New Wisconsin Coyote Hunting Season

Creating another season and more regulation is simplifying things? What's his intentions for shooting hours? Could this be the end of night hunting on public land? There is more to this than building interest in predator hunting.
 
I do not know how much simpler hunting a coyote anytime you want to can be. I also don't think that a season is going to cause more people to get off of the couch to hunt a coyote. Every true coyote hunter I have ever met is more passionate about hunting them than almost any other species.

My drive to hunt coyotes is that I can HUNT... It is scouting, learning, adapting, calling and shooting. Land to hunt is easy to obtain and you can pursue a very cunning animal in his element. I "Deer Hunt" also if you call sitting on limited parcels of land waiting for an animal to walk by hunting. Given a choice between coyotes or deer I would never shoot another deer. I am a firm believer that successful coyote hunters/callers use way more skills than most pursuits.
 
Brilliant, like crosshairs said, next you'll need a stamp or get lucky and get a permit. It still stinks, except for the fox part.
 
I do not agree at all with the idea of establishing a season to increase hunter interest and harvest. Taking away opportunity to try and create interest for those new to the sport is ridiculous!

As far as our image as coyote hunters go, I didn't realize we were thought of as monsters for having the ability to hunt coyotes in the summer if we choose. Of all the guys I know that hunt, none of us go in the summer. However, we have to be careful not to concede that, as that can just be the start if those who don't care for hunting see the opportunity to get a foot in the proverbial door on this issue.

I get the feeling Mr. Olson was quite surprised with the number of calls he received on this today, and definitely knows he will have an uphill battle if he wants to keep pursuing this.
 
Does anyone know what "hunting hours", if any, he has plans to change? If night hunting is stopped, I don't know what I'll do. The coyotes around here get so much pressure and traffic from hunters of other species in the woods that they're completely nocturnal. I NEVER see them during the day unless they're pushed out of their rest areas by guys driving deer! It's like they don't exist. But come nightfall they're rather common on field and woodline edges. Granted, "common" is a relative term, but compared to daylight hours, I'd say it's a fitting description.

The more I think about this whole deal, the more sick to my stomach I get!

So the intention is to increase coyote hunting participation by closing off half the year to it? That's like trying to drum up business for a grocery store by closing it for half the day. Can you imagine a business owner saying, "Sorry folks you can't buy food here in the morning anymore, sales have been slow so we're going to be closed for half the day. We're hoping by reducing our hours our traffic will pick up". That's ludicrous anyway you look at it!
 
After I read this in Outdoor News the other day I couldn't believe it and had read it again. I went to my computer and emailed a letter to the editor of Wisconsin Outdoor News. I suggest you guys do the same so other hunters can see our concerns and hopfully the edtitor will write more reports and editorials about this.

Here is the editors email
dean@outdoornews.com

We need all hunters to be informed and stick together for all species whether you hunt them or not, It's called conservation. I don't hunt coyotes in the summer but if I saw one chasing a deer I'd probably shoot it. There is no reason to mess with the coyotes unprotected status. All Mr. Olson has to do is extend the fox season through March and all is good. His plan to re-open up the north during deer season is a bad idea if he's worried about public (wolf huggers) opinion. How inept would the DNR look as far as being able to manage wolves if they did that. It would just make more hurdels to jump if we ever hope to have a wolf season. I will also email Mr. Olson my full opinion.
 
Originally Posted By: Silent HunterIn my opinion, our season is and has been fine all along.
Who is he trying to impress and 'look good in the eyes of the public". What public?

Exactly, what public opinion is he talking about?
Has the DNR been flooded with calls the past few years from hikers, picnic'ers, campers and atv'ers with reports of coyote carcases wasting away in the summer sun, along with reports of murauding coyote hunters scouring the country side providing an unsafe enviroment for their summer activities.

The general public doesn't even have an opinion, because they don't even know that you can hunt coyotes all year long. I don't know anyone in Wisconsin that hunts coyotes in the summer. Occasionally I'm sure someone will shoot one while turkey hunting but most wont. The last thing I want to do in the summer is go out some night and get eaten alive by misquitos to shoot a coyote with a worthless hide. If I'm going to kill something in the summer it's gonna be a twelve pack after a 150 mile ride on my quad. It concerns me that someone as established in the DNR as Mr. Olson could have such an opinion to change something because of an image that isnt really there.
 
