Late winter coyotes - when is it time to stop ?

[line052]

Coyote Recipe....leave for crows...pre skinned and make for easy digestion...

[Big Jack]

Sharon I can understand how and why you would feel conflicted about this issue. This thread pops up every year about this time and it generates polarized views.

I started hunting coyotes in the 70's before many even knew they existed in Ontario. I have chased them with foxhounds from northern Florida to upper Michigan. I think that needs to be clear before the rest of my comments.

Every year we get the coyote haters come on and pretty much say 'kill em all'. They believe they understand mother nature and there by take on the role of keeping things in check. Basically that view is a very selfish one as the point of their actions is to have more game available to themselves. They often condemn the coyotes when they lack a lot of the science about these animals.

Do they kill deer...absolutely but not to near the extent that many would suggest. Coyotes main diet is basically rodents and smaller animals. Are some fawns taken...yes but fawns can be prey to other animals as well like resident bear and house dogs running loose who by the way are responsible for far more than you think. There was a time I was involved in radio tracking coyotes and had a look at the analysis of their scat(droppings). The science confirms the above.

To the original poster, foxes start to come in season first week in January, coyotes the first week of February. I'm sure there are many on this forum who have had wild chases in February with young males searching out females in other areas. You can do the math after that and females are very den oriented by middle of March.

Personally it's my belief that we leave them alone at that point as far as gun hunting goes, there are still groups who chase for the sport without killing and it's not hard to find a den area then.

The coyote is subject to much blame at times, and yup at times it could be bonafide but more often than not it isn't. You really want to protect deer and fawns at that time of the year then keep those house dogs tied up. I can't tell you how many times I have seen that..

Let me offer my perspective,

I have hunted deer for 28 years and 95 or better percent of that has been still hunting. I wait and watch.

You know how many wild dogs and domestic dogs I have seen chasing deer? Zero Sure it happens but not so often that I've seen it.

You know how many coyotes I have seen chasing deer - more than I care to recount. They relentlessly run them.

They eat whatever is available. Sure they eat rodents and rabbits but they don't just stick to that. How naive a statement. You purport the science of it all but how in depth over how large of a geographic area was that so called study? I would expect different areas would offer different results.

They are an incredibly efficient predator and they are nothing more than an invasive species. They should be treated as such. You call people selfish for taking a steward approach to the coyote problem and I totally disagree. These things wipe out anything in the forest and they eat 24-7. When they can't find adequate food in the bush they find it elsewhere as in livestock dogs cats etc. They offset the balance of things. The animals they snack on already have predator pressure - they don't need anymore.

I may appreciate your opinion but don't put others down for seeing it differently than you do.

A large part of why I hunt is to see the forest literally wake up around me. Once an area becomes infested with Coyotes that can be a pretty dismal affair.

No coyote gets a pass from me ever.

We've all seen what invasive species can do. Next you'll be telling us how feral pigs aren't really that bad or gobies or Asian carp etc....

[beagle2618]

we usually call it quits 3rd or last weekend in march .... because we use smaller hounds and don't really want vet bills.... however last weekend and the week before we had two coyotes that would not run,... at all... we managed to get the first , the second went to the den after a long walking race? ... didn't get her... i'm wondering if alot of them came in heat early because of the weird winter? .... next weekend might be it for us.

[krakadawn]

"We've all seen what invasive species can do. Next you'll be telling us how feral pigs aren't really that bad or gobies or Asian carp etc"

Big Jack....no one suggested that!


" I may appreciate your opinion but don't put others down for seeing it differently than you do."

Yet you call me naïve when I stated what their diet looked like. Please note I never said venison was not part of their diet.

As far as dogs chasing deer especially does carrying fawns, may I respectfully suggest you visit any local office of MNR and ask that question. It is not so much feral dogs but quite often pet dogs allowed to roam at night.

You are quite correct in that they are an incredibly efficient predator.

[Big Jack]

Fair enough. I shouldn't have called you naive it just irritates me that you suggest people taking care of these critters are selfish.

We can only comment on our experiences. In our area if you let your dog run loose chances are it will meet its end with the amount of yotes abound. My buddies dog just lost the end of its ear in their back yard and this is a big dog. One farmers land I hunt lost a dog to these yotes and they come right up on the back deck to try and get the current dog out.