From my article in The News Journal on 9/18/2013
Since the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Division of Fish and Wildlife released its proposed changes to the non-native/invasive wildlife hunting and trapping regulations last month, Delaware residents have been howling about coyotes.
For the first time, the Division of Fish and Wildlife is moving to establish hunting and trapping season for coyotes, and their actions have sent a wake-up call to Delaware hunters and trappers, as well as farmers, pet owners, biologists and animal rights organization members.
I welcome the much-needed reality jolt but am compelled to ask, “What took so long?”
The presence of coyotes in Delaware is nothing new. Coyote sightings began increasing in the state more than 10 years ago, and DNREC biologists acknowledged their existence in all three counties. In fact, in a 2010 article, I wrote about the increase in Delaware’s coyote population and mentioned that one coyote was killed with an arrow in New Castle County and two others were trapped.
In 2010, Joe Rogerson, game mammal biologist for the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife, said, “[Coyotes] are uncommon, but we know they can be found in Delaware in low numbers.” When asked about hunting coyotes in 2010, Rogerson said, “Creating a coyote hunting season would require legislation.”
Several lawmakers recognized the potential threat of a coyote population increase and introduced legislation in 2011 that would have allowed year-round coyote hunting, but the bill stalled. Instead, DNREC was granted authority to manage coyotes and other non-native species in 2012.
Now into the third quarter of 2013, Rogerson estimates there are 50 to 100 coyotes in Delaware, but I and other hunters and trappers believe there are at least twice as many. Coyotes are captured on trail cameras by Delaware hunters, several are trapped or shot every year, some are observed but not reported by hunters and others are picked up as roadkill (including one found this spring on I-95 adjacent to Rock Manor Golf Course).
With coyote hunting and trapping discussions finally heating up, many hope that some sorts of coyote hunting and trapping seasons will be approved for the 2013-2014 season. Many Delawareans, however, believe the hunting and trapping seasons proposed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife will do too little to effectively control the coyote population.
Because coyotes are extremely adaptable, they thrive in varied habitats (including urban and suburban settings), and their ability to produce litters averaging six to eight pups per year can cause their numbers to skyrocket. Additionally, their opportunistic and predatory nature can be detrimental to Delaware livestock, deer, birds, pets and other animals, and their elusive nature can lead them to hunt during nighttime hours.
During a Sept. 4 DNREC meeting in which the proposed changes to the non-native/invasive wildlife hunting and trapping regulations were discussed, livestock and pet owners were fearful that coyotes will kill their animals. Deer hunters expressed concern that coyotes will prey upon newborn fawns and adult deer and turkey hunters relayed accounts of coyotes devastating wild turkey populations.
Hunters, trappers and farmers were well represented at the meeting, and the majority of the audience favored implementing coyote hunting and trapping seasons more liberal than those proposed by DNREC.
Some of those who offered comments at the meeting wanted total eradication of coyotes in Delaware by any means, and others proposed longer hunting seasons (including night hunting and the use of bait and electronic calls) and the ability for landowners to kill coyotes on their property at any time year-round.
Other commenters expressed disapproval of coyote hunting and trapping and offered alternative control methods, such as hazing the animals with lights and sounds to discourage undesired behavior and encounters with people.
Several of those who disapproved of the proposed coyote hunting and trapping seasons presented data that suggested surviving coyotes will breed more diligently and have larger litter sizes when their populations decline, so hunting and trapping could actually lead to increased numbers of coyotes.
I believe DNREC’s proposed coyote hunting and trapping seasons are a small step in the right direction, but since we are playing catch-up in coyote control, we need to turn small steps into large ones – quickly.
Half of the “too little, too late” idiom is applicable when we consider the amount of time spent in allowing Delaware coyote populations to go unregulated. But there still is a chance to effectively control the coyote population if Delaware hunters, trappers and affected landowners are empowered to do more.