Small Game, Predator and TrappingFrom shooting squirrels in your backyard to calling coyotes in Arizona. This forum now contains trapping information..
I have a hunting lease of about 230 acres in Virginia that has several coyotes on it. The land is primarily for deer hunting, but we have taken a few coyotes during deer season. The deer numbers are down I think due to the coyotes and I would like to know how to hunt the coyotes in order to get rid of them. We find running deer tracks in the snow with coytoes tracks right in them. The coyotes are a problem. How can I hunt them effectively?
Trapping would be the most effective way to rid the coyotes in the area. The problem with calling is, you'd get one, maybe two at the most, sets of calling in on your lease property, and that would be it. I'd guess that the coyotes may or may not stay on your property, but depending on the range of the coyotes, they may only be on your lease property every now and then, so by putting out traps, you would be hunting them 24/7, where as calling them, it would be very hit or miss, and if you called a few in and missed them, chances go way down to call them in again, any time soon. So, I'd suggest trapping, if legal, or hire a local trapper that knows what he/she is doing, that would be your best bet.
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Different rules may apply in Virginia than here in Kansas, I thought our whitetails got to be about the same average size...anyway, coyotes don't usually depend on deer for food, and normally won't effect the deer populations at all-of course, out here there's an abundant rabbit/mouse/small game population, if there isn't there, then that may be your problem-I won't say you're wrong, but it usually takes a LOT of effort and energy for coyotes to take down a deer-plus the risk of injury, most coyotes will only try one around here if it's sick, injured, young, or old, but as I mentioned, you don't really notice an effect on deer populations due to coyote predation. Deer and coyotes will often travel the same trails-they shelter in similar areas, they've both got to drink, and where deer eat is likely to be where rabbits eat, so deer and coytes will often sleep in similar areas, then travel to similar feeding areas, so finding tracks together isn't likely to be an indication of a hunt.
If you're just looking to get rid of them no matter what, you've got a lot of options: hunt them, trap them (snares are easiest), put out poisoned meats, or put out word that you're looking for someone to hunt/trap them for you.
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Poison is the most effective way to kill all of the coyotes in the area. The down side to using poison, you will kill other animal with the poison that you did not intend to kill.
The coyotes in Virginia must be bigger than those in Kansas. They do depend on deer as a food source. In the mountains, a man shot one chasing a deer which was so tired when it ran by its tongue was hanging out. Over the summer, eight deer were killed on a nearby farm by coyotes. They work in packs. Another person saw a pack encircle a herd of deer on the top of a hill. Trapping sounds like the best option. Thanks for the input. How do you set/conceal/bait the traps, though?
Snares are popular for taking coyotes but cubby sets are probably most reliable. For any trapping you better check with local laws about licences, types of sets, chain lengths, recommended trap sizes and types, requirements on frequency of checking your traps. Theres a ton of info available from your local DNR and trappers associations.
Coyotes will definitely have an affect on your deer herd. In the spring when the fawns are born. I've seen both bear and coyotes pull a fawn out of a doe and then drag or carry it off to eat it. There's not a lot a doe can do to protect herself or the fawn when giving birth.
On one of my coyote hunting tapes the hunters found 13 fawn skulls in just one coyote den.
Good luck.
critch
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How to get rid of coyotes
