ACTION ALERT: Speak Out Against Coyote Killng Tournament in Maine

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ACTION ALERT

SPEAK OUT AGAINST

COYOTE KILLING ‘TOURNAMENT’ IN MAINE

 

Right now

in Northern Maine (Jackman), predator hunters are killing coyotes as part

of a contest “tournament.†Sponsored by

the Jackman-Moose River Region Chamber of Commerce, the “kill†runs from

December 16th through January 30, 2010. Prizes are awarded for

those hunters who kill both the most coyotes and the largest individuals.

Ethics aside, random coyote killing will do nothing to protect Maine’s deer

herds, as tournament sponsors contend. A copious and growing body of

literature shows that coyote population reduction efforts through lethal

control are futile, given the species’ resiliency and ability to

biologically rebound.

 

 

WHAT

YOU CAN DO:

 

1- Contact the Jackman-Moose

River Region Chamber of Commerce

and express your concern about this hunt. Points to convey:

 

·

Let

them know that their name as a Chamber of Commerce will be deeply tarnished

by their support of this blood sport.

·

The principles behind tournament/bounty systems are

ecologically and socially flawed, and no federal or state wildlife agencies

endorse this as a viable coyote management strategy.

 

·

If

you live outside of Maine, convey that you will not be spending your

tourist dollars in Jackman until they stop sponsoring coyote/predator

killing contest hunts — and that you’ll encourage your friends and family

to do the same.

 

·

Let

them know that you believe that this “tournament†is ethically

indefensible, ecologically reckless, and counter to sound scientific

wildlife management. It is important to point out that this

coyote slaughter is not hunting, and is in direct opposition to Maine’s

long tradition of sustenance hunting.

·

As

an area that prides itself on being a “working forestâ€, the Jackman-Moose

River Region Chamber of Commerce should support forestry practices that

will support adequate wintering habitat for deer – not scapegoating coyotes.

As confirmed by state biologists and researchers, deer are suffering in

Northern Maine from a loss of wintering habitat- not from predation.

 

Contact information:

 

Jackman-Moose

River Region

Chamber

of Commerce

P.O. Box

368

Jackman,

Maine 04945

Email: mooserus

Phone: (207) 668-4171

or 1-888-633-5225

2-

Cc

your letter/comments to (and call) Governor John Baldacci; urge him to tell the

Jackman-Moose River Region Chamber of Commerce to call off the coyote killing

“tournament†in perpetuity (in 2005 Governor Baldacci came out against a

coyote contest hunt in Washington County and directed the state Department

of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife to tell “tournament†organizers to

cancel the event because it was not an effective way to control the coyote

population).

Contact information:

Gov. John

E. Baldacci

Office of the Governor

#1 State

House Station

Augusta,

ME 04333-0001

Email: governor (or share your views directly

through the Governor’s website: http://www.maine.gov/governor/baldacci/contact/index.html )

Phone:

207-287-3531

 

****************************************

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