Coyote Hunting Season Extended

Minister of Environment Chester Gillan has announced that the season for hunting coyotes is being extended to March 31.

The season extension is restricted to hunters using calls or bait. To ensure the extension does not affect the fox population, hunters are not permitted to use dogs. Foxes breed in early February and give birth in April. Allowing hunters to use dogs in the last two weeks of March could harm the fox population if the dogs were to chase foxes.

Minister Gillan said the extension of the hunting season for coyotes is part of ongoing efforts to address concerns about nuisance coyotes in Prince Edward Island. Last spring, the hunting season was extended from February 28 to March 16. Islanders experiencing problems with coyotes or other nuisance animals can call a toll-free nuisance wildlife hotline (1-866-368-4683) that was established in 2001. Staff of the Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment will assess the situation and provide advice; the department has a list of skilled trappers to respond to complaints about problem coyotes.