OK, I 'should' take that brick just for the aggravation of getting through the myriad of phone transfers this morning!
(but I won't).
I called HQ.... and spoke with Jean... who told me to call Gainesville (770-535-5499). Taylor answered and transferred me to game management where I got disconnected. I finally spoke with Scott Fraiser. Scott is a biologist (unfortunately, vs an agent) and it's a bit of running 'thing' within DNR that you'll get a different answer from biologists than agents (who are out there enforcing the laws). In any case Scott suggested "you can do anything to coyotes (and beavers)".... I said "including baiting hooks and poisoning?" He then got very tentative and began searching the code. I pointed him to the above referenced code and he said "Well you are right, it's illegal to bait hooks." He also agreed that there is no legal way to poison a coyote (since you can't restrict the poison to a coyote or keep something from eating a poisoned carcass) and mentioned the big case 10 years or so ago in south GA of the person poisoning eggs for coyotes. Then I asked about whether or not you needed a trapping license for coyotes. He attempted to equate them with beavers (which is incorrect but I didn't stop him) and he said you do need a trapping a license on public lands or on private lands of others. But that if you wanted to trap them on your own land for yourself, you do not need a license. I believe that to be a disputed item to say the least but since he's a biologist and not LE I didn't press it with him.
I can have an actual LE call you if you'd like but I think Scott eventually agreed with what the LE is likely to tell you (although the LE is likely to be less wishy washy about the poisoning and 'perhaps' more decisive about needing license on your own land, unless you are under 16 which is a whole other ball of wax.).
PM sent and received, let's go get 'em!
Wow kind of surprising he even hesitated on the hooks. You can't do it because, just like poison, it can indiscriminately kill. How would you explain your neighbor's dog, who happened to jump the fence, hanging there?
Regarding the requirement of a trapping license on your own land, I have never seen code to support it. I was considering trapping my own property once so I called, and they said you need one, but it is free. Kind of like needing deer tags to hunt your own land but no license (or basically free). It is probably something you will get a different answer on depending on who you talk to, but why chance it since it is free?
