Managing coyote predation is a focused control effort in the most vulnerable and remote deer yards.

In a recent guest column in the Sun Journal (Oct. 13), retired wildlife biologist Ron Joseph of Camden asserted that politicians, not coyotes, are to blame for Maine’s declining deer population.

Joseph was highly critical of the LePage administration and Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Commissioner Chandler Woodcock for “appeasing” deer hunters by implementing a bounty on coyotes while ignoring deer-wintering habitat.

Neither of these assertions is true, and Mr. Joseph’s half-truths and misstatements need to be rebutted.

Everyone can agree that deer populations have declined over the past five years, particularly in northern Maine. Severe winters took a heavy toll on deer throughout Maine. In addition, long-term loss of the quality deer-wintering habitat available in the north aggravated losses. Yet, coyote predation on deer cannot be denied or ignored.

Despite the old saw that coyotes only kill the old and sick deer, research has shown that coyotes kill deer non-selectively when deer flounder in deep snow. In any given deer-wintering area, deer losses will be higher during severe winters when coyotes are present. High-quality habitat may decrease predation losses to coyotes, but it cannot eliminate them.

Coyotes affect deer survival in another important way. They seek out newborn fawns during summer. Fawn losses in the northern half of Maine exceed those in southern Maine. When low fawn survival fails to offset high winter losses, deer populations tumble.

DIFW and the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine take seriously deer recovery in Maine. The whitetail deer contributes $200 million to our economy, mostly in rural areas and, more important, the deer has long been the foundation of the outdoor traditions of hunting and wildlife watching.

In 2010, the department, with the input and support of SAM, launched its recovery plan, titled “Maine’s Game Plan for Deer.” The plan outlines strategies designed to promote deer survival in Maine. These can be divided into three main categories: human-caused mortality, habitat and predation. DIFW’s game plan also focuses on strategies intended to limit poaching and collisions with automobiles.

Habitat has been a priority for DIFW and SAM; however, northern Maine deer yards are living entities and they change over time. In addition, most deer-wintering areas are privately owned and their fate sometimes hinges on landowner expectations, not deer.

During the 1970s, 12 percent of northern Maine sheltered deer. Currently, about 4 percent of the land base is deer yard. A good portion of this loss can be attributed to the millions of northern Maine acres lost in the 1980s from spruce budworm, not politicians or Gov. Paul LePage. While this forest is recovering, DIFW and SAM would like to increase the wintering habitat to 8 percent, while safeguarding the quality of existing deer yards.

DIFW and SAM have learned over the years that no one strategy can successfully protect all wintering habitat. Hence, not all deer yards can be regulated under the Land Use Regulation Commission. In addition to regulated timber harvesting, DIFW negotiates cooperative agreements with timberland owners, as well as conservation easements on the riparian corridors where deer yards exist.

State ownership of deer-wintering habitat exists today, and will increase because of changes supported and passed during the LePage administration.

Probably the most controversial strategy in the plan is the section dealing with predation. Any wildlife population can be suppressed, given sufficient effort. This is the foundation of wildlife management, and it applies to coyotes. If northern Maine deer populations are to recover, deer losses to coyote predation must be reduced.

Beginning in the fall of 2011, DIFW began to manage coyote predation on deer. This is not a “bounty on coyotes.” It is a more focused control effort in our most vulnerable and remote deer yards.

The concept is straightforward: reduce the number and density of coyote packs in the vicinity of deer yards between October and January, before deer become stressed. Then, follow up in mid- to late winter as needed. Coyote removals are accomplished using certified trappers, hunters and houndsmen, most of whom are paid for their time and vehicle expenses.

The 2011-12 DIFW coyote removal effort was a pilot project. Nine deer yards were selected across eastern, western and northern Maine. A total of 113 coyotes were removed from 500 square miles. This reduced approximately one-third of the coyotes inhabiting the area, for a cost of $15,000. DIFW’s budget for predation management during 2012-13 is $100,000. I wish them much success and believe this effort is essential to proper deer management.

Gerry Lavigne served for 30 years as DIFW’s deer biologist. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, and he leads SAM’s Deer Management Network. He lives in Boyd Lake village.