Coyote hunt starts Friday

BY KEVIN WOODRUFF

Wyoming County Press Examiner

The annual District 9 Pennsylvania Trappers Association coyote hunt begins this Friday with hunters scouring the forests until Sunday.

District 9 encompasses Wyoming, Susquehanna, Lackawanna, Wayne, Pike and Bradford counties, and other counties such as Luzerne and Sullivan are also included in the hunting territory.

According to District 9 director Bill Kalinauskis, there are already 600 participants signed up for the hunt. The deadline to sign up is today.

"It seems that we're ahead of last year as far as participants," Kalinauskis said. "We're on track to have many more hunters than last year."

The coyote hunt serves as a fundraiser for the trappers association, with funds from it going to benefit their programs as well as other organizations.

According to Kalinauskis, proceeds from the coyote hunt completely fund the association's annual two-day trapper training class.

It also pays the entrance fee for association members to sell furs at the annual Triton Hose Company fur sale, which this year will take place on Feb. 13, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

They also make contributions to the Pennsylvania Trappers Association, the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsman's Clubs, U.S. Sportsman's Alliance and the National Trappers Association.

The association is also involved in donating funds to school districts within district 9 to fund envirothon competitions.

"The coyote hunt is our only fundraiser of the year," Kalinauskis said. "We've been doing it now since 2001."

As far as the success of any of the hunters involved this week, Kalinauskis said that all depends on the weather.

"It all relates to the weather and ground conditions," Kalinauskis said. "A little bit of snow helps with tracking, but if there is a hard crust on the ground it makes it more difficult.

Generally, the easier it is the get around, the better hunters will do."

Rules for the hunt state that hunters may  only use rifles and shotguns to bag the coyotes and are not allowed to use trapping or ground snares.

However, hunters may use groups of people to drive them to a specific location or use hunting hounds.

Kalinauskis' goal for this year's hunt is the same as every year.

"We just want folks to have a good time," Kalinauskis said. "Some people see coyotes as predatory animals, and it's a lot of fun for them to go out there."

Weigh-ins for this weekend's hunt will take place on Friday and Saturday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., and on Sunday from 9 a.m. to the 2 p.m. deadline.

Prizes will be $2,000 for the overall largest coyote, $250 daily for the heaviest coyote and $100 for every legal coyote killed in the hunt.

Last year, a total of 37 coyotes were shot, with Mark Guidetti, Berkeley Heights, N.J., bringing in a 43.25-pound male coyote from Lackawanna County.

For more information on the hunt call Kalinauskis at 942-6895 or e-mail Ed Price at pricee@nep.net with the subject line "Coyote Hunt Information."