So we have a nimrod named Erik Hammond up in Vermont who represents an example of the no-nothing hunter,,,,,,,,,,,,Yes, he can blow on a "call lure" to get Coyotes in his cross-hairs,,,,,,,,And yes, he knows nothing about predator and prey dynamics in the woodlands where he hunts..................In Mr. Hammond's "no-nothingness" about Coyotes role in Vermonts woodlands he states: "There may be as many coyotes in Vermont as there are deer"(note there are some 130,000 deer in the state and 4500 coyotes per Vt. Fish and Wildlife)....................."The more people that get into hunting coyotes in Vermont, the better off the deer population and farm animals will be and more people will be hunting deer because they’d have more success"..................Vermont wildlife biologist Walter Medwid corrects the misstatements put forth by Hammond saying--- "We once saw predators such as coyotes as vermin – the only good predator was a dead one"....................... "Today, through greater understanding of wildlife, ecology and the environment as a whole, most wildlife enthusiasts see the great value these animals bring to healthy wildlife communities".............. "While many deer hunters see coyotes as a threat to “their” deer, biologists in New York have recently concluded that coyotes prey far less on deer and fawns than hunters believe".................... "Only 10 percent of adult deer deaths are actually caused by coyotes".................. "Biologists there have also found that coyotes hunt and eat beaver far more often than fawns".........Vermont Fish & Wldlife Officials say this about Coyotes on their fact sheet about Lobos----------"Although a coyote may kill a fawn or deer in deep snow, it will also readily eat the carcass of a dead deer and other dead animals".................. "Research has shown that although the coyote does prey on deer fawns in the spring and deer in the winter, it is not a major controlling factor on deer numbers with the possible exception of areas where deer populations are already low or winters are extremely severe"................ "Although the coyote occasionally has conflicts with humans, the coyote plays an important role in the ecosystem"-.......... "Regrettably, the(Vermont Fish & Wildlife) board with its narrow focus and representation has, in the case of the coyote, kept the myth of coyote as “vermin” alive and well – they may be killed any day of the year for any reason or no reason".......... "They seemingly dismiss and certainly discount more scientifically-grounded data"

: http://101-rhwebvarnish.newscyclecloud.com/article/20160110/NEWS03/160119971

Taking aim at Vermont predators

By Eric Blaisdell
STAFF WRITER | January 10,2016

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Photo by Alex Clark Erik Hammond gives a presentation on hunting predators by use of certain animal calls at R&L Archery Saturday afternoon.

BARRE — Erik Hammond has killed or been hunting with someone who has killed more than 500 coyotes since he started hunting them six years ago. He will continue on with his hunt to help out farmers and Vermont’s deer population.
Hammond, a Huntington resident, gave a seminar at R&L Archery in Barre Saturday on how to hunt predators. More than 60 people attended. Hammond touched on how to hunt fox and bobcat, but the species he mainly targets is coyotes because, he says, they are fun to hunt and they are starting to be a problem in the state.

Given how many coyotes he’s seen and how the numbers don’t seem to die down despite his efforts, Hammond estimates there may be as many coyotes in Vermont as there are deer. He said they are also an issue for farmers as coyotes will pick off young farm animals even to the point of pulling a calf out of its mother before it’s even born. Hammond said the coyotes are attracted to the smell of the cow giving birth, and the calls she will make and the mother can’t do anything to stop them.

Because of the problem coyotes cause, there is no official hunting season for them, so they can be hunted at any time year-round. Bobcat season runs from Jan. 10 to Feb. 7; fox season runs from October to the middle of February.

The big difference between hunting herbivores like deer or carnivores like coyotes is that coyote hunting requires the hunter to draw the animal to him or her using either electronic devices that emit animal sounds or handheld animal calls and decoys that move around. Hammond said it’s not about sitting in a tree stand all day waiting for an animal to walk by.

He said when he goes coyote hunting he will go to about six places in a day and stay at each one for about 30 minutes to 45 minutes and if nothing comes to him, he goes on to the next area. Hammond said it’s also a thrill and a challenge to hunt coyotes because of how smart they are.

“I mean you think of a German shepherd and when their owner comes home they hear the car come in the driveway, coyotes are the same way with calls,” he said. “You can ruin a spot calling it too much. But if you’re smart about it and you can use the right sounds you can beat them at their own game.”

Hammond said hunting coyotes in the West is very popular, but it hasn’t caught on in the East, so much so that he’s never ran into someone who was also hunting coyotes with calls. He said people also get discouraged with coyote hunting because they’ll go out and might get nothing.

“Last weekend, I hunted 16 stands and I had no action,” Hammond said. “That would turn away most people.”
That’s why he said he wants to put on more seminars like Saturday’s to help educate people how to hunt coyotes and get them excited about it. He said the more people that get into hunting coyotes in Vermont, the better off the deer population and farm animals will be and more people will be hunting deer because they’d have more success.

Josh Robitille, a staff member at R&L Archery, said seminars like Saturday’s are important for hunting. Robitille said there aren’t too many other sporting goods stores in the area that offer such seminars because they focus more on skiing or biking where a seminar isn’t really needed.

