Olivia Gieger - VT Digger - March 2, 2025
Though the bill would apply to the broad category of furbearers — including foxes, bobcats or other smaller mammals — the discussion surrounding it has focused primarily on baiting for coyotes ... The Fish & Wildlife interim commissioner, Andrea Shortsleeve, summarized the department’s position in her testimony: “We are not aware of any population issues with furbearers in the state. We are not aware of any disease transmission of scavenging on carcasses, which occurs naturally on the landscape,” she said. “H.132 is trying to address a social values issue. This bill does not address any biological or conservation issues and is not based in science or wildlife management.”
