BY ROBERT L. BAKER
Times-Shamrock Writer

Some 760 hunters braved the weekend chill to bring in 48 coyotes in the 16th Annual District 9 Northeast Pennsylvania Trappers Association Coyote Hunt with John Bold of Wayne County taking the top honors for the heaviest animal over the weekend at 45.5 pounds.

He was awarded $2,000 along with the daily prize of $250 for the heaviest coyote taken on Saturday.
Bold’s male coyote was harvested using a 12-gauge shotgun and dogs.

The hunt saw animals brought in from eight counties Friday through Sunday with weigh-ins at Triton Hose Company in Tunkhannock.

Eric Gillick took top Friday honors of $250 for his 40.05-pound coyote harvested in Susquehanna County out of 17 brought in that day.

Bruce Tewksbury’s 40.75-pound coyote harvested in Bradford County was the largest of 10 brought in on Sunday.

District 9 director Bill Kalinauskis of Nicholson said the harvest was terrific Friday and Saturday, but had no explanation for Sunday’s slow numbers, except maybe the warmer temperatures.

He noted in the outlying counties snow was deeper than in Tunkhannock, and that may have been a factor in getting to the wild dogs, and particularly on Sunday as warmer than normal temperatures also provided a steady melt.

Although the number of coyotes harvested was down from the record 59 in 2010, it was better than last year’s 35.

Kalinauskis said he was pleased at the interest by hunters, and also the fact that some colleges sent researchers for some scientific sampling.

“That’s the real bonus and helps us know a little more about these creatures,” Kalinauskis said.

Kyle Van Why was back from the USDA Wildlife Services Unit in Harrisburg to do some routine sampling and also gathered three carcasses with mange for the Pennsylvania Game Commission so it could look at similarities with a black bear mange study underway. He was assisted in blood draws and organ retrievals by Chris Faux, a recent Penn State grad from Tunkhannock, and Patrick Oelschlager, a recent Juniata College grad whose family hunts in Susquehanna County.

Avery Corondi, a senior at Delaware Valley College, removed coyote heads for a skull size assessment project she was conducting.

The breakdown of county of harvest was: Susquehanna (12), Wayne (14), Wyoming (6), Luzerne (4), Bradford (10), Lackawanna (3), Sullivan (5) and Pik (1).

By day, each hunter’s name, coyote weight in pounds and county shot are as follows:
Friday: Eric Gillick, 40.05, Susquehanna; Brian Bonczek, 38.35, Pike; Guy Michalowski, 30.90, Wyoming; Bob Brown, 27.40, Wyom.; Trevor Fulmer, 32.90, Bradford; Bill Dixon, 35.00, Lackawanna; Jack Johnson, 39.35, Brad.; Ron Sorber, 33.30, Susq.; Chip Sorber, 29.40, Susq.; Jack Henderson, 34.00, Wayne; Francis Nebzyoski, 37.10, Wayne; Scott Whitaker, 36.35, Lack.; Josh Cragle, 32.85, Luze.; Bill Franks, 39.05, Brad.; Jeff Clark, 33.25, Wyom.; Phillip Marsh, 27.25, Susq.; Justin Hoffmire, 37.70, Susq.
Saturday: Thomas Ward, 37.65, Sullivan; Barry Kyttle, 38.60, Sull.; Damien Rutkoski, 41.00, Lack.; Bob Brown, 38.50, Wyom.; Drew Madill, 33.30, Brad.; Wade Gray, 35.90, Brad.; Bruce Tewksbury, 34.10, Brad.; Claude Gave, 33.15, Brad.; Jack Johnson, 29.20, Brad.; John Bold, 45.50, Wayne; Donald Cole, 35.35, Wayne; Donald Cole, 37.75, Wayne; Jeff Kavulich, 37.35, Susq.; Rob Cragle, 44.90, Luze.; Jeff Cragle, 36.95, Luze.; Phil Marsh, 35.70, Susq.; Justin Hoffmire, 29.70, Susq.; Andrew Hoffmire, 38.40, Susq.; Jordan Gallagher, 29.50, Sull.; Jordan Gallagher, 34.65, Sull.; Jonathan Wychock, 33.90, Luze.;
Sunday: Mike Marhevka, 33.05, Wayne; Ron Sorber, 37.75, Susq.; Jason Brown, 39.05, Wyom.; Craig Seigfried, 26.70, Brad.; Ivan Baker, 39.35, Susq.; Bob Clark, 30.60, Wyom.; Bruce Tewksbury, 40.75, Brad.; Mike Murrin, 32.45, Wayne; Nathan Minnier, 37.00, Sull; and Jack Sorber, 35.35, Susq.