I was out checking trail cams the other day when I ran across a couple of doe standing about 100 yards away from me acting strange. I say strange because they knew very well I was standing there, yet turned their backs to me and just stood there. I was filming them for a while with my main camera when I seen a coyote head pop out of the weeds then drop back down again. I was thinking he was about to go after one of the doe since he was close to them when I heard a fawn scream. Leaving my camera behind since it was up on the tripod, I hit the weeds running to see if I could catch up to the coyote and fawn before it was too late, but I wasn't quick enough. Looks like I'll be spending a few weeks out there trying to hunt down some coyotes. Yes I know they have too eat too, but it's never fun seeing it happen, and when you know you've got a large coyote population in the area, you know you're losing a lot of fawns.

No mercy for coyotes. We can hunt them here all year long, no limits.

Same here, so my call will be rocking the fawn and coyote pup distress blues for the next several weeks taking care of business.

Good deal.

I spend more time hunting the coyotes than hunting any thing else or fishing.


Al

That's why I always carry a rifle or pistol with me when I'm in the fields this time of year.

Same here. I popped one the last muzzleloader season. (for its fly tying potential, too).

Our wildlife officials are saying that this is the only area that has not yet recovered from blue tongue a couple of years ago. They're also noting low fawn retention statewide, but aren't sure why. Coyotes, based strictly on my observations, seem to be way up, though. I don't think it's coincidence.

My buddy wants to do some hunting, and this has me thinking it might be time to uncase the 22-250.

Circle of life.

Like this, too.

One of the deer biologists at the Region 3 F&G headquarters in Bozeman, MT did an almost career long study of the mule deer in the Bridger mountain range north of Bozeman.


One of his findings was that in the first 6 months after fawns are born, coyotes kill 45% of them.

Arkansas Game and Fish sees to it that Coyotes are protected end of April until July - so they can eat fawns unmolested. If a coyote gets in your garden and eats a fifty cent tomato, you can shoot or trap him for depredation. If a coyote attacks one of your deer during May or June - that you have spent thousands of dollars managing, it is illegal to kill the coyote. You have to stand and watch.