I think the debate here is more with the coyote topic than anything else. I don't think anyone wants to shoot the last one and I think all of us here like nothing more than to hear coyotes yipping it up in the middle of the night. The issue becomes when there are too many coyotes and they start causing problems. For instance, killing farm animals (remember I'm a farm boy, I've seen it), killing dogs (two of my friends have had this happen) getting mange and spreading it to other coyotes creating a general health issue and on it goes. A healthy population is one where coyotes and humans get along together in a healthy environment.
The MNR sets out regulations to ensure a healthy population of a certain species is maintained. Hunters are the main keepers of this balance. Hutchy is, as he has stated before, seeing a high population in his area. We have already established mange is in his area and he knows they are taking many deer in the area. So if he chooses to take a few out, legally of course, to bring the population down to help things out, I personally see no issue. If he chooses to shoot them all, as stated go on a killing spree, the MNR will see this decline as too much and regulate the season. As they have in the Algonquin region and other areas of Ontario where there is now a coyote season and a tag limit for this reason.
And just because I like to babble, take a look at what not controlling a population has done in other areas of Ontario.
To stay close to home, Presquile is a prime example with the deer population. They were left for years to do as they will with no control by any means. The result was interbreeding and overgrazing. I can see easily see a debate to the method, but to stay to my point, a hunt was introduced and the numbers were reduced to maintain a healtier number of deer.
To go back to Algonquin and again, a no hunting allowed area, let's take a look at the moose. In the 70's and 80's deer were the main big animal. Through the 80's into the 90's the moose population exploded and pushed many deer out. The result led to an infestation of ticks in the late 90's where hundreds of moose died from ticks. I was hunting on the west side and saw this. It used to be 3 in a group for guaranteed bull tag. I shot a bull and it was covered in them in '97. In '98 I found a dead moose from ticks. Talking to the residents led to stories of them laying dead everywhere especially throughout the park itself. If you look in the regs now, there are no moose tags available or it is 15 in a group for there as a result.
It boils down to maintaining a healthy balance. And it's not always easy to do. Opinions and discussions bring out many different sides and observations. Hopefully the ying and the yang balance well as a result.
Sorry for the long post. Geez Hutchy, what's in your stew?