jhoffman

I don't know why everyone keeps up the argument of how coyotes got here - wether released by DEC or just gradually moved into the area from PA and from Canada. I remember a story that was told to me when I first strated trapping by a good friend of my fathers who nuccience traps for the state about Coyotes moving in the the area. He said that there was one year not sure of dates but he was trapping for some racoons up on Grand Island that were causing some problems and ended up catching a coyote - He said it just baffled him at the time because there weren't many coyotes anywhere back then let alone out on an Island - but the river had froze solid that winter and figure that they crossed over on the ice and when everything thawed out there they were stuck on the island -

It was my second year trapping - I set a trail set for coon on the edge of a corn field and came to check the trap before school the next day and had caught a 58lbs Beaver - there was no creeks, ponds, swamps, not any water at all within about 15 miles of the spot I caught the beaver. Things just happen - unfortunately the animals are probably the only ones that realy have any idea why they do half the stuff they do.

Mountain Lions, Coyotes, Bobcats, Lynx, Wolves, whatever - It is always going to be a topic of discussion as to wether or not they are here and if so how they got here. I am just waiting to have to opportunity to see these animals in the wild without having to go out west to do so. Although I was born about 150 year too late.

Bionicrooster

Stretch, relax, your way off base. I could care less about the DEC, its just ridiculous to think ANYONE would release coyotes inNY to take care of a rabbit problem...

"edited, thanks Bill"

Bill Yox

He said NY, not PA. Stretch, Im the LAST guy youll find in bed with the DEC, trust me. I respect the COs, but thats about that.

I do recall articles from as early as the 60s of hunters with coyotes they shot in Batavia NY. Some suggest that coyotes once came across the ice from Canucktown. To me it seems like a no-brainer that they moved northeast from where ever, along the Appalachian Trail. The eastern coyote is a super coyote. Its size is bigger then the western animal, and its color phases ( normal brown and grey, silver, blonde, red, black, etc) are so similar to the red wolf, now almost extinct...due to interbreeding with the coyote. Go figure...

Sylvan

The NYDEC has quite clearly stated that they "never" realeased coyotes or ML's into the wild. If you say/believe they did you are just another conspiracy theorist. Or should I say BSer.

PABuck_HNTR

Why is it such a stretch to believe that any Government agency couldn't be involved in such things as releasing coyotes or any other species for that matter? Not saying I beleive all the rumors, but it is possible that the DEC of DNRC are lying about things. I live around Lake Erie where zebra mussels and gobies all of a sudden appeared, supposedly on ships from over seas. You mean to tell me that all of a sudden these creatures decided to move 1000's of miles to a new water source on their own andmultiply as fast as they did. I think not. Pennsylvania's Elk herd was wiped out at one time. Who reintroduced the Elk back to Pa? The PGC released the Rocky Mountain Elk back to Penn's Woods.I just don't know why you guys bash everyone who has other ideas that are entirely possible to be correct. I don't have the faith in the PGC or other agency's like I used to, seeing what has happened in NY to their deer herd and what is starting to happen to Pa's deer herd. Are they responsible for Coyotes and Mountain lions? I have no clue, but neither do you that they didn't.

http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=458&q=150769

Charlie P

How many years,studies and public meetings did that take?

Why would they want to release Zebra mussles?To remove the micro organisms that fish feed on or to plug the intakes of power plants and cottages?

I really don't think these state agencies are going to open themselves up for the litigation that would follow on the heels of just one disgruntled employee sneaking out the records showing they released a potentially dangerouis animal into populated area's. Think about the out cry.

Sylvan

It's possible that there were dropped by space aliens too but to claim the government is lying without substantiated proof is by definition propagating a conspiracy theory. If you want to be lumped in with the likes of the crop circle people, lock ness, big foot, JFK assasination nuts, etc etc etcthen go right ahead. But don't be surprised when a whole lot of people make fun of you. BTW I didn't bash or make fun. I called a spade a spade. If you propagate a conspiracy theory, you are a conspiracy theorist. If you knowingly spew unsubstatiated claims you are a BSer.

Do you really think there is a parallel here? The PGC announced their plans publically for years before they did it. There were hearings and environmental impact studies.

Sylvan

I seem to run just a hair behind you Charlie!

Bill Yox

To answer fight4yourguns, its very simple, actually. Because it costs money...your money. When they trap and transfered turkeys decades ago, we all knew when, where, how and at what cost. Same with snowshoe hares in western NY, bald eagle hacking, the ill-fated lynx restoration project, the laughable otter program in western NY, the peregrine falcon program in all the major cities here, bluepike in Erie, numerous plant programs, to name a few. The turkey, peregrineand eagle programs are some of the most successful on record, a feather in the cap of conservation efforts. Other programs were not so successful, but equally as public. So, evidently, perhaps some of us do indeed have a clue, to use your words. I get the feeling the point you are actually trying to make is, we in here sometimes sound like know-it-alls and at the same time naysay every possible statement. But in this case anyway, thats not so.

PABuck_HNTR

Thats pretty close. I don't always word things very clearly. I'll try again noone on this board has any hard facts pointing to either side of the argument. Right?

OK some people have little faith in Democrats, some have little faith in the Republicans. Why? Because they believe someone usually the opposite side from which they voteis lying. No matter what proof the other side could have or what questions they raise, they will always be wrong. Do you think everything the agencies whom you and I pay for are completely honest 100% of the time? Just because they claim not to be involved or have knowledge of something doesn't make it fact. I don't really believe that in my state of Pa that there is a whole conspiracy thing going on, but I know people who do and that is their right. I'm not going to make fun of them just because they don't trust certain agencies.I don't trust alot of them either.They want answers not sarcasm or insults from people who are supposed to be on their side. These guys pay for tags like the rest of us. All I'm asking is if you know 100%and have hard facts to disprove some of the conspiracy theories as you call them? If not then you have no right to insult others who are asking these questions.