PORTAGE | A change in the state's coyote trapping rules attracted a standing-room-only crowd Tuesday night, as members of the Indiana Natural Resources Commission met at the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission building to hear opposing views.

The amended code, passed unanimously, prohibits the sale and trade of live coyotes outside of the October to March hunting and trapping season. The revision request drew people on both sides of the argument from across the state. Bryan Poynter, the commission's chairman, said the agency received 1,900 comments and competing petitions signed by more than 1,000 people since it began taking public comment in November.

"This is an issue that's precedent setting for the department in regard to comments received," Poynter said.

Casey Pheiffer, wildlife abuse campaign manager for the Humane Society of the United States, said she often hears stories about coyotes who have had their legs shot off and still are alive or those trapped and later used to train dogs.

"Rarely has a day gone by when one of our members doesn't express their shock that these practices are legal," Pheiffer said.

CeAnn Lambert, who runs the Indiana Coyote Rescue Center in Bringhurst, northeast of Lafayette, said stories about coyotes attacking people are the exception, not the rule.

"Those coyotes aren't the demons trappers would like us to think they are," Lambert said.

But, Gordon Ingle, an attorney from Corydon, representing a group of trappers, said stories of vicious coyotes are true and one of his dogs recently was attacked by a wild coyote.

Ingle recommended the change was best left to the Indiana General Assembly to decide, citing Indiana Code allowing a "perpetual open season on coyotes." Ingle said by passing the rule change, the commission was acting outside its scope of authority.

Sandra Jensen, an administrative law judge with the commission, said the revision allows for the sale of hides and parts throughout the year, but not the live animals. Jensen said the Ohio and Kentucky requested Indiana stop the trade of live animals to avoid diseases from coyotes native to Indiana being spread to other states.