Once again, in Ontario, coyotes are under fire. In Belleville, Ontario, there is a proposal to repeat last year's illegal hunting contest. Chesher's outdoor store may hold a hunting contest for coyotes in Belleville. (The City of Belleville is not involved with the contest or coyote bounties in any way). The Chesher's Outdoor Store may have contestants bring dead coyotes into their store for a cash prize, which is in the City of Belleville. Please investigate this Section 11 of the Fish and Wildlife Act violation, and apply fines and store closure if deemed necessary.
Here is a link to another petition to stop this contest. https://www.coyotewatchcanada.com/site/blog/2022/01/20/action-alert-tell-ontario-to-enforce-killing-contest-laws
The Town of North East Manitoulin Island is killing coyotes in a bounty, that also violates Section 11, (euphemistically called a "coyote compensation program") unrelated to the Chesher's Store hunting contest. We would like the municipality to address coyote conflicts in a non lethal way. Please stop the coyote bounty. Traps can kill and injure many non target animals. Dogs and wolves often get shot as well.
It is illegal in Ontario to kill animals for gain under Section 11 of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act.
The municipalities of Central Manitoulin, Burpee and Mills, Gordon/Barrie Island, Little Current, and Assiginack also have coyote bounties that violate Section 11 of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act.
Many municipalitys instead have non lethal coyote coexistence strategies that focus on feeding bans and public education.
