In the past two years, hunters and wildlife advocates have testified before lawmakers, sharing thoughts, expertise and experience related to two controversial topics — hunting coyotes with dogs, and trapping wildlife.
In 2022, lawmakers passed two laws that required state officials to issue rules governing both activities: Act 159, which requires state officials to make trapping practices more humane, and Act 165, which creates a moratorium on hunting coyotes with dogs, with some exceptions, until new rules are created.
Now, state officials at the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department are asking members of the public to weigh in on the new rules. They plan to hold public hearings on June 20 in Rutland, on June 21 in Montpelier and virtually on June 22 through Microsoft Teams.
Wildlife advocates have been critical of the proposed regulations, saying they don’t move the needle enough to reduce pain and distress among the animals that are captured or hunted, and that they won’t adequately reduce chances that the wrong animals are caught in traps.
Rules about trapping are intended to reduce injury for animals caught, prevent the capture of non-targeted species and protect pets. Last year, a trap, which was likely illegal, killed a 3-year-old dog named Clara — one of 13 pets to be caught in hunting traps in one year, according to Fish & Wildlife officials.
Proposed trapping rules include safety buffers that separate traps from public highways and trails on state lands, and they outline restrictions for body-gripping and foothold traps.
Act 165 included a ban on coyote hunting with dogs starting July 1, unless hunters are protecting their own property or have explicit permission from a landowner who wants the hunter to protect their property.
Then, the proposed rule would create a system in which 100 hunters could receive licenses to hunt coyotes with dogs. The intent of the rule is to track the scope of the practice, according to Fish & Wildlife officials.
Additionally, the rule would propose an annual season on the activity, from Dec. 15 until May 31 and June 1 to Sept. 15. Hunters would need to register their hunting dogs, could register only four dogs each and must put GPS collars on each dog.
Hunters would need to kill coyotes with a gun, muzzleloader, bow or crossbow, and report all kills to the Fish & Wildlife Department.
Other than hunting with dogs, hunters in Vermont can kill coyotes anytime. The only restriction is that the hunters must do so under the cover of natural light, as opposed to using artificial light or sighting devices.
Shortly after the department issued its Wednesday notice about the public comment period, the conservation group Protect Our Wildlife Vermont issued a statement condemning the proposed rules. Its members said they are looking to the 2024 legislative session and hoping for a bill that would ban both of the activities altogether.
The trapping changes “are misleadingly termed ‘best management practices’ (BMPs) for trapping, but those practices still allow for tremendous suffering to individual animals,” the statement said.
In addition to the public hearings, people who are interested in sharing comments can send them to ANR.FWPublicComment@vermont.gov from May 17 through June 30 with the subject line “trapping and coyote regulations.”
Officials expect final regulations to go into effect in January 2024 after taking public comment, adjusting the rules based on the response and after the Fish & Wildlife Board takes a vote.