Campfire Discussions

Could Ending Fees to Hunt Coyote Help Grow the Deer Population in Maine?

by Brent Reece on December 12, 2011

Could Ending Fees to Hunt Coyote Help Grow the Deer Population in Maine?

Join this week’s Campfire Discussion and weigh in on another aspect of the predator hunting debate. Maine’s deer herd is depleted and so are the funds of Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. The MDIFW is up against a budget deficit and claims it needs more money to grow the population. They gather little additional money from coyote hunting fees. But hunters are discouraged from hunting predators if they have to pay extra for it. Do you think killing the fees would actually be a more effective tool in helping the department grow the deer population in Maine?

Would killing a deer predator be enough to curb Maine’s deer population problem? Even if you don’t live in Maine, do you think this is an adequate solution or is there a better way? Let’s strike up a campfire and help Maine out on this one.

Photo: Caninest
Any views or opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect those of Outdoor Hub. Comments on this article reflect the sole opinions of their writers.
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  • Agnieszka Spieszny

    I don’t think that being able to hunt coyote would do enough to solve Maine’s deer population problem, but it definitely wouldn’t hurt. Even a small percentile uptick in population because of a decrease in coyotes is a step in the right direction.
    I can see why the Maine Dept of Wildlife claims it needs more money to grow the population by collecting coyote hunting fees, but the money they lose would be helping them grow the population, the matter would just be out of their hands.

  • Aroostookbasser

    This is how bad it has gotten in Aroostook!!! A prime buck mobbed by a pack and killed in the most horrendous way!!

  • ColoradoChick

    I do agree that more hunters would get involved in predator hunting (coyotes in particular) if it were fee free. After seeing so few people tagging this year, and seeing more sign of coyote than deer… it’s obvious they ARE contributing to the decline in Maine’s population. How much would they lose making the coyote hunting free v.s. spending funds they really don’t have to help the population grow? Do the math… makes sense to me! At the very least… how much could it hurt trying it for a year or two as an experiment to see how it affects the dwindling deer population?

    • http://www.skinnymoose.com/wanderings Brent Reece

      Hey there CC glad to see some of my Maine Hunting Forum friends here. How about a lottery on deer instead of an open season?

      • ColoradoChick

        If thats what it takes to restore & preserve our deer population… SO BE IT!!!
        If something isnt done , and fast… we wont have deer to hunt- nor our children & grandchildren. Im sure I will get alot of hateful replies for this response… but honestly- would you give up a few years of hunting deer to ensure you could for many more to come??

      • ColoradoChick

        And once the deer are gone- what game will be next?!

      • http://www.skinnymoose.com/wanderings Brent Reece

        Killing coyotes will not be enough…we have to stop killing deer and start growing them like they do in all the other trophy states!!!!

      • MadJack

        Any lottery means IF&W will require more of the sportsman’s money.
        FEE-FREE coyote hunting??? I already buy a combo license, usually in December and I can hunt most of Maine’s critters without additional fees. And since I own a good chunk of property I qualify for not having to buy a license if I only hunt my own land.

        A possible fix would be to dissolve 25% to 30% of the departments payrole starting at the top. Take that money, and instead of an expanded archery season, capture and transport [already bred] does from expanded archery zones to northern/eastern Maine where populations are down.
        Allow trapping of yotes year ’round like NH has done for years and open SUNDAY HUNTING FOR PREDATORS.

        There are so many problems with IF&W that I have answers to, but so many sportsman would cry ‘foul’ if we could ever get them implemented.

      • http://www.skinnymoose.com/wanderings Brent Reece

        I’m open…what else?

  • http://www.skinnymoose.com/wanderings Brent Reece

    Ok for clarification…….Brent Reece and Aroostookbasser are one in the same. I was asked today to host this discussion as it is something near and DEER to my heart. Deer hunting in Maine. But I am aslo an avid hunter of coyotes. The previous post was made before I accepted the Hosting spot on this discussion. Just clearing things up! I welcome all discussion and most opinions……what do you think?

  • http://www.skinnymoose.com/wanderings Brent Reece

    If you hunt in Maine or anywhere in New England than I want to hear your opinion!! What do you think?

  • Gauge

    I’m not convinced that there are enough of us that put the time and dedication to coyote hunting needed. Fee or no fee will not drive more successful coyote hunters. I am to suggesting a bounty, but some type of insentive. x amount of coyotes taken leads to % off your next season liciense??  I know this is not the answer but maybe something like that. I’d love to hear others ideas. I totally agree we need to do something and I would love to see the success come from the hunters rather then the state legislature

    gauge

  • http://www.skinnymoose.com/wanderings Brent Reece

    I agree on the % plan……say 2.00 off for each tagged coyote……..from a standard license to a Superpak!!
    How about a scratch ticket to finance an actual bounty!!

    • ColoradoChick

      How about what Mass. Had going? X amount of yotes = any deer permit? That’ll get folks interested for sure!

