Open letter to Governor Patrick about Coyote/Wildlife Management
27 September 2008
Dear Governor Patrick,
Cc: Executive Office of Environmental Affairs
Hello, my name is Jonathan G. Way, Ph.D. I have contacted you in the past regarding wildlife management issues. I wanted to follow up with another letter as hunting season 2008-09 begins.
I am very disappointed that your agency has done nothing to get non-hunters involved in the wildlife management process. Currently, wildlife management (catering to 1 % of the population) is the most undemocratic form of government that I am aware of. Non-hunters (99 % of population) and wildlife watchers (31 % of MA’s population) have no voice in current wildlife management. Wildlife watchers have to hope that our study subjects aren’t shot and killed during currently legal seasons. That isn’t fair. Mr. Governor, when I voted for you I thought you would be an agent for change. But in your first 2 years I haven’t seen one thing change in my field of wildlife management. I hope to briefly list some examples of why this process is unfair and, then, I will list some possible remedies to make wildlife management in MA more democratic to all users, not just hunters. Quite frankly, I am writing directly to you because Mass Wildlife seems to be unwilling to implement any of these changes.
Some examples of past wildlife management mistakes, in my opinion:
1. My study team had to wait 9 months to simply received permits to study the same animal (eastern coyotes) that Mass Wildlife issues $30 licenses/permits to anyone who wants to slaughter these animals in unlimited numbers for half the year.
2. Mass Wildlife says that one reason that the permitting process took so long is that our research findings directly impact wildlife management. However, none of my suggestions or findings (see suggestions below) have ever been acknowledged or implemented by the state. They remind me of the Bush Administration where good science is ignored. Yet my research has produced more scientific output (see http://easterncoyoteresearch.com/Publications.html) than any other group on eastern coyotes. And this has been with not one penny of state support.
3. Eastern coyotes are social, sentient beings that are very important for the environment. Repeated research demonstrates the importance of carnivores in maintaining the health of ecosystems. Yet, all wildlife agencies (nationally) let a minority of people slaughter coyotes in unlimited numbers using inhumane tools such as bait and dogs to lure them in. And they call this sustainable “management”?
A. Some of my study subjects, many who I have known for years, were meaninglessly shot and killed under full legality within current wildlife-related laws. That frustrates me to no end and breaks my heart for a scientist that has dedicated over a decade to gaining insight into the ecology and behavior of these magnificent animals. Yet Mass Wildlife seems to care less about these losses.
4. Many (some hunters included, for sure) love to watch wildlife yet there are no wildlife reserves dedicated to observing wildlife in this state. I have repeatedly requested (see http://easterncoyoteresearch.com/supportECR.html) that the state and/or town dedicate the entire town of Barnstable to a non-hunting wildlife-watching reserve. I need not remind you that wildlife watching generates roughly 10 times more money than hunting does to the economy of our state (about $500 vs. $50 million). It is pathetic that wildlife watchers, like they can in our great western national parks, have virtually no dedicated place in Massachusetts (at least on Cape Cod) to observe wildlife without the risk of them getting shot to death. Cape Cod National Seashore, for instance, is one of the only national parks in the nation that allows hunting.
A. For instance, white-tailed deer hunting has never been more liberal since colonial times. On Cape Cod (wildlife management zone 12) a hunter is virtually guaranteed a doe tag allowing them to shoot an antlerless deer. However, there is no research to remotely indicate that deer on the Cape (especially in my town of Barnstable) are remotely abundant enough to warrant that kind of hunt. For instance, 70 female deer were killed during 2007’s 2.5 month hunting season on Cape Cod, yet this year (2008) the division gave out 850 doe tags. What about the wildlife watchers that like to observe these animals?
5. I have repeatedly applied for permits to raise captive eastern coyotes (only 2-3 of them in my last request). I own 1.4 wood acres situated on a perfect wooded location to raise a litter. How can Mass Wildlife possibly say that a man with a MS and PhD is not qualified to do this work when I have already raised a litter in the past? Also, 2 national producers for documentaries have approached me on making a wildlife film. I have said no to them because Mass Wildlife won’t grant this captive study.
My suggested changes to make wildlife management more democratic:
1. Include non-hunters (like the many environmental groups/animal welfare groups, whose membership to individual organizations often exceeds the entire constituency of hunters in our state) on the Wildlife Governing Board. The 1996 referendum was supposed to include non-hunters on the Board yet no change has been implemented as of now.
2. Make the town of Barnstable a non-hunting wildlife watching area. This is not designed to limit hunting (even though it ultimately will) but to increase chances for the increasing number of wildlife watchers to enjoy their sport as well. In my opinion, it is insulting to think that you can realistically watch wildlife when hunters are shooting and killing them.
3. Revise seasons for animals like coyotes to include bag limits so hunters cannot shoot an unlimited number of them. That is unacceptable in today’s society. Put another way, how can Michael Vick go to jail for 2 years for killing dogs when hunters, for $30, can virtually do the same thing to one of the domestic dogs closest relative?
4. Personally grant me a permit to raise captive eastern coyotes at my home. I have the land, will, and neighborhood support to do this project. I should be able to do it. I have the credentials to show for it. There is no reason why this project can’t succeed.
Thank you for your time. Believe it or not, I am not an anti-hunting fanatic. However, current wildlife management, which is dominated by only hunters, is very unfair. For instance, many hunters have even personally expressed their displeasure with doe deer hunting and coyote management to me, so I know it isn’t just me. Mr. Governor, I voted for you because I believed you would help implement change. Please do not simply forward this letter to Wayne McCallum, head of Mass Wildlife. He ignored/denied my request last time, which is not surprising, since he fully discloses (on Mass Wildlife’s hunting abstracts for 2007/08) that hunters should have the right to kill coyotes for 6 months a year simply because their fur is beautiful. It is time the other 99% of the population have a voice in wildlife management.
Thank you for your time. Respectfully,
Jonathan Way, Ph.D.