Carcasses are coyote, investigators say

SANDPOINT — The remains of five animals found in a ditch near the Pend Oreille River earlier this month have been determined to be those of coyotes, the Bonner County Sheriff's Office said on Friday.

A passerby reported finding the remains on April 6 near Albeni Cove southeast of Oldtown. The animals were skinned and dismembered, which made it difficult to verify their species.

Tissue samples from the remains were analyzed at the National Fish & Wildlife Forensic Lab in Ashland, Ore. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Idaho Department of Fish & Game have concluded the animals were coyotes.

Coyotes are an unprotected species in Idaho, which means they can be trapped and hunted throughout the year. Coyote, according to Idaho Fish & Game statistics, is the second most harvested furbearer in the state. More than 3,000 coyotes were harvested during the 2004/05 season.

In Bonner County, coyote are the fourth most harvested furbearer, Fish & Game records say. Forty-nine were harvested in 2004/05. Beaver topped the list, followed by muskrat and bobcat.