Coyote Problems?
 

Is there any way that I could run a couple packs of coyotes off my hunting property without using lethal methods and without scaring the deer?

I was out one evening on the ground with my crossbow and a coyote started howling within 30 yards right behind me. I got up and left before legal hunting hours were over.
The next afternoon I went back and sat someplace else. Coyote started howling and yipping within 100 yards in front of me so I left again.
I waited two days and went back to my original spot. This time I saw four coyotes in front of me in the field, not 20 yards away. While I was watching them I heard a couple more just to the right of me running in the leaves. And as soon as I heard those, two more started growling at each other behind me. That makes at least 8 coyotes in this pack.

About a week later I chose a totally new spot that was well away from where the pack lives, but as I was on my way out for the evening I began to hear another pack start howling across the road. It started as one lone howler, but then a couple more started howling with it. The next thing I know there are so many coyotes howling that it sounded like "white noise". It was just this roaring sound and you couldn't even make out the individual howls until they began to settle down. It sounded like there was 30 or more over there! My brother said he heard them too and we have never heard anything like that before. I mean I have heard some nice sized packs before but nothing compared to this. These aren't a problem for me though as they were a bit farther away.

But the coyotes are beginning to cross the highway and come near the edge of our yard now snooping around.

Does anyone have any suggestions other than trapping and shooting them? I really don't like the idea of shooting a canine.

Most of the deer have left the area since these coyotes took over and I have found several spots where bloodied bones still lay from victims. It's a problem.

Nope. start hunting them, or atleast shooting at them. They are smart and will learn. However, you need to kill one. In my experience, once they start losing pack members, they start learning that you are a predator and will not want to be around you.

ALso, don't assume that just because you move to another part of your property, that its "away from where they live" or that coyotes across the road are another pack. These things travel all over the place. a road isn't going to keep them in a certain area...

Unfortunately some need to be shot or trapped. My brother has been dealing with coyotes in his yard. They get brave enough to attack his cats within close proximity of his home. This happens every couple of years and ends up with him shooting one off his back porch. Then he gets someone to set up some traps. I am going to do some hunting myself back there, they are bad this year.

NebBuckHunter is right about coyotes. My neighbors kids have all always hunted coyotes and I never have any issues with coyotes in my yard, they identify predators and adjust.

I've never heard of anyone running them off. If you pester them they just learn to avoid you better and get harder to shoot. I imagine if you took up rabbit hunting and wiped out their food supply they'd move somewhere else. Beyond that they will be there to stay unless they die. That's just the nature of things.

When they came within 20yds, one would have stayed!!! Put a few on the dirt and the problem will lighten up.

Call a trapper and tell him to have at it.

Just a question: Why are you concerned about the lethality? Coyotes are one of the most adaptable animals on the planet. As long as they have some cover, some food and some water they will continue to produce litters of little howlers. The only way to get rid of them is through the fur shed.

Check your state regulations
 

Every state probably has regulations on coyotes. And coyotes sure love hunting land where coyote hunting is not permitted. Those coyotes will supply all the necessary hunting, 24/7.
Don't even need a hunting permit.

They may be a canine that you seem to have an aversion to killing, but if there are as many as you say, it will probably take mainly trapping to cut the numbers down with maybe some gunning as a supplement. Coyotes have a huge territory and there can be a lot more in an area than people realize since they are smart and hard to see most of the time. Get on it as with that many around all the animals will be fodder for them, especially newborn fawns in the Spring. Contrary to what a lot of people believe they can also take down a full grown deer under the right conditions, one of which is a lot of snow with a crust on top that they can run on and a deer breaks through. It's not pretty when they take one down either, so hopefully you'll get away from that "kill a canine" aversion you said you have.

You need to get a nice Rifle and start Coyote/Predator Hunting....if the Coyotes are that brave to be around You then their not afraid of You and have no Hunting Pressure.If You don't want to simply shoot the Coyotes and waste them by leaving them lay try to talk with a local Trapper and see if they would want the Coyotes or if they would trap them...the choice is yours!

Simply yelling at them or chasing the Coyotes off isn't going to work and they will simply stay a little further away from You and come in when Your not around....You need to put the fear into them or they will simply clean out all the small Game and chase off the larger Game that can protect theirself unless there are enough Coyotes to group up and kill a full size Deer....I do know that the Coyotes will search out and kill Newborn Fawns!

In one sense I can understand yer mind set... What you need to understand is these canines are not yer family pet... In fact if there are enough of them around, as they deplete the natural food sources they'll actually eat yer family pet.

Here's what the wild canines (wolves) did to my old dog in August 2011.

