Coyotes. Warning - Graphic

[Brandonm2]

What's the best way to kill 'em?

I attended a seminar on this at the Alabama Deer and Turkey Hunter's Expoe this summer. According to the expert guy..... they run over several thousand acres, which means some days they will NOT be in your part of their vast range. His recommendation was to ride the roads and use coyote calls early in the morning and listen for responses. IF you get coyotes too respond remember the spot and get back in your truck and go to the house. Coyotes typically are full in the morning and hungry in the evening so don't bother with hunting them before afternoon. Come back that late afternoon to where you heard them in the morning. DO NOT call them when you get out of the truck to hunt them. Coyotes move quick and are likely to see you setting up and the hunt is blown. Take your time and set up right. Full camo clothing is prefered. Covering up with a light camo cover helps. Don't bother with any kind of masking scents. Coyotes have too good a sense of smell. They will smell you AND your masking scent. If they smell you before you see them it is generally a blown hunt. Leave the ATV at the house. Coyotes heard that thing two miles away. Move in to position on foot and as quietly as possible. Set your gun up on a tripod, be locked and loaded before you make the first call, and be ready for a fast response. Repeat every 20-30 minutes If nothing happens after an hour or two. Repeat whole process tomorrow. Don't give up since it often takes a few days for a coyote to lower his guard. Mix up your collection of calls/tapes (coyote challenging, coyote in heat, coyote pups in distress, coyotes fighting, rabbit in distress, fawn in distress, ravens at lunch, squealing piglet etc). Coyotes have excellent memories. Blow on your call 2 or 3 times, or play your tape for a 10 second burst and expect action within 20 minutes. Unlike cats or bears, if a coyote heard it the first time, he knows exactly where that sound came from so calling him in like a turkey is not necessary and may let him see you before you see him. Don't use a fixed or permanent stand or blind. Coyotes figure that game out real quick. Decoys help. In some states, baiting coyotes is legal. IF there is a dead hole or spot where deer offall is dumped set up near there or near a gnawed on carcass(if allowable under your law).

 

[gabby]

What's the best way to kill 'em?

I attended a seminar on this at the Alabama Deer and Turkey Hunter's Expoe this summer. According to the expert guy..... they run over several thousand acres, which means some days they will NOT be in your part of their vast range. His recommendation was to ride the roads and use coyote calls early in the morning and listen for responses. IF you get coyotes too respond remember the spot and get back in your truck and go to the house. Coyotes typically are full in the morning and hungry in the evening so don't bother with hunting them before afternoon. Come back that late afternoon to where you heard them in the morning. DO NOT call them when you get out of the truck to hunt them. Coyotes move quick and are likely to see you setting up and the hunt is blown. Take your time and set up right. Full camo clothing is prefered. Covering up with a light camo cover helps. Don't bother with any kind of masking scents. Coyotes have too good a sense of smell. They will smell you AND your masking scent. If they smell you before you see them it is generally a blown hunt. Leave the ATV at the house. Coyotes heard that thing two miles away. Move in to position on foot and as quietly as possible. Set your gun up on a tripod, be locked and loaded before you make the first call, and be ready for a fast response. Repeat every 20-30 minutes If nothing happens after an hour or two. Repeat whole process tomorrow. Don't give up since it often takes a few days for a coyote to lower his guard. Mix up your collection of calls/tapes (coyote challenging, coyote in heat, coyote pups in distress, coyotes fighting, rabbit in distress, fawn in distress, ravens at lunch, squealing piglet etc). Coyotes have excellent memories. Blow on your call 2 or 3 times, or play your tape for a 10 second burst and expect action within 20 minutes. Unlike cats or bears, if a coyote heard it the first time, he knows exactly where that sound came from so calling him in like a turkey is not necessary and may let him see you before you see him. Don't use a fixed or permanent stand or blind. Coyotes figure that game out real quick. Decoys help. In some states, baiting coyotes is legal. IF there is a dead hole or spot where deer offall is dumped set up near there or near a gnawed on carcass(if allowable under your law).

Dang. Sounds like hard work to get those varmints!

Thank you, Brandonm2.