“Hunting is in a different aspect because it’s about the comraderie,” he said. “When you go to deer camp you bring all of your buddies with you and you all get around and talk. It’s about sharing knowledge and passing the knowledge on to the next generation.”

Robitille said they only expected about 30 to 40 people to show up Saturday, but there likely were many more than that because deer hunters are reporting seeing more and more coyotes and people are coming out to see how they can bring down the coyote population.
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http://vtdigger.org/2014/11/21/walter-medwid-time-change-managing-vermonts-wildlife/

WALTER MEDWID: TIME FOR CHANGE IN MANAGING VERMONT’S WILDLIFE

NOV. 21, 2014, 7:05 PM BY COMMENTARY 11 COMMENTS

This commentary is by Walter Medwid, a biologist who lives in Derby.

True to Vermont’s values, a board made up of citizens from around the state decides how to manage the state’s fish and wildlife. But, contrary to those values, the people serving on the Fish and Wildlife Board are chosen by the governor from a limited pool of citizens who take part in trapping hunting and fishing. This may seem to make sense, but wildlife is a public resource and not just important to people who are “consumers” of it.

This imbalance in representation came about for two reasons. First, hunting, fishing and trapping have traditionally been considered a mainstream of our Vermont culture. Second, hunting and fishing license fees and federal funds from taxes on certain sporting goods are an important source of income for the Department of Fish and Wildlife and to the governors who have to juggle budgets and appoint citizens to the board. It’s clear why governors would want to cater to that special interest group.

One clear sign that it may be time to do things differently is the steady decline in sales of hunting and fishing licenses. Since at least 1987, resident hunting and fishing license sales have dropped by double digits, but as Vermont’s culture and traditions have changed, the way wildlife management decisions are made has not. In the 21st century, having a Fish and Wildlife Board with a wide range of stakeholders who represent more contemporary and diverse public values is simply a sign of good government. We look at wildlife far differently than we did 25-50 years ago. Ironically, the consumer-value focus of the board becomes disproportionately stronger and even less representative of public interests as there are fewer hunters and fishers in the state.

One example of our changing views of wildlife is how we now think of predators. We once saw predators such as coyotes as vermin – the only good predator was a dead one. Today, through greater understanding of wildlife, ecology and the environment as a whole, most wildlife enthusiasts see the great value these animals bring to healthy wildlife communities. While many deer hunters see coyotes as a threat to “their” deer, biologists in New York have recently concluded that coyotes prey far less on deer and fawns than hunters believe. Only 10 percent of adult deer deaths are actually caused by coyotes. Biologists there have also found that coyotes hunt and eat beaver far more often than fawns. Regrettably, the board with its narrow focus and representation has, in the case of the coyote, kept the myth of coyote as “vermin” alive and well – they may be killed any day of the year for any reason or no reason. They seemingly dismiss and certainly discount more scientifically-grounded data.

The board’s stance on coyotes is even in conflict with the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s own professional wildlife biologists, who recognize the species’ importance in the natural Vermont community. They stress, “Coyotes fill the role of a natural predator, a role that is important for maintaining the dynamics and health of our ecosystems.”

It’s time for the Legislature and the governor to revisit Vermont’s wildlife laws and the mandate of the Fish and Wildlife Board so they reflect today’s Vermont, where hunting and fishing remains a key part of the equation, but is not the only “voice” represented at the decision-making table.

The board’s decision this year on moose management shows a similar disconnect. Vermont’s moose population is in decline – only half of what it was 10 years ago – and below the number state biologists estimate as what the landscape can handle. Yet instead of suspending the hunting season to allow the population to become stable again, the only consideration by the board was approving how many animals would be killed this year. This default to hunting values over ecological or wildlife-watching and eco-tourism interests reflects a serious lack of serving the entire public’s interests.

It’s time for the Legislature and the governor to revisit Vermont’s wildlife laws and the mandate of the Fish and Wildlife Board so they reflect today’s Vermont, where hunting and fishing remains a key part of the equation, but is not the only “voice” represented at the decision-making table. There should be a wider lens that the board looks through to ensure an ecologically diverse Vermont with healthy wildlife populations; the lens should not only look at game as the paramount product.

The gulf between who the board represents and the people it should be representing is growing and will only expand if the public at large is frozen out of the decision-making process. The response to no representation of the other sectors of Vermonters will surely be the “… rising tide of posted and inaccessible land,” as referenced by a recent fish and wildlife commissioner.

Hunters, trappers and fishers have done some of the heavy lifting when it comes to supplying fish and wildlife programs with money, although as license fee income has declined, support from general revenues has already increased. Logically that trend towards more public funding needs to grow since wildlife belongs to all Vermonters.

Stakeholders who represent the non-consumptive interests – the wildlife watchers (Vermont has one of the highest percentages of residents in the country who engage in some form of wildlife watching) and photographers, those who benefit from eco-tourism, and many more, need to step up to the plate and actively participate in hearings to give their input when decisions are made. They need to do this under a newly designed board. We need to anticipate vigorous debates as this new board reflects wider interests. However, that’s not a bad thing.

These changes would be a return to those Vermont values held so dear for so long – equal representation – equal voice that is true to the population’s needs and growth. Vermont could lead the pack by managing its wildlife this way. Should we expect anything less in a state where citizen involvement stands at the heart of its identity?