Today, October 1st, is the first day of coyote hunting season in New York State.

Coyotes – like wolves – have been historically persecuted for decades. In over 30 U.S. states, coyote hunting season never ends. New York is one of only a handful of states with a limited coyote season: six months out of the year. From today until March 29th of 2020, hunters can kill coyotes at will. Day or night, at any hour, with no limit to how many coyotes are killed. Young pups born just this May might see their families fragmented – those pups might even be hunted themselves.

Following the historical eradication of large carnivores in the northeast, eastern coyotes have become an apex predator in New York. As such, they have a vital role in nature. Eastern coyotes maintain balance in the species below them on the food web…