I brought my cameras home from my hunting spot a few days ago and put one 25 yards behind my house in the woods. Captured this on video in the first 12 hours. Never even seen a coyote here at home in 5 years but there is a lot more around than one would guess . http://youtu.be/gbhrpk8U2nc

Coyotes like deer are very adaptable...

Are you hunting deer or turkey? Sounds like the numbers are far too many if they are pushing deer out. Most places will give you anywhere from $40-$75 for a coyote skin...best thing to do is thin them out IMO otherwise you wont see deer or turkey around much.

You can't chase coyotes away as long as there is a food source on your property.

Kill them or leave them be.

I had 2 in front of me a couple of weekends ago. Of course, i didnt see any whitetail but i was fortunate enough to knock one down. They are good for nothing and certainly don't help out when we are trying to turkey or whitetail hunt.

Damn man. Sorry about your dog. I have two dogs outside myself. I guess I'm just gonna have to take a couple of them out. I'll try here in a couple days. It's too cold for me right now.

Thanks for the advice guys. I had a trail cam photo of two of them but I have no idea where that picture is. The problem is that there are very few people that hunt coyotes right in this area and they're getting out of hand. I'll let ya know how it goes. I should have no problem getting them to come to me. It was easy enough during deer season.

If they haven't been called or hunted around your area, you may be able to wack a few before they smarten up. If you make a set, remember that they will try to circle downwind as they come in to a call and you can't twitch because they are on alert to any movement. That's why it's good to have a decoy out in front of you, especially one that has movement, to get their attention focused on that. A good trapper is really the best way to go to really take a good number out of an area, but you'll never get rid of all of them because they're just like cockroaches and Cher---they've been around forever, LOL!

First time every sit in shotgun season I saw at least one. By the third sit enough was enough and one came in to 60 yards and took its last step. Getting it tanned right now. I think after this trail cam photo last year I realized that I hate coyotes.




I know where we have a den of them so come February or March when I head down for Shed hunting I plan on doing a little calling with my .223 or shotgun in hand. I know how bad of an impact they have on fawns and Illinois deer herd is already hurting.

Lunker, sorry to hear about your dog. That sucks. I would be an a wolf killing spree!

I actually had my first wolf tag this year, but with the quota cut in half this year, and not being able to get out enough early in the season I was not able to connect before the quotas were reached... Next year is coming fast tho:cool2:

That said, I was lucky enough to kill a wolf in 2011... That was before they were de-listed here in MN... When I reported the dog kill to the MNDNR they put me in touch with a federal trapper... The trapper was kind enough to let me tend the traps on the weekends... On the last Sunday the traps were in I found the third, and final wolf they caught... Not nearly as sporting as hunting one down, but a little revenge 13 days after they killed my old dog didn't bother me none!!!

I dont know any way but I would just get some #4 buckshot so there easer to hit runing and sit were you see them, then just start blasting the hole pack!

in my state you dont have to have a stamp or tags for them and its all year season!

fastetti---Is that a fawn that yote has in your picture, as I'm having troubles making it out?

Coyotes may be canines, but trust me they are nothing like your pet dog. Like others stated, you're gonna have to go lethal. I love dogs, but I have no problem dropping a coyote. We've had a spike in the coyote population in the last 5 years and it has affected other game. We have seen less yearling deer in the fall, rabbit population is down, turkey population is down, and we haven't seen or even heard a pheasant in 4-5 years. Try to find an experienced coyote trapper or hunter in your area and seek their help. Coyotes are very intelligent animals and will learn quickly from your mistakes, which will make them harder to kill.

Yup, no doubt there are many that would argue that they're the most resilient canines in the U.S.

Get as many as you can early, because they'll just keep getting harder too get once you start.

Coyotes are not only VERY adaptable, but very territorial as well. I just got my Chocolate Lab pup a 1-1/2yr ago in Sept. I live out in the counrty. By Nov. I found coyote scat by his kennel next to my outside garage next to my pool. I have trapped for nearly 35yrs, so I know 'yote crap when I see it. Set some sets in the field behind the house by his kennel and caught a female yote within the week. After I caught her, no more piles. I figure she thought my lab pup was a new canine in her area and a threat.

Topgun, yep, it is. Its just half of one though. I'm sure another coyote got the second half. I was not very happy when I got that picture. This year we did get a couple with coyotes with baby raccoons in their mouth. If I'm going to get a coyote pictures, I'll take one with a dead coon in its mouth.

Lunker, at a least you got a little revenge! Hopefully next year you can get one for yourself!

