Eradicating Coyotes?

[pschuh32]

If you're trying to eradicate coyotes I don't believe bait is the way to go. Here in the U.P. predator hunting has really grown with bait being the main technique, a lot of success but the population seems to grown year after year. I believe baiting saves more coyotes that you're able to shoot, it's a free meal for them when times are tough. If you hunt them, do so by calling only. Dispose of gut piles, make them earn every meal they get, it should keep the carrying capacity as low as possible. I don't think you'll ever eradicate them, but calling, trapping, and keeping free meals at a minimum should lower the population some, and yes, it has to be a community effort.

[shaman]

See, the problem with trying to eradicate yotes is that you need to kill something like 70% of the pack every year for several years in a row before you put a serious dent in them.  Females respond to a population reduction, by just upping the size of their litters. 

I will tell you what usually knocks down the population: Parvo.  Once the coyote and wild dog population hits a certain density it's like an overnight sensation.  One week you have dogs, the next week it's all over. We are just now returning to the kind of densities we saw back in 2005 before Parvo went through this end of the county last. 

[Everyday Hunter]

I don't believe you can eradicate coyotes. We have them here, kill lots of them, that there are always more. Between the hunters who take incidental coyotes while hunting other critters, the dog runners who kill some every weekend, and several trappers who do very well (one friend of mine traps over 40 per year -- if you want info ask me to post a link), our county takes out lots of them and isn't putting a dent in the population.

The population will have its ups and downs, but as long as there is a food source, you aren't going to get rid of them. My advice is to look as them as another sporting opportunity.

Steve 

[badtoys]

it can't hurt to take some out
 
 

ORIGINAL: Everyday Hunter

I don't believe you can eradicate coyotes. We have them here, kill lots of them, that there are always more. Between the hunters who take incidental coyotes while hunting other critters, the dog runners who kill some every weekend, and several trappers who do very well (one friend of mine traps over 40 per year -- if you want info ask me to post a link), our county takes out lots of them and isn't putting a dent in the population.

The population will have its ups and downs, but as long as there is a food source, you aren't going to get rid of them. My advice is to look as them as another sporting opportunity.

Steve 

[GTOHunter]

Well We've still been hard at it Predator/Coyote Hunting.....went on some Private Land and have hit it hard on some Public Conservation Land also.We had several close calls and called in some Coyotes and had them answer/howl back at us a few times but we didn't get any in close enough for a shot,still it has been fun geting out and trying,plus I can look for Deer Sheds as we treck thru all the woods.


I did have a very exciting evening while I tried out a new piece of Property a Co-Worker allowed me to Hunt one day after work.I went to His Property and He took me across a big open field to 2 fields that were fenced in and split in half with a fence row and showed me where a good spot was to hunt.After he left I ended up crossing the fence and setting up in the corner where the open fields joined and were split down the middle with a line of woods and tall feild grass 100-125 yards in front of me...I put my Flambeau Coyote Decoy along the fence row running left of me about 75 yards down the line with a rabbit hide/fur hanging from its mouth,my little electronic caller was about 50 yards down the same row and I walked back to the corner and hide in the shade of several smaller Cedar Trees and briars.I waited a little and started calling/running my caller with the remote I had strung around my kneck,as the sun started setting behind me I noticed something down the open field along the woods edge that wasn't there before?I aimed my Browning .243 at the object..and there sat a beautiful Bobcat basking in what sun light was left before it finally disappeared,the Bobcat sat there as I ran my caller a few times in hopes of seeing a Coyote?Furbearer Season is over and I wasn't able to shot the Bobcat or a Fox but the Coyotes are still in Season and I decided to see what the Bobcat would do since he sat there content on waiting til something moved or it got dark?I hit the rabbit in-distress on my caller and it ran a while but wouldn't shut off...I had set the caller too far from my remote and I had to take it off from around my kneck as I laid on the ground and I reached out with my left hand and finally shut it off....to my surprise it attracted the Bobcat and he started his way up towards me.He walked slowly at me as I laid on the ground watching for Coyotes and dropped off in a draingage ditch with a tall culvert pipe sticking out of it,a few mintutes later he popped out of the end of the ditch towards me and continued towards me at about 50 yards away now and closing in.I had laid my Rifle down to my side because it was usless to shoot and waste this beautiful animal and I had a Ruger 22LR on my side if needed for safety reasons?As the Bobcat walked up the open field I saw a Robin fly off the fence row to my left and make a low-flying be-line towards the other fence running down the middle...the Bobcat lurched into the air a good 3-4 feet just missing the Robin and landing back down on all 4-paws!I decide he was getting too close for comfort so I had my right hand on my Pistol and pulled it out of the holster just in case since I'm laying down hiding and vulnerable on my back...I tried to find my remote with my left hand felling in the grass for the string so I could turn the caller back on and direct the attention to the sound of the caller 50 yards to my left away from me when the Bobcat noticed my hand and fingers wiggling trying to find the dang remote....he took a run towards me and I ended up sitting up quickly with my right hand on my Ruger .22 yelling" Get out of Here" and aiming the gun at the Bobcats front chest as he slammed to a halt, surprised that a Human was at the other end of the movement....he turned and walked away and laid down about 25 yards down-hill in a small impression in the feild and stayed there un-scared until it got dark and I stood up to collect my decoy and caller...he slowly walked down past the drainage ditch as I made it off the 2 small fields....What an exciting day and once in a life time experience!!! [:)] [;)]

[GTOHunter]

Coyote Hunting is back on again here in Missouri....I can't stress enough of how easy it can be to Hunt over a freshly mowed Feild that is being prepped for Bailing Hay,the Coyotes love searching fresh mowed fields for mice,Fawns and any animals that were killed/injured as the Farmers cut and raked their fields.I have seen several Coyotes in the early mornings and late evenings criss-crossing open mowed fileds looking for an easy meal.Hopefully I will have some time this weekend to do a few set-ups in some of the nice big open fields I have gained permission to hunt Predators on again this summer....I'll keep everyone updated on how things go in the next few weeks. GTOHunter aka PredatorHunter

[GTOHunter]

My Quest for Coyote Hunting has been a little slow this Summer,I did set up over a few large cut hay fields along with my remote caller and Coyote Decoy...didn't call in or have any Coyotes come into the fields but with me working a lot I can only hunt evenings mostly and possibly sunday mornings if I'm not too wore out!


I did have the chance with all the extra over-time I've been working to go out and get me a new Rifle a CZ-USA model 527 Bolt-action "Varmint" .204 Rifle with the heavy barrel & walnut stock.Now comes the fun part of deciding which scope to buy then selecting what brand and grain bullets that will group the best and the joys of sighting it in at the local Shooting Range!