Do coyote bounties work?

[jasonleonard]

Just heard this morning that our states game commission is trying to get a $20 bounty put on coyotes for 2014.
I have some coyotes on my farm, and they make me nervous during spring calving, so I am happy to hear this.

 

[snake67]

Lots of folks here know I have a very different opinion on coyotes.

And I am NOT an anti hunter.

We have - touch wood - proved it out on our farm which literally has a huge population of coyotes both on and around it.

If you are NOT having trouble with coyotes - do not shoot them. These coyotes are the "good" ones who live off the land.

If you kill them the new coyotes that move in might be the "bad" ones - that would rather eat your calves and lambs.

Look - we have one of the densest coyote populations in Canada right where I live. To date - and I hope I do not jinx myself - we have had absolutely zero trouble with them. We raise a couple hundred sheep and provide the most tempting of targets three times a year - fresh lamb in the field.

In the 12 years we have been here we have also been raising cattle here we have had zero trouble - in fact I have seen the coyotes right in the middle of the cow herd and walk right by new born calves.

So - my answer - no.

In fact I truly believe we bring our coyote troubles on ourselves and the real trouble maker is pookie down the road.

I have indeed shot poodles, beagles, German shepherds, schnauzers, miniature dachsunds, one Brit Bulldog, a couple of rotweilers and a few that look like some sort of pitbull and more in chasing the lambs - some I have no clue where they came from as our nearest neighbour lives a couple miles away and the nearest village is about 5 maybe 6 miles away.

What is needed is a bounty on pet dogs that are let out to "go pee and poo" at night and do not come home until morning.

From the smallest to the largest - they are the worst when they get into a pack.

I am willing to bet more than half of the troubles that are blamed on the lowly coyote are actually dogs.

And these dogs - even the mini types will travel miles to cause trouble.

Let the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune fly - but the lowly coyote is actually a needed commodity in the field in my opinion.

I would bet that many who blame the coyote also never actually see him make the kill - they just see him eating the remains.

There is not always guilt by association.

Kill the neighbours dogs and watch the troubles go down.

Shoot, shovel and shut the H.E.L.L. up.

Best to all

Bez

 

[TexasBred]

Great info. :clap:

 

[hillbilly beef man]

I agree complety with Bez. We have never had problems with coyotes, but dogs are another story. I have actually noticed that I do not have ground hogs in my hayfields after the coyotes moved in, so they actually might help more than they hurt.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I have had some trouble, so when I can shoot one I do, 20$ isn't going to change that for me, but it probably would for some people.

 

[heath]

Same experience here with coyotes. Its common to see them walk through a set of cows and they hardly lift their heads up. They do help to clean up the dead pile.

 

[dun]

We haven;t had any problems here but I think that's cause Granny taught everyon ethe run everything off that wasn;t a cow. Like coyotes, dogs, fultures, deer, possums and even the cats.
However, in the central valley we had issues. The coyotes would attack calves as they were being born at the place behind us. We didn;t have any of it but the neighbor lost a lot of calves to them. His cows would come over a hill and calve right behind our house, maybe 30 yards. He used to just leave any cow or calf wherever it died and that may have contributed to it.

 

[greybeard]

I agree that dogs are way worse than coyotes here. Had to break my own dog from it a couple of years ago. He ran a couple of heifers right thru a fence the first night I had them about 2am. Next morning I put them back in, put an old haltered horned mama cow in with them and clipped dog's chain to her halter. Didn't take long that red cow had him cured of that crap permanantly. He goes WAAY around and away from any cow nowadays.

 

[double v]

only eliminate enough not all they do keep others critters in check. don't like shooting singles but if there is more then one i'll make it just one. :banana:

 

[Commercialfarmer]

We don't have problems with live stock, but from my vantage point, they can sure can do a number on quail. I don't know that I've ever taken one out, but I've started to threaten to if I don't see an increase in quail numbers. Short tailed kittens are a different matter.

Wait, that isn't correct. I forgot about the coyote that jumped in my ground blind with me while turkey hunting. I kindly asked he to leave and helped getting him turned around.

 

[highgrit]

I would like $20 per coyote. I have disposed of 6 coyotes so far this year, and a few other varmints. I would rather shoot a coyote than a deer. With that said I have not seen them kill a calf, or a fawn yet. But I have sure seen them eating on calves and fawns. I have seen a bobcat walking with a dead hen in its mouth, he thought he really had something.