We hunt coyotes all the time and love it. You can hunt an area enough it drives them out for a while but they will be back again since there are so many and they have litters every spring just like pet dogs. there normal range is about 25 square miles.
We mostly use 22cal. center fire rifles like the 220 Swift, 22-250, 222 and 223's. We hunt when it is windy also and switch to 6 MM to 25 cal center fires. We do use shot guns in tight areas usually 12ga. loaded with # 4 buck.

We have all made our own E callers we hook to a MP3 player loaded with sounds from Varmint Al's web sight or wind rivers site.
You can sell whole frozen animals if you don't want to skin them by searching for the right buyer. You will get about 25% of fur market price for them.

Not any harder than a deer to skin. Buyers will discount a hide if it has to big of holes in it. You need to learn how to sew and also where to shot them and not blow the bullet up on a bone.

This is my home made E caller I have just a tad less than 50.00 invested in it. Uses all Radio shack parts except the cup and the specker.







:D Al

Cool looking Homemade Caller Alleyyooper!

I'm gonna get em. I heard my outside dogs howling earlier and I knew there were coyotes close. I stepped outside and there was a bunch of em howling just about 200 yards in front of the house.

We used to have quail around but they've disappeared. The rabbit numbers are way down as well. I've got the perfect spot to sit tomorrow if it doesn't rain.

I see that you give distances of how close you think they are. Coyotes voices carry FAR farther than most people even begin to know. We have watched coyotes answer back to lone coyote bark and challenge sounds from our caller and then answer back at distances over 1/2mi only to sound like they were in our laps!!!!! Especially now that the air is heavy and damp, it really carrys.

Like the old saying if you don't want any thing to change DO NOTHING.

Hinting coyotes to get the numbers down is as important as working to plant food plots. The buck you didn't see this hunting season was probably the fawn the coyotes killed and ate in the spring of 2012.

No need for special equipment really either Just a simple 10.00 mouth call squalling rabbit or howler, a shot gun with #4 buck or any deer rifle if you don't plan on selling the hides. that will do the job and don't expect to become a coyote killing machine over night. I hunted them for a year before I was able to call n my first one.
Works best we think if we hunt in pairs also as 4 eyes are better at spotting the slinking coyote in the grasses and brush.

Word of mouth of our coyote hunting has gotten us permission to hunt land we could never hunt any thing on before but being safe and ridding the land owner of the coyote problem has gotten us permission to hunt about any thing on that land now.

:D Al

Studies show that coyotes kill about 70% of the fawns that are born. Do something or your deer hunting will get worse.

If you read any of my posts, you will learn my views on the 'yote. I shoot them on sight, no exceptions.

I don't care about their mangy hides. I urinate in the entrance wounds I inflict on them.

Yeah, ya gotta go lethal.

Do it.

And don't hesitate any more about it than you do when you fart when you're by yourself.

Don't get me wrong; just because I HATE them doesn't mean I don't RESPECT them. They are intelligent and adaptable. Think of them like whitetails that can see color and turkeys that can smell.

No matter how many of them we kill, there will always be more than enough of them to replace the loss.

Like Stonewall Jackson said: "Kill'em. Kill'em all."

With more and more coyotes showing up on my deer cameras I have taken up coyote hunting. I sat outside all night Friday and Saturday night with a red light mounted on my crossbow and a rabbit in distress call in my hand. Friday night after a few hours of calling I heard something barely sneaking through the woods and before it got close enough to put the light on I heard stuff start breaking as it was running off. Saturday night I was creeping around out there calling and caught a dog of some sort out of the corner of my eye coming at me like a rocket. I ran one way and it ran the other I am assuming.. I really don't want to go back out there and try it again alone on the ground haha. Can I turn off all the lights in the house and call out the window I wonder, or hang something in a tree within crossbow range of the house that I can sit and watch. I just wonder if they will come in close to the house at night. I have no pets or anything to worry about getting attacked and I would definitely feel safer calling out the window... until a bobcat or something jumps in the bedroom with me.

If you keep calling them then scaring them off at night you are giving them a good education and they will stop coming to a rabbit squeal or any other call. Ditch the cross bow for night hunting and at least use a shot gun with # 4 buck.

We go into an area where we have seen or heard coyotes( they howl like pet dogs to sirens) in the late afternoon or very early morning. Set up our call and our selves and only call about 20 minutes to a half hour at the most. If we haven't seen any thing in that time We leave and go to a different place several miles away.

:D Al

Does the siren make them want to avoid that location? I've heard of sirens to locate them, but it seems like they would want to avoid that unnatural sound.

They howl like many pet dogs to sirens of ambulances cops and fire dept. trucks going down the road. We use the sound as a locator which helps in future sets. Just use the call sparely.


:D Al