Coyote Control in Utah?

[bearpaw]

Thanks to the efforts of sportsmen across the state the last 45 days, it looks very promising going into the Utah Legislature - that started Yesterday and ends March 7 – that Utah will see a DRAMATIC increased effort to reduce coyotes and rebuild Utah’s deer herd.
 
In a meeting yesterday, Utah DWR Director Jim Karpowitz proposed this:
 
1.        Continue the aerial gunning of coyote pairs in the spring with $470,000.  Better efforts will be made to target paired coyotes.

2.       Hire 5 Full time – NON Biologist – Regional  coyote trappers/trapping coordinators.    Job requirements:  proven track record of knowing how to kill coyotes, and teach and motivate thousands of sportsmen to join the effort.   Every day, the job is to wake up and kill coyotes, and additionally teach other sportsmen how to trap, snare, and otherwise kill coyotes.  These full time people would also coordinate county bounty programs, and help target and measure – hopefully – increased fawn survival.  These coordinators will also come up with some new and creative efforts to get sportsmen out killing coyotes.

3.       Have some current DWR Employees participate in coyote control efforts while doing spring and fall counts, etc.

4.       See $1 Million coyote bounty below
 Since it is not in the current Governors budget submitted on December 8, the bounty money will have to come from Legislative leaders like Senator Hinkins and Okerlund, who take the Governors budget and tweak it.  I also think the Governor, after the meeting in Cache, and having aides see the turnout at other meetings, and realizing the need, will be supportive.  So, the new piece of the puzzle see Number five below:

5.       With the help of Sportsmen, obtain $1 Million in additional funds to pay $50 coyote bounty.  This would lead to 20,000 dead coyotes, a DRAMATIC increase in coyote kill.
 Let me give you some numbers.
 1.        Last year, after seeing the dismal fawn survival on 4 central Utah deer units – Pavant, boulder, beaver – the Director spent an additional $100,000 on coyote control
a.       Fawn Survival from 2010 to 2011 went from approximately 43 fawns per 100 to 62 per 100
 
It is estimated that there are 80,000 coyotes in Utah.
 Last year it is estimated that the government professional trappers took 4,000 coyotes.  This program would stay the same, but it would be better targeted in fawning areas.
 $1 Million for a $50 bounty would result in 20,000 dead coyotes, plus all the coyotes taken by 5 full time coyote killers from the UDWR, plus all the coyotes taken by aerial gunning $470,000 in the spring on deer winter ranges.
 
It will still take a lot of effort to see all of this come to pass.   I am sure there will be some resistance to the legislation from anti hunters – and from Occupy Deer hunt hunters.
 
 After an hour of really looking at data and discussing this, I think proposal, if implemented year in and year out, will drive populations of coyotes down, and allow for increased deer survival, thus a 2X or 3X in deer herds.
 
Your thoughts are welcome by responding to this email to don@sfw.net

Don Peay

[Dhoey07]

There must not be too many bunny huggers in Utah, eh?

[C-Money]

Maybe in Salt Lake City...I thought Utah was full of ranch familys?

[Feanix]

Hmmmmm.....no license required to hunt coyote or red fox. Going to have to plan a trip.

[cmiller85]

I like where their heads are at but it all seems so complicated and expensive. Just put up $100,000 as a prize and have one big coyote derby. The team at the end of the year with the most dogs gets the prize. You'd have guys coming from all across the country.

[ICEMAN]

Wow! I cannot imagine this state ever taking on even one of those measures. Good for Utah!

[Big10gauge]

Remind me not to go coyote hunting in Utah for sport, But if I had quite a bit of time on my hands it could be at least it would pay for your gas and lodging to get some coyote shooting in. The problem with bounties is that guys are already shooting coyotes in Nevada,Wyoming,Arizona etc and taking them to Utah for the bounty since Utah already has a $20 bounty. There's a lot of coyote hunters that already have been collecting ears from other places and saving them if this passes. In my opinion it's a big waste of taxpayer money and will only increase the fraud expotentially and with the net effect in "more coyotes being killed in Utah" being almost neglible. It WILL encourage more total azz hats that otherwise wouldn't participate in coyote calling to get out there using any means but legal to try and make some easy money. Of course, those are the guys that aren't going to make a scratch in the coyote numbers but will do plenty to give all coyote hunters a black eye.