Stop the Coyote "game" classification proposal

[Firstgenhunter]

Classifying coyotes as “game” in Washington is a solution in search of a problem — and it’s coming up soon. The department is introducing this change.

This proposal is expected to come before the Wildlife Committee at next month’s WDFW Commission Meeting on April 16, with public comment on the 17th and 18th at 8 AM.
Coyotes are not a species of concern. They are thriving across Washington. There is no conservation crisis here that justifies elevating them to game status.

We already collect data. Coyote harvest information is reported through small game license reporting and trapping data. Managers do have insight into take. If improving data is truly the goal, a more practical step would be requiring harvest reporting from big game license holders, not creating an entirely new classification.

Reclassifying coyote will open the door to commissioners and anti-hunting activists currently chomping at the bit to get to work- we anticipate bag limits, shortened seasons, and weapon limitations.

We’ve seen how this can play out. In Michigan changes pressured by anti-hunting groups resulted in shortening its year-round coyote hunting season, creating a closed period from approximately April 15 to July 15. Last year California, Project Coyote moved in on a similar campaign, but the department did not support it and it didn’t move.

This proposal may be coming from the Department, but we know it won’t stay there. Advocacy groups opposed to predator hunting will use it to push for further restrictions. Certain commissioners keep bringing the topic up.
And at a time when Washington is facing budget shortfalls and staff layoffs, dedicating time and resources to redesign management of a thriving predator is hard to justify.
Mark your calendar for the upcoming WDFW
Commission meeting:
April 16 – Wildlife Committee Meeting
April 17 & 18 – Public Comment @ 8 AM
This is a very real concern. Especially with this current commission.

[Smokeploe]

These anti hunters like to live out on the fringes of city life,  just wait till one of these cute yotes try to grab one of their kids or their cute expensive pets!  Then everything will change.  Coyotes don’t care if the cute mop of a dog costs $1,000 or if it is a little child playing in the lawn all it see is LUNCH!  Coyotes are one of the most adaptable animals on the earth,  they breed almost as fast as rabbits.  These people need to see what a coyote can and will do to children and pets!  Almost all the pictures on store and post offices lost pet is due to being invited to lunch with coyotes.   Let the see the truth about coyotes!

Smokeploe

[Ghost Hunter]

Is it the department or the pro-predator commissioners pushing this?  Doesn't make any sense. 

[JakeLand]

You can’t fix stupid without a big hammer
My business has gotten so busy in the past 5-6 years because there are so many coyotes in the cities . It’s a non stop calls because of the problem

[hunter399]

The constant changes to regulations is a problem in its own.
They don't realize the long term effects it has till it's too late,my opinion.
Let the fawn eaters live, decimated ungulates is all in the plan.

What pisses me off the most, especially here in the NE.
They act like we should be some Yellowstone science experiment.
Yet we have no national park, people depend on wildlife consumption as a daily diet.
Heck I'm eating a mule deer pepperoni stick this morning for breakfast.

Definitely anti hunter crowd has been pushing for this for a long time.
Have no clue on long term effects on all wildlife,not just consumption wildlife but all wildlife.

[Green Tree]

The State is getting stranger each year, wonder when they’ll finally realize predator populations need to be managed. Predators don’t care if you are a (pet, wildlife, human) if they are hungry, they WILL eat.

The ones trying to impose these rules probably wouldn’t listen, but it would be nice to share my mom’s story of her little dog getting ripped in half and its guts eaten by the coyotes. They had him butterflied and all innards removed in under 3 minutes this was in the middle of the day. I’d upload the pictures but I’m sure that’s not appropriate.

[MADMAX]

The State is getting stranger each year, wonder when they’ll finally realize predator populations need to be managed. Predators don’t care if you are a (pet, wildlife, human) if they are hungry, they WILL eat.

The ones trying to impose these rules probably wouldn’t listen, but it would be nice to share my mom’s story of her little dog getting ripped in half and its guts eaten by the coyotes. They had him butterflied and all innards removed in under 3 minutes this was in the middle of the day. I’d upload the pictures but I’m sure that’s not appropriate.

Maybe you should send them to the commission with an explanation of what they’re seeing.
I’ve said all along it’s gonna take somebody’s kid getting ate by some of the different predators to really make them change their ways.

[Humptulips]

Is it the department or the pro-predator commissioners pushing this?  Doesn't make any sense.

It is coming from within the Department. It isn't just coyotes.

[EnglishSetter]

In CA they did similar with hogs.  Was 1 per day all year.  Then they decided to sell pig tags at $5 per ($25 per book of 5).  Just a money grab and no incidentals to anyone who didn't get tags.

[Loup Loup]

WDFW started this 25+- years ago. They arbitrarily outlawed the hunting of coyotes with dogs. They did this with no warning, no public input, and no biological reasonings.
This immediately outlawed using tracking hounds, coursing hounds, and what affected me, calling coyotes with a decoy dog.
This got no mention or complaint from sportsmen or stock growers that I ever heard.
This was another one of a thousand cuts on predator control. Especially when at the time trapping had recently been outlawed.
As far as I know, this action was 100% department.

[Ghost Hunter]

Can you imagine poaching a coyote? 

[shotguunar]

I hate to say it but what else did you expect just look on social media and see all the pictures they post of the coyote kills the writing is on the wall  Have  a few friends who are getting into the night hunting and getting the night vision gear told them it will only be a matter of time and they will outlaw night hunting I just bought a lucky duck roughneck last year and been doing a bit of coyote hunting myself because heard rumors of them shutting down the pheasant release program which I think is a done deal social media platforms is killing our hunting programs hunters can't just go out and kill 1 or 2 dogs they have to fill up the back of their pickup trucks and post it all over the internet duck hunting will be next waterfowl hunters do the same thing post pictures of 6 guys with 6 limits on the internet the anti hunters see this and don't like it I am sure if this goes through we will be buying a small game license along with a coyote license along with it because we all no the state which doesn't do anything to enhance the coyote population likes to charge more money and it seems the hunters and fisherman are getting less in return