Massachusetts Will Lengthen Coyote Hunting Season

August 1, 2007

Massachusetts wildlife officials say that just about every inch of the state is saturated with coyotes, “filling all suitable habitat”. Therefore in a unanimous vote, the state wildlife board decided to lengthen the hunting season for coyote by about 5 weeks. But officials say the lengthening isn’t about reducing the population.

Although the number of coyotes is believed to be growing in the state and complaints about them are increasing, the measure was taken not to control their population but to “enhance opportunities” for people to hunt coyotes, wildlife officials said.

In fact, “The proposed hunting season will neither decrease nor increase the population,” Thomas O’Shea, the assistant director of wildlife for the State Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, told the board.

Politically well stated although I don’t disagree with their assessment. Coyotes are a highly adaptive animal making it extremely difficult to alter their populations.

Hopefully hunters will have better opportunities to get out and take a few coyotes and help matters out a bit.

Tom Remington