      • http://www.skinnymoose.com/wanderings Brent Reece

        Nope…the last thing we need is more does getting whacked! Rather give them a free hunting license than kill more deer.

  • http://www.skinnymoose.com/wanderings Brent Reece

    JOIN IN THE DEBATE!!!!!!

  • http://www.skinnymoose.com/wanderings Brent Reece

    Going to bed….sleep on it..will talk to you all in the morning!!!!!

  • Gauge

    I totally agree we don’t need more does harvested. Maybe it’s a partnership with a major retailer or let’s get a call, decoy company to sponser something. As I said I don’t know what it is?? But it’s time Maine hunters ralley just like you’re starting here Brent. Let’s get organised and drive this before it’s driven for us.
    I know time is more of the issue for me, wish I could get my boss to give me a day off for every coyote taken, that would drive some interest.
    Thaks for starting this topic, let’s keep it going.

    Gauge

  • Guzzlingguide

    Opening coyote hunting year round with no cost will certainly help. But I also think Maine has to implement a good deer management program which may include having to close certain areas to all deer hunting for one or multiple years. Man is also a predator to the herd.

    • http://www.skinnymoose.com/wanderings Brent Reece

      I honestly feel that it has gotten so bad in most of the state that it should be bucks only…….and all tags drawn by lottery. Just like it is for the moose. Speaking of which, I also think the November hunt for moose should be cancelled as it will negatively effective moose numbers and has hunters killing more deer up here…who go for the two for one opportunity. In Aroostook we in fact need a 5 year moratorium on all deer hunting to give deer a chance to rebound after these two bad winters we had.

  • http://www.skinnymoose.com/wanderings Brent Reece

    I know for a fact one thing that drives coyote hunting in Maine is the winter long Coyote contest held by groups like the ACCA. (Aroostook County Conservation Assocaition) Or the localized contest held by places like Macs Trading Post in Houlton, or Ben’s Trading Post in Presque Isle.
    These all promote the pursuit and offer incentives for shooting as many of these vermin as we can. The one thing we can’t afford to forget is that the coyote is an alien predator, an invasive species. The Burmese python of the New England States!!!

  • John W

    What I would like to see is Maine to have a varmint license at a low cost. I have hunted out West and some states like North and South Dakota offer varmint licenses for visiting sportsmen. I recall paying somewhere around 20 bucks for a license and it allowed one to take prairie dogs, rockchucks, gopher(ground squirrels) skunks, and coyotes. I am not sure if such a provision would create an influx of varmint hunters to Maine but I would go if they had such a system.I don’t hunt Maine for deer so I don’t buy a license unless I am planning a special hunt such as a bear hunt. Also the fee for a three day small game license is a tad steep. A varmint license would be more attractive.

     I know that the deer issue in Maine is multifaceted. The state needs an aggressive snaring program and to blazes with the anti snare people. The state needs to do more to protect deer yards. But I do not want to drift too far from the topic.

  • http://www.skinnymoose.com/wanderings Brent Reece

    John we think the same way. I would like to see coyote hunts offered as a free license!!!!

  • http://www.skinnymoose.com/wanderings Brent Reece

    I would like to see the state sponsor a state wide coyote cull in the form of a 4 or 5 month contest! Among the prizes…a free hunting license and a SUPERPAK or two!!! Possibly even a moose permit……..for the most kills by one hunter. All hides going to IFW for funding a bounty program. All entries are free and participants get to hunt for free!!! But all coyotes go to the hide program.

  • http://www.skinnymoose.com/wanderings Brent Reece

    It goes without saying no culling can be effective without the proper use of snaring of Coyotes. There is great concern about the Lynx and I can understand that. But I truly believe the GREATER GOOD outways the incidental catch of Lynx. We have some of the best big woods trappers there are anywhere. Therefore I suggest any trapper with at least ten years experience be allowed to snare coyotes! Their greater experience an invaluable asset to reduce bycatches of lynx.

  • http://www.skinnymoose.com/wanderings Brent Reece

    Ok…guess we are off being MERRY………..Merry Christmas to all and to all a good discussion…Thank You!!

  • Dennis Menard

    Well with one holiday behind us and the lake and bays freezing I’m getting ready to d=start bating. Does this state have any idea how many coyotes taken in a years time?? Would it help if we had better records of how hany dogs taken and doe we know how many needs to be taken to make a difference??

  • http://www.skinnymoose.com/wanderings Brent Reece

    I think any bio data like that would help them see how many coydogs we actually have!! But the laws have changed and allow us as sahooters of coydogs to leave their mangy hides where they fall. Thank God for that.

  • FRED ALLMENDINGER

    Pay a fee for the privilege of killing a varmint?  Maybe they can recoup their “lost income” with mouse and rat trapping license fees instead!  Victor and Real Kill shouldn’t be able pocket all that money they profit from.  Perhaps they can come up with giant coyote glue traps so they can be dropped off live at the Maine humane society!  We still shoot them for free in Arizona although we’re getting avalanched by eastern nuts.  I guess that’s to even out the score for killing off the wolves. Sweet revenge?