Coyotes

How Farmers and Landowners Help Predator Hunters Kill More Coyotes | Mossy Oak

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How Farmers and Landowners Help Predator Hunters Kill More Coyotes | Mossy Oak

No matter if it is livestock farmers or a crop-only farmer, they both hold one thing that is vital for being able to call predators, that is, the land to hunt on. It took me several years to figure it out, but having various properties to hunt is vital in successfully calling predators all season long. Having an array of property to hunt on prevents over-hunting an area, causing coyotes to become somewhat leery of coming to a call or feeling pressured by seeing or smelling human presence more than they will tolerate. Having a good relationship with multiple farmers can provide all the hunting opportunities you will need while providing a service to them in return. That service being predator control.

‘This is the best time of year to be doing it’ – newyorkupstate.com

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Upstate NY coyote hunter talks about his passion: ‘This is the best time of year to be doing it’ – newyorkupstate.com

SCIPIO CENTER, N.Y. -- Josh Saville said he shot his first coyote in 2007 “by chance.”

“I got it with a bow while deer hunting,” he said. “It just became an addiction after that. I also hunt deer and waterfowl, but mainly I hunt coyotes because it’s outside my business hours and I can do it uninterrupted.”

Saville, 39, is a taxidermist whose shop, Taxidermy by Josh Saville, is run out of his home.

“When you deer hunt, you usually hunt in the morning and afternoon. I like to head out for coyotes after I shut down my business for the day, usually after 6:30 - 7 p.m. and stay out to about 2 a.m.” he said.

Leading the next fur renaissance? — Furbearer Conservation

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The Wily Coyote: Leading the next fur renaissance? — Furbearer Conservation

Let’s face it, the fur industry hasn’t been what it was decades ago. The decline in an American “fur boom” through the 1990’s has coincidentally coincided with an increase in wildlife conflict across North America; especially with one wild canid in particular. The coyote has managed to outlast and outwit mankind’s old-world attempts at eradication and broad-scale control. It has also been quite the topic of discussion from coast to coast over the last few years. Few critters can lay claim to the adaptability and resiliency the coyote has cast upon rural and urban America.

Coywolves are Taking Over Eastern North America | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine

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Coywolves are Taking Over Eastern North America | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine

The hybrid, or Canis latrans var., is about 55 pounds heavier than pure coyotes, with longer legs, a larger jaw, smaller ears and a bushier tail. It is part eastern wolf, part wester wolf, western coyote and with some dog (large breeds like Doberman Pinschers and German Shepherds), reports The Economist. Coywolves today are on average a quarter wolf and a tenth dog.

M-44 and Coyotes

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I’ve been reading about the latest controversy over the continued approval of M-14 sodium cyanide for coyote control in certain western states. Some observations I have:

  • Traditional foothold traps are best for catching and dispatching coyotes. With a foothold you can check to ensure you’ve reached the target species before dispatching the coyote with your firearm. After you’ve killed the coyote, you can recover the pelt in good condition for sale.
  • Running trap lines in very remote country can be challenging as you have to check have the traps every 24 hours or maybe 48 hours to see if you have gotten anything in the trap. The M-44 traps kill the animal and don’t need to be checked daily.
  • Supposedly, the M-44 sodium cyanide baits break down quickly and does not bio-accumulate but I would still be worried about secondary poisoning of eagles and other raptors. Nature picks up after dead carcasses as they’re just food to other species and you don’t want to kill non targeted species.
  • Don’t kid yourself, coyotes are an enormous problem on the modem ecosystem. Yes, they do help keep field mice and certain other species in check. But they also a ample breeders with limited predators. They kill deer, elk, and other game species – along with attacking calves and even cattle giving birth. Nature ain’t pretty, coyotes do whatever they have to survive.
  • While I don’t support killing animals without a purpose, I do think predators must be kept in check as humans are putting pressures on other parts of the ecosystem and need to keep balance. Regulated trapping can and does help to control wildlife population.
  • I think it’s reasonable to consider ways to get more people to hunt and trap coyotes in areas where they are a nuisance by subsidizing pelt sales, promoting the market for coyote fur, placing a bounty on coyotes and hosting coyote hunting contests.
  • Sometimes unpleasant things are necessary to protect our natural resources. Nature isn’t always pretty. But the coyote that can be harvested via hunting and trapping, the more we can avoid using potentially harmful poisons like M-44.