Coyote hunter experts???

[oosik]

Turnbull NWR is right across the county road from my driveway entrance. For quite a while they were using some type of exploding shell and bait to control coyotes. This had to end when they began to lease out the land for cattle grazing.

This is hard to believe - but at the same time they were using these exploding shell things - they also allowed unguided public access to their lands.

 

[JeepHead]

Coyotes if left unchecked will wreak havoc on a rabbit population as well as deer population. They will kill fawns and even bring down full grown deer. They will eat newborn calves and will kill your dogs at cats. In fact, it was just on the news yesterday where an old lady was out in her yard with her little dog and a coyote came running out of the woods, snatched her dog and carried it away.

In my area they're everywhere. I have been hunting them since I was a kid and enjoy it. They're about the most difficult critters to hunt, very challenging. It's one of the few animals that we can hunt year around.

 

[oosik]

I have my share of coyotes out here on the open range land. They are one of the few animals I can enjoy watching - year round.

I think they have come to learn that my 80 acres is safety for them. Individuals will come into my yard and take a nap in the shade of my trees.

I am always cautious when Brownie( 4 YO brown Cocker Spaniel) and I go out for our walks. They see us - we see them. They have never made a move on Brownie.

However - I never let Brownie out by himself. Why tempt fate.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

My dogs keep the coyotes at a distance, but don't bother the deer. The deer have learned this is a safe place to have fawns, so I currently have a big crop. I saw 5 fawns in my yard yesterday, and at least two more across the creek, probably more. A neighbor runs a cow-calf operation on 600 acres and has lost a lot of calves to predators this year, though it could be bobcats or cougars in addition to coyotes. We have black bear too, so wildlife has to take its chances.

 

[oosik]

I know we have cougars. A couple hunters and their dogs routinely hunt them in an area about five miles west of me.

Several years ago - a commotion on my front porch. Open the door - in waltz a couple hunting dogs. Over to the wood stove - plop down and immediately go to sleep. So......fill a pan with water, they were both thirsty. Both had heavy leather collars and shiny brass name tags.

Called and found they belonged to a hunter who lived in the Newport area - about 50 miles north of me. He had been cougar hunting in an area about five miles west of me. He and his hunting partner drove back down and retrieved the dogs. The dogs got lost - chasing a cougar. Went to the nearest house for help.

They had a cougar in the back of their pickup. Stretched out - it covered the entire length of the bed of the pickup.

I immediately became a whole lot more careful on my nightly walks around the yard and outbuildings. I also quit my nightly walks to the far west end of the property. Half a mile west of my house.

 

[JeepHead]

I know we have cougars. A couple hunters and their dogs routinely hunt them in an area about five miles west of me.

Several years ago - a commotion on my front porch. Open the door - in waltz a couple hunting dogs. Over to the wood stove - plop down and immediately go to sleep. So......fill a pan with water, they were both thirsty. Both had heavy leather collars and shiny brass name tags.

Called and found they belonged to a hunter who lived in the Newport area - about 50 miles north of me. He had been cougar hunting in an area about five miles west of me. He and his hunting partner drove back down and retrieved the dogs. The dogs got lost - chasing a cougar. Went to the nearest house for help.

They had a cougar in the back of their pickup. Stretched out - it covered the entire length of the bed of the pickup.

I immediately became a whole lot more careful on my nightly walks around the yard and outbuildings. I also quit my nightly walks to the far west end of the property. Half a mile west of my house.

My state's official stance stance is that there are no cougars here. They admit that an occasional one will pass through as do black bears. 20 years ago, I had a cougar in my yard on 3 separate occasions, once chasing my dog right to me. I called DNR and asked if I could shoot it and they said yes and asked me to let them know if I did so they could study it. I never got the chance to take it. Talked to the old woman down the road who owned the country store and she said she had seen a mama and her cubs drinking from her pond on many instances. You hear of other people occasionally seeing them but nobody ever believes them for some reason. 40 years ago we barely had any deer left and certainly no turkey. Now, our deer and turkey population is massive. No doubt the large predator population will come back as well. We JUST now finally got a season on bobcat. This will be the first year and I hope to be one of the few hunters who get to harvest one.

 

[Eagle1]

My state's official stance stance is that there are no cougars here. They admit that an occasional one will pass through as do black bears. 20 years ago, I had a cougar in my yard on 3 separate occasions, once chasing my dog right to me. I called DNR and asked if I could shoot it and they said yes and asked me to let them know if I did so they could study it. I never got the chance to take it. Talked to the old woman down the road who owned the country store and she said she had seen a mama and her cubs drinking from her pond on many instances. You hear of other people occasionally seeing them but nobody ever believes them for some reason. 40 years ago we barely had any deer left and certainly no turkey. Now, our deer and turkey population is massive. No doubt the large predator population will come back as well. We JUST now finally got a season on bobcat. This will be the first year and I hope to be one of the few hunters who get to harvest one.

Same story here in southern MO. We didn't have bears, now we have a season. We have cougar but not in great numbers, but I've seen tracks (more than 5" wide), deer kills and seen glimpses a few times. We had one a few years ago killing goats and the farmer live trapped a 140# young male and drove it to MDC.

 

[oosik]

Ha, ha - wish our coyotes and cougars could/would do something about our turkeys. Down south you guys have wild pigs. Here we have turkeys. They do the same as your hogs - only on a smaller scale.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Last year I started to have problems, they were trying to lure my dogs to the bush line so I shot one, the important part in my opinion is to leave it where it falls so the other know what's up, yes it is a waist which I am not in favor of but that may prevents you from having to kill more from that pack... they have a big territory so usually they only show up around the same time every year. For me it's August to December... My weapon of choice is a 17 hmr... the issue with bating is they will most likely show up at night. Predators call is a effective method. I agree that if there is no reason to kill them let it be but if you have a dog or cats and you have a coyote around it is a question of time before they make a move on them, personally I ratter be proactive and save my dog.

 

[Eagle1]

Last year I started to have problems, they were trying to lure my dogs to the bush line so I shot one, the important part in my opinion is to leave it where it falls so the other know what's up, yes it is a waist which I am not in favor of but that may prevents you from having to kill more from that pack... they have a big territory so usually they only show up around the same time every year. For me it's August to December... My weapon of choice is a 17 hmr... the issue with bating is they will most likely show up at night. Predators call is a effective method. I agree that if there is no reason to kill them let it be but if you have a dog or cats and you have a coyote around it is a question of time before they make a move on them, personally I ratter be proactive and save my dog.

Unless your dog's job is to take out coyotes as necessary. Livestock Guardians for example