BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 12, 2023
A hotly contested bill that would have shortened the coyote hunting seasons in Maine was soundly defeated during Wednesday afternoon’s work session of the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in Augusta. After more than an hour of discussion on the bill, the committee voted 9-2 that LD 814 ought not to pass. That means it is unlikely to be passed by the Legislature. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife opposed the legislation, citing the apparent health of the state’s coyote population, even when subjected to year-round hunting. Hunters, Registered Maine Guides and organizations such as the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine also lobbied against the measure,