Dave Wilson is the executive director of the Maryland Coastal Bays Program...... Professor Aaron Hogue teaches mammalogy at Salisbury University...............Both men see Coyotes as true "positives for Maryland's biodiversity..........Coyotes feed on white tail mice(hosts for the lymes tics), so lymes disease is mitigated,,,,,,,,,,,,,they reduce the population of foxes, raccoons and oppossums, thus helping ground nesting birds rejuvenate their populations.............As Coyotes will kill fawns, they help reduce the out-of-control deer populations which are denuding the woodlands of tree seedlings, shrubs and groundcover plants.................and there is a case to be made that Coyotes actually promote the growth of larger sized deer------as the two Researchers put it----"Human hunting for white-tailed deer is critical to controlling populations, but it has proven unable to keep pace with explosive reproduction".......... "During the past few hundred years, hunting has resulted in genetically smaller deer due to our appetite for hunting big bucks".............. "By taking smaller deer, coyotes help restore the natural order by exerting selection pressure on smaller, slower growing deer which, in turn, results in larger deer"............ "In short, more coyotes mean bigger deer.!!!!!!!"

Coyotes help restore ecological diversity

Dave wilson;oceanpines independent.com

Few animals could
help restore

 the biological
 integrity of Eastern 

Shore woodlands
 better than coyotes.

Before Europeans
arrived several 

hundred years ago,
 Delmarva was

 home to a variety
 of large mammalian

 carnivores. These
 included black bears,

 cougars, gray wolves
 and bobcats. 

Today, these species
are gone.

This has left an
 enormous ecological

 void with significant
 negative consequences.

 Top predators perform
 an essential role in 

regulating prey
populations, controlling

 invasive species,
reducing disease hosts

 and substantially
 improving wildlife diversity.

On the Eastern Shore,
 the demise of these 

wild predators has
 likely increased the 

prevalence of Lyme
 disease and drastically 

increased raccoon,
red fox and opossum

 populations while
 bludgeoning populations 

of quail and other
 ground-nesting bird
 species.

 A favorite prey of
coyotes, white-footed
mice

 are the primary vector
 for Lyme disease. The 

return of coyotes could
 help quell the scourge 

of the disease on the Shore.

Because coyotes eat
 and directly compete
 with

 red foxes, raccoons
and opossum, the return 

of the higher order
predator in the eastern
 U.S.

 has helped control the
bloated populations of

 these three species.
 Scientists blame the
trio for

 the declines in
ground-nesting bird
 species due

 to their appetite for
 eggs and chicks.
These include

 quail, woodcock,
 Kentucky warblers
 and wood 

thrushes, to name
 a few. Decades
ago, it was also

 assumed that
coyotes could
 control feral cat 

populations, but
 studies suggest
predation from

 foxes and rabies
 infection from
raccoon bites

 are more of a
 threat to outdoor
 cats than coyotes.

Smart and social
 like domesticated dogs,

 coyotes will also take
 small deer, the primary

 cause of diversity
 decline in the remaining 

forests on Delmarva.
Hunting for white-tailed

 deer is critical to
controlling populations,

 but it has proven unable
 to keep pace with 

explosive reproduction.
 During the past few

 hundred years, hunting
has resulted in

 genetically smaller
deer due to our appetite

 for hunting big bucks.
 By taking smaller deer,

 coyotes help restore
 the natural order by

 exerting selection
 pressure on smaller, 

slower growing deer
 which, in turn, 

results in larger
deer. In short, more 

coyotes mean bigger
 deer.

But it also means
less deer browsing. 

From a biologist's
standpoint, this is

 perhaps the biggest
 benefit of the canids.

 White-tailed deer
have drastically altered 

the forest composition
 on the Shore. The

 proliferation of
invasive multi-flora
 rose, 

Russian olive,
 phragmites and
Japanese 

honeysuckle, plus
 the loss in diversity 

from the deciduous
 sapling-guzzling 

herbivores, has changed
 forest composition,

 straining populations
of birds, amphibians

 and native plants.

In the past few hundred
 years, coyotes have

 spread east, making
 it to the northern neck

 of Delmarva around
 1921, and are now found 

in every county on the
 Eastern Shore. At present,

 they are one of only two
species allowed by the 

Maryland Department of
 Natural Resources to be

 hunted statewide during
daylight hours year-round 

with no bag limits. The only
 other species with 

such permissive regulations
 is the introduced 

and ecologically destructive
 nutria.

Given their potential to fill
 the niche left wide 

open by the extirpation of
large carnivores,

 the state should consider
 espousing a role of

 promoting biological
 diversity. Maryland has 

done an excellent job
of expanding hunting 

seasons for white-tailed
deer, resident Canada

 geese and other
 biologically destructive

 species. It should
consider the opposite 

for those that increase
diversity. The move

 would ultimately
benefit
 those of us who
 hunt and fish.

A primary role of
 the Coastal Bays
 Program is to

 help restore the
 biological integrity
 and the rich 

natural beauty of
 the barrier island
 estuary. To do

 this we have to put
science over superstition
 and

 allow reason and
morality to trump
fear-inducing 

childhood fairytales.

Perhaps it is time to
welcome fascinating and

 misunderstood animals,
 rather than revile and

 exterminate them as
 we did their predecessors.