Afield: PA holds over 25 predator hunts each winter. Will they be banned in the future?

The Mosquito Creek Sportsmen Club in Frenchville just finished their 33rd annual coyote hunt. Mosquito Creek has the largest and longest-running coyote contest in Pennsylvania. A total of 4,189 hunters brought in 263 coyotes to be weighed for the judges. Several other hunters were turned away because they showed up with their coyotes after the 2 p.m. deadline.

Over 25 other coyote or predator hunting contests are held across Pennsylvania each winter. Only the Feb. 23-25 Liberty Township hunt is held in Centre County.

Although many are advertised to be statewide hunts, Mosquito Creek truly is statewide, with hunters entering from most of the state’s 67 counties. Coyotes brought in this year came from 39 different counties — representing the far corners of the state. Six of the coyotes came from Centre County and the highest number, 24, were shot in Erie County. Neighboring Clearfield County came in second with 17 coyotes.

Big contest, big winners

Dustin Andreis took first place at Mosquito Creek with a 53.15-pound coyote that he shot in Washington County. His prize was $8,378. Peter Evanoff placed second and earned $5,026 with a 53-pound Erie County coyote. Third place and $3,351 went to Mike Stockdale for his 52.05-pound Jefferson County coyote. The heaviest female coyote weighed 41.35 pounds and was shot by Randy Clark in Venango County. For Mosquito Creek, the hunt is their biggest fundraiser of the year — funding youth programs and other conservation activities.

Organized coyote hunts threatened

Although you would not know it from attending the Mosquito Creek hunt, a cloud is hanging over organized coyote hunts, with much pressure from anti-hunting groups to stop the contests. Organizers of one Pennsylvania hunt were harassed by anti-hunting groups that, although they still hold their hunt (a big fire company fundraiser), it is no longer publicized. Several others asked that details and contact information not be published. The state of New York was targeted last year. Will Pennsylvania be next?

The Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs of Sullivan County, New York, held their 16th Coyote Contest in early February. Hunt Co-chair Gary Muthig was sad to announce that it was their last. This past June, New York’s state legislature passed a bill to prohibit most hunting contests. On Dec. 22, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the bill into law, making New York the tenth state to ban coyote hunting contests. Other states include Maryland, Oregon, Washington, California, Vermont, New Mexico, Arizona, Massachusetts and Colorado.

“Non-native coyotes have no natural predator,” Muthig said. “Their numbers have been controlled by hunters and now they will be controlled by Governor Hochul.”

Each year, approximately 600 hunters, including 40 to 50 from Pennsylvania, entered the Federation’s contest. It was one of their biggest fundraisers of the year.

“Each year, our hunt generated about $400 for a local fire company, and not holding the hunt will cause the Federation to lose about $12,000,” Muthig noted. “It will definitely hinder our ability to sponsor youth events.”

David Simmons, director of Onondaga County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, said that such contests “were never any threat to wildlife or fish populations, so the law is a big failure on that end.”

He continued, “The only thing it’s realistically going to accomplish is it’s going to make it harder for local, community-based organizations to raise funds.”

My take

Google “coyote hunts” and you will find no shortage of anti-hunting messages. If you are against hunting or a lover of wolves and coyotes, then you are against coyote hunting contests. If you are against animals being shot for money, as it is portrayed, then the idea of hunting contests seems wrong.

If you read the anti-coyote-hunt propaganda, and I have read a lot, the message and their goals are often contorted. Many talk about contests where they hunt coyotes from helicopters or give prizes for the most killed.

To the best of my knowledge, no contest in Pennsylvania gives a prize for the most animals killed. In fact, many hunts limit entries to one, two or three coyotes per person. In Pennsylvania, it is illegal to hunt any animal, including coyotes, from a motorized vehicle. Only individuals with special handicap permits can hunt from motor vehicles and only under specific circumstances.

If you are concerned about the money end, very few people only hunt coyotes because of prizes. Two years ago, one hunter at Mosquito Creek donated all of his big winnings to charity. Although Peter Evanoff on paper won $5,026 at Mosquito Creek last week, according to Evanoff, he will see none of the cash. Adhering to an agreement with his hunting group, all of the prize will go to feeding and caring for the dogs with which they hunt.

If you are anti-coyote-hunt because you want to save coyotes, banning hunts will not accomplish this. The Pennsylvania Game Commission estimates that hunters and trappers harvest approximately 30,000 coyotes per year. Of that total, fewer than 3% are shot or trapped during a contest.

People who enjoy hunting coyotes hunt them almost every winter weekend, whether there is a contest or not. They enjoy the excitement of outwitting an evasive predator. For some, like this year’s Mosquito Creek winner, hunting coyotes is a family affair. Dustin Andreis spent nights watching bait from a blind with his 8-year-old son Zyler. Zyler and Dustin each shot two coyotes.

Researchers from colleges and the U.S. Department of Agriculture attend hunts each year to gather biological samples and specimens for research. Locally, this includes Penn State and Juniata College. Ending contests will greatly hinder that research.

Lastly, coyotes are not native to our Keystone State. Most eastern states treat them like an invasive species, with year-round seasons and no harvest limits. How do we feel about spongy (formerly gypsy) moths, spotted lanternflies, Japanese knotweed or garlic mustard? Coyotes are one of the biggest killers of fawn deer. They also kill sheep, calves, family pets, and they have been known to attack humans, as well.

Coyote contests or coyote hunting in general will never eliminate coyotes from Pennsylvania, but they do reduce their numbers during the winter — a critical time of the year for deer. Winter contests also limit the number of coyotes around during the spring fawning season of white-tailed deer.

I do not hunt coyotes, but I have no problem with organized coyote hunts.

Mark Nale, who lives in the Bald Eagle Valley, is a member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association and can be reached at MarkAngler@aol.com .