Feathers ‘n Fins

Midweek Mail: In the minds of many hunters, the coyote is the culprit in regard to diminished deer populations. For your perusal, here is an opinion from Bill Cook of Pembroke:

“Greetings Tom,

“During the 60 years that I’ve been hunting deer, the season has been too early with the exception of a few. A man from Massachusetts told me one time that you could always tell when the deer season opened in Maine by going to the dump.

“My father was a game warden from 1926 to 1953. About two years before he died, we were talking about deer. I asked him if he ever knew of deer being killed by winter conditions. He said, `No. With the exception of an old or sick animal, deer could take any winter I’ve ever seen – if they were let alone.’

“Did you ever see a deer’s liver with a big water blister on it? `Yes, but I don’t know what it indicates.’ Did you ever see where a bear killed a deer? `Not really. Once in a while they’ll take one that a hunter has hung up.’ Do you think there should be a bucks-only law? `Well, no bucks, no lambs, no deer.’

“I can only speak for this area and we don’t have any deer. I don’t believe all the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has to say either. They will admit that the bucks-only law has not helped here. However, the department seems to shrug off the one real problem, and that is the coyote. I have found plenty of proof that coyotes are taking lambs as fast as they’re dropped. But Commissioner Vail writes me that he isn’t in favor of a bounty.

“I think the commissioner and hunters, etc., should get together for a talk, and there are some biologists who should be kicked out on their butts.”

J. Aubrey Davis of Lamoine also has his sights set on coyotes and biologists:

“Dear Tom,

“You asked for comments about the deer season. Lamoine is doing great feeding the coyotes. There are still some deer left, but it will take most of them to feed the coyotes through the winter.”

Enclosed with his letter was an account of coyotes killing a deer near the Lamoine sportsman’s home. A copy also was sent to DIFW Commissioner Bill Vail.

“Dear Editor,

“I live one-half mile down in the woods on Raccoon Cove. On Dec. 18, at daylight, about 200 yards out in the mud flats was a good-size buck and a large coyote. Both had their heads down about 10 feet apart, just standing there.

“The activity in the house caused the coyote to back off and head toward the shore. By the time I got a gun it was almost ashore. I fired two shots and missed. It was then the buck left and went to the back of the cove.

“Our dooryard was all torn up where I’d guess several coyotes ran more than one deer back and forth. It is my guess the deer were hanging around the buildings for protection. The buck went out on the flats right in front of the house.

“On Dec. 21, when the alarm went off at 5 a.m., we both heard a noise two or three times. We gave the dogs downstairs the credit. But at daylight, two coyotes were on a just-killed spikehorn. They had a hole in his high back, and pulled most of the hair off his back but had not broken the hide or the hind quarters. No chance for a shot. When it got there the deer was still warm.

“I back tracked and where the deer died the coyotes had it down and it’d gotten up and made 10 or 15 feet more. But about 150 feet away the buck had stopped and they had a go around. Then on back. There were deer tracks in the middle and coyote tracks on either side, and mouthfuls of hair as they kept biting. I’d guess the buck had come across one third of a mile before tiring out.

“My question is, when is the state going to realize if they want a few deer left they need to do something. The coyotes have cleaned up all the rabbits and almost all the partridges. Last winter, where I cut wood, I found the remains of five deer in that small area. So how many did I not find?

“The state does not have money at this time for anything. One of the best ways to save some is get rid of those biologists who tell you a coyote will not kill a healthy deer, and when there is so many coyotes in an area they stop breeding. That might stop if they are starving to death. What they will do is clean out the deer and move on.

“My suggestion is for every 10 coyotes turned in, a person will get an extra buck permit. By killing 10 coyotes, that person has saved many deer and will hurt the deer herd much less than all those coyotes.”

If the United States is at war with Iraq as you read this, hope and pray that whatever action is taken will be swift, decisive, and accomplished with minimal loss of life.

Aside from that, thank God you never became a biologist.