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Federation Position on Coyotes

Vermont Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs Position on Coyote Hunting Regulation

The Federation has been carefully watching the coyote hunting issue, and monitoring the introduction of legislation and the course of travel of the issue. The Federation position is:

Coyotes are a predator species that have a substantial adverse impact upon the populations of many game species in Vermont.

The deer herd in Vermont is already extremely vulnerable. Back-to-back harsh winters in two of the last three years have made concern regarding the state of the deer herd even more critical to all Vermonters, particularly hunters.

For the previously stated reasons, hunters often legally take coyotes, a legal to hunt species, when they encounter them while hunting.

There are numerous types of hunting and fishing derbies and pools in Vermont and the outlawing one such type of derby will concern many sports men and women, for efforts to ban more types of derbies or pools are almost certain to follow.

There are enforcement issues with such legislation or regulations. How would any enforcement actions bar the submitted entries with pictures and size specifications that are mailed, faxed or E-mailed to the contest site?

The Federation is concerned about the use of the already thinly staffed ranks of VT F&W Game Wardens. Would the enforcement of any bans or restrictions on coyote contests be an effective and efficient use of our VT Game Warden resources, largely paid for by the license fees of the outdoors sporting community?

The Federation administers Operation Game Thief. This program educates the public on the threat of poaching and rewards members of the public reporting such violations. This program is extremely dependent upon the voluntary participation of citizens. Often the citizens in the most favorable position to witness poaching violations are the sports men and women.

Making coyote hunting derbies illegal, resulting in the arrest of hunters participating in such a derby, raises concerns that those in the outdoors sporting community might well take issue with such arrests and chill their hard earned participation in reporting poaching violations.

The Federation agrees the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Board reviewing coyote hunting was timely and appropriate. The Federation urges restraint, as well as employing sound reasoning and science, as the best course of action in addressing coyote hunting.

Sound public policy, not crisis management, is always the best governing strategy.

Updated: 13 May 2006