A report filed with the Portland Press Herald about Northern New England’s plans to issue more permits to kill antlerless deer to control the deer herds, states that: “Hunting of predators, like coyotes, has also helped deer thrive. Maine’s hunting season for coyotes is open year-round, unlike the seasons for deer, moose and bears, which are short and restricted.”

I think it would be responsible for the newspaper to produce some data to support that claim. While there have been pockets of effort to work toward the control of coyotes/wolves, I have serious doubts that any of that effort can honestly be translated into, “has also helped the deer thrive” and thus contribute in any way toward the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s notion that portions of Maine have too many deer due to ONE mild winter.