It angers me to hear people talk about how sad they are to see the coyote hunted down by people. I understand that the coyote is only trying to survive in the ever so decreasing habitat, but there are a lot more coyotes living in Down East Maine than people realize.

I have a question for Ralph Hirtle (BDN letter, March 15) and others whom share his viewpoint, what about the squirrels, birds, rabbits, moose, and yes, even house pets? Don’t these animals give Maine its allure and its wilderness?

My family is probably among the people you witness hunting along Route One in Down East Maine. While hunting, they have come across moose and several deer that have been slaughtered and eaten alive by coyotes. The coyote hunters have killed 49 coyotes this year and have not yet begun to put a dent in the coyote population. There are more coyotes moving Down East and killing off the deer population than we are able to kill.

So, I want to thank all the coyote hunters for allowing our deer and rabbit population to thrive, as well as many other species of wildlife that are trying to survive here Down East. Until there is a real threat to the extinction of the coyote, I say: Happy hunting.

Heather Strout Thompson

Harrington