Here is my email and Mr Olson's response.

Mr. Olson,

Thanks, there seems to be some questions about changing hunting hours. Is there anything in the plans to limit night hunting or "hunting hours" during the season?

His response:

"Nothing I'm aware of relative to furbearers, but there was one proposal last fall, by our law enforcement bureau, to ask that hours for the training of dogs on bear, be the same as hours for hunting of bears with dogs. From what I can locate, a recent act, Act 28 (which I think folks call the "bear bill"), by omission, opened the door to all night pursuit of bear for training. This caused a few problems, but I'm not privy to any of the details. Take care."
 
Here is what I sent to Mr. olson and I CC'ed Wisconsin Outdoor News


Dear, Mr. Olson
In response to your proposal to establish a coyote hunting season and to re-open coyote hunting in the northern region during the 9 day deer season doesn’t make sense to me. You said, “The main reason for the coyote season aspect is to clean up our image.” Exactly what image does the public have of coyote hunters? Has the DNR been flooded with calls the past few years from hikers, picnic'ers, campers and atv'ers, with reports of coyote carcases wasting away in the summer sun, along with reports of murauding coyote hunters scouring the country side providing an unsafe enviroment for their summer activities? I’ll bet if you poll all of the non-hunters in Wisconsin (excluding the anti hunter animal rights ones) none would be able to tell you what the current frame work for coyote hunting is. The general public doesn't even have an opinion, because they don't even know that you can hunt coyotes all year long. I don't know anyone in Wisconsin that hunts coyotes in the summer. The last thing I want to do in the summer is go out some night and get eaten alive by misquitos to shoot a coyote with a worthless hide. The general public doesn't have a bad image of coyote hunters because they dont have any issues with us.

Mr. Olson you said “…eliminate the coyote closed area in the north and at the same time establish a coyote-hunting season similar to the fox season.” You also said, “In reality the proposed coyote season doesn’t take anything away, but improves the image of us hunters in the eyes of the public.” Your plan to re-open up the north during deer season is a bad idea if your worried about public opinion. How is the image of hunters shooting coyotes in the summer when hides are worthless, any different than deer hunters leaving un-repairable hides lay after shooting them with their deer rifle? All the mis-identified wolves that would be shot during deer season is the image problem you should be worried about. How inept would the DNR look as far as being able to manage wolves if you did that. How does the delisting of wolves change anything? The whole point of the closed season in the north is to prevent inexperienced hunters from shooting wolves mistaken for coyotes. So now its ok for people to shoot wolves by accident because they are not endangered anymore? This would only lower the public’s image of hunters being responsible and the DNR’s ability to manage wolves. Have you ever talked to the Bureau of Endangered Resources director Laurie Osterndorf? She says "Allowing the hunting of coyotes during the nine-day gun deer season would not be consistent with the... current wolf management plan, to which federal delisting is strongly tied," HELLO! It would just make more hoops to jump through if we ever hope to have a wolf season, unless that is part of your agenda. What's next on your agenda, establish hunting seasons for all the other unprotecded species such as starling, English (house) sparrow, chukar partridge, coturnix quail, opossum, skunk, weasel, and all other wild mammals not specifically mentioned in the hunting, trapping, and migratory game bird regulations pamphlets and not listed as an endangered, threatened, or protected species. Or is there something else you plan to sabotage?

It concerns me that someone as established in the DNR as you, could have such an opinion to change something because of an image that isnt really there. Stop watching "The View" and reading all those junk science publications and get back to work on the real fur issues like beaver, bobcat and fisher. There is no reason to mess with the coyotes unprotected status. Mr. Olson, if you want to do something for predator hunters, how about extending the fox season through March and pass Resolution 320311 (the use of lights for scanning) and all is good.

Thanks for your time,



I did not recieve a reply as of yet from Mr. Olson, probably because I was a little nasty at the end. But I did get a repley from the editor at WON.


"Hi Steve,


We have quite a backlog on letters.


