Running Coyotes and Trespassing

[benjhind]

A group ran my property with dogs again for coyotes this week.

For those who are unfamiliar with the practice, this is how it works. I'm not overly familiar with the process so correct me where I'm wrong, I'm just going on what I've seen:

1) Release dogs at the road on one side of a concession to find and chase coyotes
2) Drive around the bush, tracking the dogs using GPS or radio tracking collars
3) Shoot coyotes as they are chased from the bush
4) Recover dogs before they cross a road

I'm sure this is a lot of fun and I'm not knocking those who do this legally. The problem is, to do this legally you need permission from the landowners. You need permission from the landowners that own the bush your dogs will run through, and you need permission from the landowners that own the fields that you're going to be shooting from. This means you need permission from EVERY landowner between the roads.

My block is about 1.5 miles in length. There are over 20 landowners, several of whom allow absolutely zero hunting. The hunters have never introduced themselves to me, let alone asked my permission, and there's no way to get through the bush without crossing my land.

I once stopped one of the trucks and asked the guy why he was hunting my land without my permission. He told me "how the **** am I supposed to know where the dogs will go and who owns every little bit of this bush". I told him that a good hint is that the dogs are likely going to go through the bush, and that asking some of the people that live there might be a start. If he has trouble telling the dogs where to go, perhaps he could invest in a leash, as they are cheaper than GPS collars.

I guess this has turned into a bit of a rant. I guess my point is that running dogs without permission and shooting from a roadway are both unethical and gives hunters a bad name.

End rant.

[jim]

I've often wondered the same thing.

[seabast]

If I remember well there is group called "Coyote are my friends" somewhere around Niagara, the last I heard they are looking for new members...

[LOWENHART]

i always stop and knock on a door to ask and introduce myself,even with my strong accent...the worse thing i got from people saying NO,not a slap in my face
its that simple

[Fox]

You are right, you have the right to determine who is on your property, period. If they are running dogs and they do not have permission they know exactly what they are doing.

Hunting what some would call vermin does not dismiss trespassing laws.

You have talked to them and mentioned it to them and they have acted like jerks, call the cops on them, they do not have the right to be there.

I bet if they had come to you and asked you would have had a lot less problems then them just going and doing it.

[benjhind]

If I remember well there is group called "Coyote are my friends" somewhere around Niagara, the last I heard they are looking for new members...

Ah yes, you got me there. *slow clap*

[benjhind]

You have talked to them and mentioned it to them and they have acted like jerks, call the cops on them, they do not have the right to be there.

I bet if they had come to you and asked you would have had a lot less problems then them just going and doing it.

To be honest, after the argument with them last time, I actually told them that if they wanted to hunt the block in the future, I likely wouldn't object as long as they asked me first. I'm not sure whether it was the same people this time as it was my wife who saw them.

Again, though, there are several landowners who allow no hunting whatsoever, so they still shouldn't be running the block.

[smitty55]

There's a bunch of coyote hunters around here that hunt over a 4 square mile area. One of the main guys is a well known and popular local butcher. Many of the larger tracts of land are owned by farmers who obviously have no issues with coyote hunters, but there is the odd landowner around who doesn't like hunting. They have asked for and received permission for most areas including a large quarry. The lads hunt according to wind conditions after touring around on sleds to find tracks and plan their hunt from there, being sure not to run their dogs towards property they don't have permission on. The odd time if they miss a dog on the road they have gone and asked permission to just retrieve the dog. I'm just outside Almonte and Carleton Place and a few weeks ago they actually got a wolf just over a mile from here.
These guys do it the right way and are respectful of properties, unlike it seems the lads that you have in your area benjhind.

Cheers

[Hunter John]

Yep, you would almost need permission from a whole concession or 2 of landowners to be perfectly legit but I get the fact even if you have permission from most landowners no one can predict where the chase will go. And once the chase is on its hard to go and start asking permission. Tough situation for sure, the hounds man that run deer up north have the same problems .

[Skull1]

So if a landowner is a licensed trapper and has lawful traps on his property, or a licensed trapper had written permission from a land owner to set lawful traps for coyotes, and someone lets their dogs loose to hunt coyotes on these properties without permission, and the dogs get cuaght in the traps who would be at fault?........ I trap, and I own property, and I know the answer .....I don't like trespassers messing with my trap line when they are running dogs through my bush.
just something to consider when running dogs on private property without permission. I rely on my legally set traps for income.......