The practice of snaring is one of the cruelest ways to kill wildlife. In
the best-case scenario, a steel-cable loop closes around the animal's
neck, strangling him within several minutes. However, a recent survey of
Maine's most "expert" trappers painted a much grimmer picture: necropsies
showed that 63 percent of coyotes snared suffered hemorrhaging (evidenced
by their swollen heads), bloodied eyes and mouths, and broken teeth from
trying to chew out of the snare. Many animals had broken limbs from
struggling to break free. Still others were not dead when the trapper
returned and were clubbed to death.
In Maine, state wildlife officials are
trying to expand this cruel practice in order to appease deer hunters, who
are vexed over declining deer numbers. Most biologists, however, recognize
that the true source of dwindling deer numbers is the loss of habitat.
Moreover, blanket killing as a means of controlling coyote populations has
never been successful; coyotes simply compensate by reproducing more
quickly whenever their population is threatened, and numbers quickly
return to pre-extermination levels.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Maine's Department Of Inland Fisheries And Wildlife (IFW) is poised to
expand its snaring program without public input. Both residents and
non-residents of Maine need to assert public pressure on Maine officials
to stop the expansion of their inhumane killing program. PLEASE Contact
the following individuals and ask them to STOP this cruel, wasteful, and
ineffective killing plan. (Tell them their tourism may depend on it.):
- Governor Angus King
# 1 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0001
ph: (207) 287-3531
governor@state.me.us - Commissioner Lee Perry
ME Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
284 State St.
41 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0041
lee.perry@state.me.us
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