ought to be a place where researchers and wildlife fanatics (some hunters included) can study wildlife (deer, coyote, fox) without having their study subjects get shot. In addition, there should also be a place in Massachusetts (similar to the many national parks out west) where animals are not under constant management (i.e., killing) pressures from humans. Supporting this wildlife watching area does not necessarily make me an anti-hunter; rather, it makes me a pro-wildlife watcher. After all, an animal can be killed only once, while it can (potentially) be watched unlimited times!
I would be much more likely to spend my money in the town of Barnstable if it was declared a wildlife watching area with a hands-off approach to wildlife management similar to the many national parks out west.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
Who to contact to request the wildlife watching area:
1. Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildllife: mass.wildlife@state.ma.us
1 Rabbit Hill Road
Westborough , MA 01581
Tel: (508) 389-6300; Fax: (508) 389-7890
2. Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce (this is the department of tourism and you could have a big impact if you write to them indicating that you will be more likely to visit the town, and subsequently contribute to the local economy, if it is designed a wildlife watching area):
info@capecodchamber.org and info@ecape.com
5 Shoot Flying Hill Rd
Centerville, MA 02632
Ph 877-332-2732; 888-33CAPECOD; 508-362-3225
Massachusetts State House
Office of the Governor & Office of the Lt. Governor
Room 360
Boston, MA 02133
Phone: 617.725.4005 or 888.870.7770 (in state)
Fax: 617.727.9725
TTY: 617.727.3666
By U.S. Mail:
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900
Boston, MA 02114
By Phone, Fax, or Email:
Main Phone: (617) 626-1000
Main Fax: (617) 626-1181
Email: env.internet@state.ma.us
5. Town of Barnstable Town Manager: email@town.barnstable.ma.us
367 Main Street
Hyannis, MA 02601
Main Phone: (508)862-4000
Remember, that the same people who just authorized making it easier to kill coyotes (click here to see Mass Wildlife's website on the law change ) refuse to protect our radio-collared study subjects and refuse to give wildlife watchers (some hunters included) a place to observe creatures undisturbed from people purposefully killing them.
May 2, 2008. Click here to read the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife's response to a request from a citizen
Permit status
Update January 13, 2008. We have the permits, finally... See field updates section for more information (click here ). I reiterate the point I often make though: it is absolutely amazing how difficult it is to get permission to simply study an animal in this state, yet it is equally amazing just how easy it is to get a license to kill the same creatures, many (like deer) that lots of people would like to watch rather than kill. Thanks again for your help with your letters!
March 1, 2008. Please help me with my captive coyote study. I need permits. See above in legislative help.
Wish List
Spotting scope
Over time, I need many items to continue my research. As I wait, frustratingly, for permits to do our research, the major item that I need is a high tech spotting scope, like a Swarovski :
STS80 Straight Spotting Scope Body
In the summer, especially, I do a lot of direct observations at coyote rendezvous sites. I currently use a Bushnell spotting scope which doesn’t even compare to the higher end scopes like Swarvoski’s. I could also use the spotting scope when I take Barnstable High School students (and other people occasionally) to Yellowstone National Park. Note: If you want to contribute but funding a scope, trap, or radio-collar is too much you could also send a donation to:
Jonathan Way/Eastern Coyote Research (please include my name when sending to the high school)
Barnstable High School, Science Dept.
744 West Main St.
Hyannis MA 02601
Additional products needed: In addition to the Swarovski spotting scope, I also continually need Tomahawk Box Traps (model 610B), and model #MOD 400 radio-collars from Telonics, Inc. (Mesa, AZ). Each trap costs $400 with shipping and each collar is about $300.
Thank you in advance for your generosity! Jon Way
