Coyote hunt raises funds to save deer

A coyote hunt will again be held in Washington County. Sponsored by the Washington County Conservation Association Inc. (WCCA). The purpose of the hunt is to raise funds for the WCCA Habitat Improvement Program and to save deer and small game from winter predation by coyotes. Coyotes are a problem in deer-feeding areas when there is snow on the ground.

Ed Renaud of Waite, a member of WCCA, says many people believe there is an abundance of deer in the area, with many of them being seen in towns, but he notes that a few miles out of populated areas there is a very noticeable decline in the deer population.
The hunt will begin on Thursday, December 15, and end a half-hour after sunset on April 18, 2006. Hunters must pay a $20 registration fee to be eligible to win one of several new firearms that will be awarded to the hunters who take the largest coyotes. Registration information can be found at the following registration points: Johnson' True Value, Calais; Waite General Store, Waite; Coffin's True Value, Machias; Four Corners Store, Columbia Falls; and Johnson's Mobil, Route 1 in Pembroke.

Tom Schaeffer, regional wildlife biologist for the Downeast region, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IF&W), says the WCCA-sponsored hunt is similar to the big buck contests held by other groups.

The coyote, a member of the canine family, inspires a great deal of feeling, both pro and con, in Maine. The coyote wandered into Maine about 20 to 25 years ago, moving down from Canada through northern New England. IF&W canceled the state's snaring program three years ago and is currently negotiating with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concerning the potential impact of a snaring program on the Canadian lynx and the bald eagle, both protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Schaeffer says there is no closed season nor any bag limits for coyotes, which are considered fur-bearing animals, but a hunting license is required. There are many federal coyote control programs in place. According to Schaeffer, coyotes are very adaptable animals and have a very successful natural dispersal rate. Coyotes are always on the move, with October the peak time for dispersing as young ones move out on their own. The coyotes use the river courses as their travelway, and Maine's river courses move to the coast.

The coyote has a high reproductive capacity, but there is an equally high mortality rate, with the average pup living a little more than a year. Breeding starts at about a year and a half to two years. A small number of animals will live to be five to seven years of age.