I did a follow-up story on the coyote season topic from Dec. 30 and will have that in the next issue. I used some of your comments in that article as a way of getting part of your message out there while the topic is being discussed. Thanks for reading the paper."


Dean Bortz
Editor, Wisconsin Outdoor News
715 358 8844
dean@outdoornews.com
www.wisconsinoutdoornews.com
 
I dont know this guy and dont want to. His proposal sounds like all the other ignorance implemented by the WI DNR. Coyote hunting to me is something I look forward to, after everything else is closed it gives me something to chase around and outwit. If he wants to close the season in April, he better propose to open a wolf season then from april till august.

And his statement about bear hunting "Look at black bear - in the early 1960's there was no season and anyone could shoot them out of dens during the deer gun season. The WCD actually hired hounds men to chase bear and encourage citizens with interest to shoot them. It took hold and look where we're at now - it's a coveted big game species for which you have to wait years just to get a permit." Waiting years for a bear tag in this state is only because of more DNR ignorance. They themselves have said the population is at an all time high which should mean more permits, but no. Wisconsin is a tourist state and the DNR loves the money. WI residents should have first preference for bear tags but it'll never happen because of the tourist dollars.

Also I believe the WI DNR holds its spring hearings for public opinion is just that, public opinion and to say they listened. They never implement anything we tell them. They listen to high paid college educated types like Mr. Olson as to what they should do. Well when he closes the season down and the coyote population explodes because of it and Mr. Olsons precious puppy or kittys start disappearing I'll call him up and say "I told you so"
 
Yep just look what it did for bear hunting, I ran dogs for nearly 20yrs in Ws after the first time of waiting for 4yrs for a tag I gave up. Wouldnt it be great if eventually they got to the point of issueing permits for coyotes and you waited 4yrs to get one and you paid yearly fees just for a chance at a permit.
 
Originally Posted By: yote51I emailed Mr. Olson this morning and below is his response. I have been lurking here for a year now and haven't posted until now. This was something I was very interested in getting to know more about. I simply asked in the email for him to explain the proposed changes. Here is his response.

"It's a rule proposal to open coyote hunting during the deer gun season in northern WI and to establish a coyote hunting season to be the same as a new proposed fox season - beginning when it currently does in mid-October and extending until March 31. Currently the fox season ends mid-February, with this proposal extending this season 6 additional weeks.



There is no coyote hunting season right now, yet this proposal would not change the landowner right to shoot nuisance or damage coyotes year round. In addition, any landowner can give written permission to anyone with valid licenses to shoot coyotes on their property year round as well. This new proposal would affect public land by closing the recreational coyote hunting season during the spring and summer months, a time when there is no documented recreational hunting of coyotes on public land. Part of the reason for this proposal is to clean up our image as hunters, by not giving the antis' the argument that we're killing coyotes when pups are in the dens; and the other part, when you establish a season, folks take notice and you end up with greater interest and increased harvest. Look at black bear - in the early 1960's there was no season and anyone could shoot them out of dens during the deer gun season. The WCD actually hired hounds men to chase bear and encourage citizens with interest to shoot them. It took hold and look where we're at now - it's a coveted big game species for which you have to wait years just to get a permit. With coyotes a season closure would encourage folks to get out there and participate prior. Without a season most of us never "get-around-to-it".



If this proposal has merit, it will take at least until 2013 or 2014 before it would even makes it on the spring hearing, so quite a bit of time for input and discussion. This was initiated as a request by legislators to simplify regulations and is part of a larger furbearer rule that would simplify zones and seasons. Any other questions just holler. Take care."

Did I really read this correctly.....Mr.Olson, your're planning to increase hunter participation by eliminating hunting opporturnities. That's friggin' nonsense, and boarders on retarded.

Did I really read this correctly.....Mr.Olson, you're proposing to limit coyote hunting to satisfy legislators requests. If that is true than what the heck do we need you for? I find it disturbing that some anti-hunting, anti-gun madison elected libral is going to dictate your actions on reducing hunting opportunities with your support.

Did I really read this correctly.....Mr.Olson, you're trying to clean-up the image of hunters. By your admission that we need cleaning-up you must therefore have the opinion that we are somewhat "dirty" to begin with. I am not "dirty" and I take offense at your comments.