 

[Dave]

One thing about traps and snares, they work 24 hours a day. I can be asleep and they are still working. I have trapped a few dogs over the years including my own. They limp around for a few hours but are fine after that. Using the right size traps helps a lot for that. It isn't as hard to trap a coyote as some people would have you believe. There are lots of good books on the subject that will help give you a start.
That picture does look like the work of coyotes. I have seen coyotes attack a young healthy calf.
This is the time of the year when this year's pups are starting off on their own look for territory. So they will be moving around more now.

 

[Brute 23]

I had a problem with a trapper one time. He was working for a cuy who had a game ranch next to a ranch I take care of.

I was checking fence and I saw probably 6 or 8 snares on the shared fence line. I tripped them all and hung them on the fence. We run alot of dogs (bird dogs, hog dogs, pets, cow dogs) and I can't take the chance of one of them getting caught in there.

Later that evening I saw a truck running down the fence line setting them again. I pulled up and intorduced myself. Told hime that I had hung on the traps on the fence. He stood up... lowered his glasses and pointed to his badge. I can't remember but I think he was some type of Texas Ranger trapper,,, might have been GW. He said I was tampering with government property and he could arrest me.

I like to stay up on the legal issues and I told him no.. had I taken them you could arrest me,, but not for setting them off. PLus no one asked permission to set these snares on this fence line wich is jointly owned.

I explained that we run dogs on our property and could not take the chance of one getting caught. Plus the bring alot of business people out there and those city peoply do not want to see a dead coyote or dog caught there by a snare and yall don't check them enough to keep the mess cleaned up.(I had found two dead coyotes already on our side that I had to clean up.)

He said they were having a problem with coyotes getting their exotics. The coyotes had big trails dug under the game fence going in and out. He tried to keep setting them... I tried to tell him to take them down... he kept setting them... I was triggering them as fast as he could set them.

Long arguement short... he threatened to arrest me... I got on the phone with the guys I work for... he got on the phone with who he worked for... he pulled all them up like I asked... I told him he should be a more polite sevent of the law... and we recieved and appalogy letter from the state.

I feel for neighbors who are losing cattle to coyotes who contact me and ask about putting up snares. That is not a problem we can work with them.

But I don't put up with rude people who try to do what ever they want.... especially to protect exotics. If they can afford that they can afford to drive that fence and fill in the holes.

 

[sizmic]

Personally I have witnessed the tail end of 2 attacks( see previous post in this thread), and I have no doubt there was one more. Notice I said tail end. The 2 were during winter some years ago at seperate times. I was hauling out hay to the cows and they were following me to the feast. I never really know were all of the new calves are hiding so I just put it out were I see fit. Both times, three coyotes would wait until the mother was away from one of the calves they had their eye and then have at it. They basically tried to grab the calves from the rear. After the momma and the others heard the commotion of the calves they went charging. The first time I was scratching my head as to why the cows were haulin butt, and then I saw them. That bunch of coyotes didn't make it through the week!

The one I didn't see had to have happened during labor and they were off and gone before the cow got up. I know the cow had a calf, and I know there was no carcass, or afterbirth anywhere in that 10 acre field, I mean anywhere! I saw where she and laid and delivered with a little bit of blood around. The coyotes around here know when calves are coming and it used to be nothing to see one watching the fields as I was checking things over. Its not like that anymore. After I got to 60 I quit keeping count, all within the last 5 yrs.

I have also see a large party of coyotes on the hunt, 13! Game warden couldn't believe it until I brought in witnesses that were deer hunting with me at the time. FWIW.

Sizmic

 

[TheBullLady]

We rarely see more than one or two at a time.. usually going through the back pasture about 8 - 9 in the morning. There are lots of cottontails and jack rabbits around, so I'm assuming they are staying full on them. Also two adjoining properties that are wooded and don't have anything on them, so probably where they are hunting.

We've used the snares, and they do work really well! But if you have dogs or pets that can get in them, don't use them.

 

[msscamp]

me too, see previous post. I am also thinking there are no cats in that neck of the woods. Maybe there are.

Sizmic

Can you please provide more details? I am very interested. What was the cow doing at the time her calf was being attached? Where there other cows with them and did they just watch too? Did the attack result in a kill? Was there more than one coyote? I'm seriously interested.

In my case, I was checking the cattle during calving season, and came upon a cow that had just given birth to twins, so she was seperated from the herd. She was tending the 2nd twin, and I came up over a small rise a short distance beyond where she was, and saw a coyote sneaking up on the first twin. The coyote was a few feet away from the first calf, and I do not think the cow even knew he was there. No, the attack did not result in a kill.

