Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conferences
Date of this Version
February 1991
Abstract
In 1990, the Legislature passed a bill that would have allowed year-round hunting of coyotes (Canis latrans) in New York's Northern Zone, as opposed to the current system of open and closed hunting seasons established annually by Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) regulation. The bill generated such controversy that it was withdrawn pending a study by DEC. The objectives of the study were to: (1) assess the role of the coyote in northern New York in relation to people, wildlife, and livestock; (2) provide adequate opportunity for citizens to express their opinions concerning coyotes; and (3) prepare a status report with coyote information and management recommendations. The study consisted of: (1) a review and analysis of available scientific literature; (2) consultations with leading coyote researchers and wildlife damage management specialists; (3) a survey of DEC field staff and Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) agents in northern New York; and (4) the active solicitation and analysis of both written and verbal public opinion.