Juliette Kearns states in her letter to the Sun Journal March 20 that she is not anti-hunting, Yet she states that she prefers her wildlife alive. Very contradictory statements, I’d say.

She also seems to believe that hunters want deer managed for ourselves and has her mind made up that we also want the coyote exterminated, something we know cannot be done.

She should know that the state manages the wildlife, not hunters. Deer are managed for viewing as well as hunting. The snaring program was set up to help deer survival in wintering areas where deer numbers are low, snow depth high and coyotes had a history of killing deer.

No one can argue that the coyote kills to eat, but when the snow depth is so high that the deer are up to their bellies, they are easy targets for coyotes. She states herself that the heavy snow will be a major factor in killing deer. Coyote congregate in deer yards at this time.

March is probably the worst month for survival. After living all winter with poor food and freezing conditions, what deer wouldn’t be weakened come spring?

Every coyote from miles around filters into those yards because of the easy meal waiting to be taken. It doesn’t take long to drop deer numbers dangerously low.

Snaring of some form or another is legal in over 40 states and all of Canada. Pennsylvania is the latest state opening up to coyote snaring.

Albert Ladd, Byron

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