Massachusetts Eastern Coyote(Coywolf) biologist Jon Way strongly urging Maine Wildlife Officials to disallow the use of leg hold trapping of carnivores

From: Jon Way <jw9802@yahoo.com>
To: "hcpmainetrapping@fws.gov" <hcpmainetrapping@fws.gov>
Sent: Wednesday, November 9, 2011 9:10 AM
Subject: Trapping in Maine

Dear USFWS,

I visit Maine yearly and recreate non-consumptively hoping to see eastern coywolves, lynx and all other native mammals. I am strongly against using leg-hold traps for recreational purposes so people can essentially kill intelligent (often social) fur-bearing animals for fun. I urge you to side with wildlife conservation groups and not allow trapping in Maine except by box trap.

In addition, there are wild wolves in the Northeast, including Maine, that are effectively not protected due to the lax laws that allow eastern coywolves to be killed year-round. You need to also come up with a wolf management plan that includes better protecting the canids that are already here. That includes restricting the use of traps for recreational purposes.

Respectfully,
Jonathan Way
89 Ebenezer Road
Osterville MA 02655

Please visit my new website "My Yellowstone Experience" (http://coywolf.org), as well as my eastern coyote/coywolf site (http://www.easterncoyoteresearch.com) where you can purchase my book Suburban Howls (http://www.easterncoyoteresearch.com/Store.html) and support creating a wildlife watching refuge in the town of Barnstable (http://www.easterncoyoteresearch.com/supportECR.html)