I have not shot any of the coyotes around my place because they do a pretty good job in controlling mice, rats, wild hogs, etc. and have yet to bother any of the calves. But if I even expect they might, I would change my mind pretty quick.

Thanks!

Coyotes can and do kill calves. We always had a rifle in the pick-up, and any coyote we saw was dispatched whenever possible. We also routinely used trappers to control their numbers.

 

[ctlbaron]

Natural sponges soaked in bacon grease works well. Just keep your dogs tied while you have them out. Be sure to pick up what the coyotes don't get.

 

[gabby]

Natural sponges soaked in bacon grease works well. Just keep your dogs tied while you have them out. Be sure to pick up what the coyotes don't get.

Just bacon grease? Does it stop up their gut?

 

[ctlbaron]

That's it.

 

[grannysoo]

While I'm not an expert on coyotes in Georgia, out here they average about 40lbs may run up to 60lbs. Not real big dogs.

Alan

We killed 2 last year the weighed in at 90+ pounds each. These boys had been well fed.

The donkey solution works well for me, along with my livestock guardian dog. My 165 pound puppy-dog loves my cows. Sleeps all day, patrols all night.

One day, he will be full grown.

 

[Brandonm2]

While I'm not an expert on coyotes in Georgia, out here they average about 40lbs may run up to 60lbs. Not real big dogs.

Alan

We killed 2 last year the weighed in at 90+ pounds each. These boys had been well fed.

I think most of them are less than 40 pounds. We had one last year that a poacher killed and threw over the fence that was so big I really had doubts as to whether I was looking at a coyote or a wolf (and we are not supposed to have wolves) or some kind of dog/wolf or dog/coyote hybrid. I must have looked at it for 45 minutes and really thought hard about throwing it in the truck and heading 90 miles to the zoo for an expert opinion. We did not weigh it but it was well above 60 pounds. When the poachers carry it back to the truck for pictures, it is one unusual animal.

 

[Hayes' Farms]

Go to Cabelas or a Bass Pro Shop and get your own call box. Get you some tapes put them in and when they come out kill them. Remington 22.250 Rugar .223 Mini 14/ ranch rifle, Yellow Hammer Woodpecker in distress works well in this area this time of year. Call for no more than 15 minuites, if you see nothing move at least 1/4 mile and call again. Be prepared for a 200 plus yard shot.

 

[missfitfarm]

We have same problem. Donkeys work good, we had a problem with one that it wasnt good around young calves, will try to harm them. Vet told us to ge a young donkey and put it with herd so they can grow up and get used to each other.
sharon
P/s a 30.06 works good also ;-)

 

[Gale Seddon]

grannysoo, what a terrific photo of your donkey and "puppy."

For anyone else thinking about using a donkey as a guardian, please read up about it before you get one.

http://www.usipp.com/gatefarm/the_donkey_guardian.htm

 

[msscamp]

While I'm not an expert on coyotes in Georgia, out here they average about 40lbs may run up to 60lbs. Not real big dogs.

Alan

We killed 2 last year the weighed in at 90+ pounds each. These boys had been well fed.

I seriously doubt those were coyotes, as coyotes rarely exceed 45 lbs - maximum. Sound more like coydogs to me.

 

[mnmtranching]

While I'm not an expert on coyotes in Georgia, out here they average about 40lbs may run up to 60lbs. Not real big dogs.

Alan

We killed 2 last year the weighed in at 90+ pounds each. These boys had been well fed.

I seriously doubt those were coyotes, as coyotes rarely exceed 45 lbs - maximum. Sound more like coydogs to me.

If you kill a Yote weighing 90 pounds :shock: DON'T be telling people about it. Gray Wolves are still protected. OK? :help:

 

[msscamp]

While I'm not an expert on coyotes in Georgia, out here they average about 40lbs may run up to 60lbs. Not real big dogs.

Alan

We killed 2 last year the weighed in at 90+ pounds each. These boys had been well fed.

I seriously doubt those were coyotes, as coyotes rarely exceed 45 lbs - maximum. Sound more like coydogs to me.

If you kill a Yote weighing 90 pounds :shock: DON'T be telling people about it. Gray Wolves are still protected. OK? :help:

That thought crossed my mind as well, but I have no experience with wolves and am unsure as to what they might weigh.