The Maine Legislature’s Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee considered a bill from State Rep. Nina Milliken (D-Blue Hill) to restrict the coyote hunting season in the state this week that pitted hunters and state wildlife officials against those seeking to save the animal that farmers and others consider a threat to their livestock.
When presenting her bill on March 3, Rep. Milliken stated that it is her understanding that “deer don’t tend to go up north,” in Maine — drawing astonished and amused response from the public. Focus on that debatable statement drew more attention in subsequent days that the proposed measure itself.
LD 716 would ban the killing of the predators other than the winter season between October and March. There are an estimated 12,000 coyotes in Maine, and it has been legal to hunt them since 1972.
“I’ve received more hateful phone calls and texts” since introducing the bill, Rep. Milliken said at the outset of her testimony and went on to state that she “has heard that killing coyotes can be quite gruesome.”
Milliken also stated that her family’s dog successfully kept coyotes at bay from her property and suggested that dogs elsewhere in the state might do the same, mitigating the nuisance and threat their population poses to farmers.
Deanna Arut of Rockwood testified in favor of LD 716 but periodically turned around to instead lecture the audience of mainly hunters on the cruelties inherent in killing coyotes and had to be reminded to address the committee instead.
Most U.S. states allow coyote hunting year round. The committee voted in the 131st legislature not to pass a similar bill.
Nate Webb from the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIFW) stated that “coyotes have the lowest favorable rating of all fur bearing creatures, with many of those attitudes connected to their impact on the deer population.”
The department does not recommend a restricted hunting season, and does not believe reducing the season by fifty percent is warranted, he said, adding that the bill if passed would create one of the most restrictive seasons in the nation. The coyote population is abundant and not impacted by the hunt, Webb testified.
In addition to DIFW, the Sportman’s Alliance of Maine (SAM) and more than a dozen outdoorsmen from throughout the state gathered in Augusta on March 3 to testify against the restrictions.
Tim Farrah from Western Maine said he has been hunting and trapping coyotes since 1972 and is frequently asked by farmers to eradicate the predators after they’ve killed cows and other livestock.
“Legislative intent (in permitting the year round hunting of coyotes in 1972) was not to encourage recreational hunting but to enlist hunters in controlling the population and their negative impacts,” SAM Executive Director David Trahan testified. The majority of Mainers support the hunt, he added, citing recent survey data.
“There were always deer in Northern Maine,” Trahan said, “but the loss of habitat and predation has largely wiped them out,” he said, further supporting the case for continuing and not restricting efforts to control the coyote population.
In a work session on March 17, the committee heard testimony that coyotes carry deer ticks, which strengthened the argument for controlling their population. Shortly after that, the committee voted that Milliken’s LD 716 Out Not to Pass.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="36837 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=36837">12 Comments
I can tell Nina Milliken is obviously more than qualified to address this issue. She would likely change her view once a couple of her cats vanish. What’s funny to me is she admits to a serious mental illness by having a “D” next to her name. By doing so one is committing to believe certain things, like certain mental illnesses. I consider anyone foolish to do things like that seriously mentally ill. I use these clues to know who has mental illness so I can stay away from them. Same as with those I see wearing a surgical mask outside by themselves. One other good thing is they are unlikely to figure out how to breed with normal humans because of a admitted mental illness. I try to look at the positive side…
THE NOSE RING IS A DEAD GIVEAWAY! AWFUL, (angry white female ultra liberal). RETARD!
OMG how this “thing” even got elected is mind blowing. Is this the only type of female left in Blue Hill, Maine? YIKES!!! Typical “feminist” without a friggin’ clue MAINE DO BETTER next election because when you keep voting in these LOONIES this is the of lunacy they try to push through.
Oh the poor little things are just hungry and suffering at the hands of all them “Gun rights” people. I can just see her (excuse me if I got her pronoun wrong) screaming and ranting at the next pro abortion rally.
I can not remember the name of the gentleman from a sportsman club on WVOM one morning talking against this bill but he seemed to imply there was a provision in this bill that if you killed a coyote under this new law you had to eat it. I have no idea if this is true but I’m pretty sure people don’t eat them. She claims she’s been receiving more “hateful phone calls and texts”. Madam….prove it. She also claims her dogs have kept the coyote problem at bay at her home. I thought pet dogs had to be under your control in this state. You can’t just let them out at will to run amok. Isn’t it amazing the people voted in the run this state are so f’ng stupid.
Is this restriction for All Coyotes or just Coyotes that Identify as Transgender Coyotes?
Yah, so there’s few deer in northern maine because the snow gets too deep. Ask any old timer.
“It isn’t that the Democrats don’t know anything, they just know so many things that aren’t so.” Typical DEI selection. Oh yes, the visual kinda gives the attitude away. Janet’s minions.
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I’ve hunted coyote for the Government along with other predator wildlife. I’ve trapped Nutria for the Government as well. Nature always has a way to outsmart mankind. If you put pressure on the coyote they will seek safer areas away from humans. Most wolves , coyote , bears , bob cats ect would rather avoid humans. We bring them in by penning up chickens and cows and letting small pets roam free around predator habitat at dusk and dawn You won’t eradicate them by killing them off They will move in and out of areas . All that being said the deer population is definitely being pressured by the coyote . Some silly ass law or more goofy orange hat hunters will not get rid of the coyotes. The deer will recover and nature will take its course and survive long after man has killed himself off. That lady also hasn’t a clue about where deer roam apparently. They range and herd up where they want. These are ancient instincts they possess given to them by God Try killing a few and hang them on the fences. That does wonders keeping other coyote away.
Milliken, you are a freak that is not fit for public office in Maine or America. How do you represent your district and your state with piercings like that in your face. You represent all that is dysfunctional with the lunatic, liberal-left democraric party currently running this once great state of Maine None of your friends, familybor colleagues will dare tell you… but Im telling you. You and your type are a cancer in this state and nation and you must be irradiated as such for the protection of our children and future generations to come. MAINERS, TAKE YOUR STATE BACK. Vote this p.o.s and all those like “it” out of public office NOW. Play your stupid games somewhere else, Nina!
It pays to do your research. Don’t just talk to a few “people” at the local bistro. Is this the best Maine can do as far as politicians go? We all say dumb stuff at times, but this is a doozy. Is it me, or does Maine seem to be going down the hopper? Even if politicians are doing good things, they are being weighed down and overshadowed by all the other boneheads.