Did I really read this correctly.....Mr.Olson, you're saying people don't hunt coyotes because they "don't get around to it." Really, the last time the WI DNR accused hunters of being lazy it was done by your colleague Keith Warnke in regards to a reduced deer harvest. Remember how well that worked for him? Now he's teaching hunter saftey for rest of his career. We are not lazy!

I could go on, for instance the analogy to the bear season is nonsense, but I'll stop, for now.
 
Guys,

With respect, I'd submit that many of you are going about this the wrong way. This guy Olson is a lifer bureaucrat who is more interested in winning awards from the Sierra Club than in guarding your rights to enjoy our state's resources; sending letters to him is unproductive, as it won't change his mind and he certainly won't communicate anything you send him to his own superiors.

It probably makes more sense to write to the governor, or your senator, as appealing to someone like this guy Olson is not going to accomplish anything.
 
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They are just trying to regulate hunters right out of the sport of hunting. Some day when there is no one left buying a license to hunt, what will be paying their wages?
 
I hunt in Marinette county in the summer precisely because it is an opportunity to get into the woods between spring Turkey, and the fall upland season. Every logging road I scout is covered in yote tracks and scat. It's bad enough I have (as a nonresident) to pay $185 for a fur bearer license, now they want to limit the hunting of a animal that is wreaking havoc on all the game animals we pay Madison to hunt! 30 years ago there were no Coyotes near us, now they can be heard howling every night. The Sierra Clubbers want us to be like Europe, hunting tightly controlled, and affordable only by the very rich, or those lucky enough to get drawn in some DNR lottery. I'm writing and calling Madison Monday!
 
I feel for you guys and expect to see similar action proposed here in MN before too long. It was only a handful of years ago our state trappers assoc. got the MN DNR to put a season on raccoons and fox here.

Sometimes it seems we lose more from people who are supposed to be in our ranks then those who are "anti".

Stand strong and hold the line as once we start willingly giving up our rights the slope can become steep and slippery very fast.

Tim
 
Hunting season really that bad? could lead to Lic. or tags? Just read a article in a outdoor mag that was all upset because one political group wants to cut Gov. spending. hunters said that would cut back on places to hunt, when was it the Fed. Gov. place to provide us with plases to hunt. maybe we need to pay more to to enjoy our sports. I hunt with a group of guys with hounds, on any given day theres up to 8 hunters all driving $20,000+ trucks burning 3-5 Gal. gas at $3.59 a Gal. 6-10 hounds that have to be fed year around,each dog has a tracking collar these are good collars with the GPS tracking$?. After the hunt its to the local watering hole for a few refreshments and discuss the days hunt $? and were worried we might have to pay a little extra to enjoy it. I work 12 Hrs a day 5 days a week and I make pretty good money and the Gov. takes a good chunk of it to give to people, some who are just to lazy to work. I dont expect other people to pay for things I want.
 
It's not the governements job to provide anyone with places to hunt but it sure isn't their job to limit hunting or hunting oppurtunities either. The governement isn't a seperate enitity that hands out its own money for this and that, they are spending OUR money and are supposed to represent us.

If you are willing to pay more and have the income to do it great. I could also but, I sure am not going to stand up and tell others who may not be in the same position I am in, that they need to pay more also. Maybe they can't. I don't feel any level of government is spending our money wisely the way it is. Why would anyone want to give them more money to mis-spend.

The idea of having to draw a tag to hunt coyotes makes me sick. I personally think that a season is insane. Maybe if it was backed up by sound ecological data I could support it but it sounds like this proposal is all about appeasement. Which I am solidly against. Why should we or any hunters have to lose anything just to make a small vocal minority happy? A vocal minority who would not be happy with a season until they get the entire season closed.

I don't know how public hunting area aquisition goes in WI but here in MN, hunters pay for the purchases throught Liscense sales and a tax on outdoor related sales. That make hunters primary in funding new purchases.

I also have not read anything about $$$ being in any way tied to this proposal. It seems that one biologist just decided it was time in his opinion to try this and more then likely it will come back to stick him in the backside.
 
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