YES The population can sustain it
Given the current status of coyote populations in Ontario, the answer is unequivocally yes.
Sustainable hunting seasons are driven by a “harvestable surplus” of animals in a population. Wildlife managers can pull various management levers to keep harvest within sustainable limits. If populations dip, harvest can be reduced either by reducing season length or reducing the number of animals that can be harvested by hunters. If populations are abundant or overabundant, the harvest can be liberalized.
Coyote hunting is no different. It is a regulated hunt that is based on sustainability of the population.
Some argue that wildlife populations should be left to follow more natural cycles of life and death and that a natural death is preferred to death at the hands of a hunter. But as a coyote population increases, so too do natural limiting factors, such as disease and competition for resources.
Rabies and canine distemper are wellknown dangers to humans and pets alike, but one of the more conspicuous maladies is sarcoptic mange, which is caused by a highly contagious burrowing mite. The mites cause intense itching and a bad infestation can cause the loss of hair over much of the animal’s body. If you’ve ever seen a nearly hairless coyote try to survive a cold Canadian winter, you can appreciate that a “natural” death isn’t always preferable.
Due to the combined management of wolves and coyotes in parts of northern and central Ontario, coyote harvest is limited to two per year via a tag system. In the southern part of the province, however, coyote hunting is open all year long and there is no limit on the number of coyotes that can be harvested.
Even with this very liberal season, coyotes are thriving in Ontario, showing that the hunting of coyotes in no way creates a sustainability concern. In fact, some reports say that to have a population-level impact on coyotes, as much as 70 per cent of the population would need to be harvested on a continuous basis.
The concern raised about contests making coyote hunting unsustainable are unfounded. First and foremost, participating hunters are required to follow the same coyote hunting regulations, and many harvest the same number of coyotes regardless of whether they participate in a contest or not because their hunting effort is usually limited by many other personal constraints.
All of this combined with what we know about coyote biology and the extremely high harvest pressure required to have population-level impacts, as well as the long-standing presence of contests without population concerns, doesn’t support the perceived issues. Regardless of your opinion toward contests or hunting in general, the province’s coyote hunt, with or without contests, is sustainable and is in no way a conservation concern.
There has been opposition to coyote hunting due to concerns about mistaking coyotes for Algonquin wolves, a species at risk. Any real or perceived risk has been mitigated by the prohibition on hunting and trapping of wolves and coyotes in the geographic townships where Algonquin wolves exist and, due to the limited geographic range of the species, there is no risk for the rest of the province.
Coyotes do not have to be consumed, which may lead people to think that harvesting them creates waste. However, there is a requirement under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act to prevent the pelt of a coyote from spoiling so long as it is viable, meaning hunters and trappers who harvest a coyote are required to ensure the pelt is utilized. This is the case for all fur-bearers in Ontario.
Although there is some public opposition to the use of real fur, it is a renewable resource and garments made from it do not shed harmful microplastics into the environment, which cannot be said for the oil-based alternatives positioned as more ecologically friendly.
Coyote hunters pay for licences and those fees go directly into the fish and wildlife special purpose account, which directs more than $70 million a year into fish and wildlife conservation and management in Ontario.
But most importantly, at the end of the day, we expect our wildlife managers to use evidence-based decision making when determining if a hunting season is sustainable or not. By the metrics used to monitor hunting seasons, coyote hunting is a sustainable activity that should continue.
LAUREN TONELLI IS A RESOURCE MANAGEMENT