Coyote hunt goes private after protest planned

Activists schedule event on Chardon Square

Animal rights activists plan to protest on Chardon Square this weekend.

Cleveland Animal Save, part of the global animal rights network The Save Movement, will host the event from 5 to 8 p.m., March 23, to protest the 10th annual Coyote Open.

The multi-day hunt takes place all over Ohio and Pennsylvania, according to participant and organizer Adam Hollobaugh. A cash prize is awarded for the largest coyote killed.

The protest is simply to provide outreach and education, said activist Amy Stewart of Lakewood.

“Entire states are shutting down killing contests such as this

one due to the barbaric nature of the hunt and the fact that it does not work to control the population,” she said.

A sponsor previously associated with the event pulled out when word of the protests got around.

Hollobaugh said the local hunt is now a private and invite-only event running through March 24. He accused the activists of spreading misinformation.

“It’s a worthwhile event because coyotes prey on farmers’ livestock this time of year and (other animals),” he said. “They have no natural predators. Not in this area, anyway.”

The weigh-ins originally were planned at Hambden Country Inn, but an employee who answered the phone there said that is no longer the case.

“It has nothing to do with us whatsoever,” she said.

Coyote hunting is legal year-round, said Geoff Westerfield, assistant wildlife management supervisor with Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.

“The ODNR Division of

Wildlife promotes safe, ethical hunting, which is an important part of the lives of many Ohioans,” he said. “The Division of Wildlife does not endorse or prohibit group coyote hunts.”

The number of coyote observations reported on annual bowhunter surveys have increased over the last three decades with observations reaching their highest point earlier this decade, Westerfield said. He said the population appears to be stabilizing.

“At high densities, coyotes can cause nuisance problems and public concerns,” he said. “Hunting can be a useful tool to address localized nuisance situations and can also be helpful in controlling diseases, such as distemper, that coyotes can carry and have negative impacts on coyotes in that area.”

The city of Mentor held a public information session on coyotes in January after a pet was killed.

Stewart said the protest serves multiple purposes.

“We aren’t trying to force any views upon anyone,” she said. “Rather, we just want interested folks to be aware that there are other solutions, many deemed more effective than hunting. We want to provide a different

narrative to the story, and hopefully give folks the information needed for them to do their own research and come to their own conclusions. Also, our protests are meant to make violent acts against animals more public. Oftentimes, we see neighborhoods completely unaware of what is happening in their backyard.”

Stewart said potentially 30 to 40 protesters will take part on Chardon Square. Chardon Police Department has been contacted in case of any aggressive counter-protestors, she said.

“We are quite accustomed to online backlash, and while we might see 1 percent of the threats get followed through, we have never protested against hunters before and aren’t sure what to expect,” she added.

Attempts to reach Chief Scott Niehus for comment were unsuccessful. Geauga Sheriff Scott A. Hildenbrand said he was contacted some time ago and advised them they couldn’t protest on private property without permission.

No permits are needed to protest at a public park, city officials said.

“The city’s got nothing to do with the event,” Councilman Dan Meleski said.