 

[Dega Moo]

Cowboys work for me swear coyotes have killed our calves but every scene they showed me it looked like they were eating a dead calf rather than had killed the calf. Deer on the other hand are an absolute pain in our sitz bones. There are so many around here they qualify as a nuisance and are particularly hard on fencing, cars and trucks. It's beyond me why a coyote would mess with a 100# calf and it's personal 1/2 ton guided missile defense system called Momma when it can pick on a 20# fawn and it's 120# mother affectionately known as Bambi. I know these guys get excited when one of them catches a field mouse so I can't imagine the uproar if they somehow brought down a 100# calf.

There are rumors that IDNR has release cougars (no jokes okay!) to reduce the deer population. Personally prefer the coyotes over mountain lions any day.

 

[hillbilly beef man]

We don't have problems with live stock, but from my vantage point, they can sure can do a number on quail. I don't know that I've ever taken one out, but I've started to threaten to if I don't see an increase in quail numbers. Short tailed kittens are a different matter.

Wait, that isn't correct. I forgot about the coyote that jumped in my ground blind with me while turkey hunting. I kindly asked he to leave and helped getting him turned around.

Which was more scared, you or the coyote? My uncle had a bobcat jump from behind the tree he was sitting aginst while he was turkey calling and landed on his boots. He said that they both squalled and parted company in a hurry. :lol2:

 

[skyhightree1]

I saw this post and laughed today we had a 3 hour hunt window before it started raining so me and my hunt club decided to split the club up and drop dogs in 2 seperate places 1/4 mile away. Both packs of dogs jumped GUESS WHAT we got on 2 different packs of coyotes what a mess we didnt kill 1 deer today :x :x :x :x :x but to add to the post the bounty was 75 bucks per coyote and i made many a house payments from the countys money. They stopped for a while and now its back and if not mistaken I believe its 50 bucks now I havent killed any since they reinstated the bounty but after today come january I will have to start whacking them and stacking. :hide:

 

[Commercialfarmer]

We don't have problems with live stock, but from my vantage point, they can sure can do a number on quail. I don't know that I've ever taken one out, but I've started to threaten to if I don't see an increase in quail numbers. Short tailed kittens are a different matter.

Wait, that isn't correct. I forgot about the coyote that jumped in my ground blind with me while turkey hunting. I kindly asked he to leave and helped getting him turned around.

Which was more scared, you or the coyote? My uncle had a bobcat jump from behind the tree he was sitting aginst while he was turkey calling and landed on his boots. He said that they both squalled and parted company in a hurry. :lol2:

It would have taken an independent bystander to answer that question, but he or she wouldn't have been able to stand the smell when it was all over. I heard movement to the side of the tree and raised my gun barrel, the coyote saw movement and pounced in the cut out both of us expecting a turkey on the other end. Upon our simultaneous realization of our mistaken judgements, he was trying to apply his breaks but his momentum was winning and I was trying to bulldoze the trunk of an 18 foot cedar tree with my butt, but wasn't getting anywhere. #4 shot is a very effective coyote load at 3 inches. It is also effective on a feral hog, but that is another story I don't care to re-live being older and all.

 

[kenny thomas]

I agree with the above that if they are not bothering things don't get too worried. 2 of my buddies traped over 80 in about a 3 mile valley last winter. Hard to tell the difference this year. The main reason they were doing it was for the turkey population. The numbers will match what they have to eat. If they have plenty to eat the numbers will grow. Don't tempt them by leaving out dead animals though. Some day they might associate the dead one with a live one. A couple longhorn cows really help also.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I agree complety with Bez. We have never had problems with coyotes, but dogs are another story. I have actually noticed that I do not have ground hogs in my hayfields after the coyotes moved in, so they actually might help more than they hurt.

Yotes get blamed for a many a kill made by Rover.
Dogs kill for fun coyote comes along later and finds a free meal.
Neighbors and I are currently in pursuit of a pack of dogs killing poultry and harassing livestock.

 

[Brute 23]

Coyote bounties aren't used to promote killing coyotes. As stated those people who do shoot coyotes or don't shoot coyotes do it no matter if there is a bounty or not. Its used so that they can get an idea how many coyotes are killed in a year by hunters. When they calculate the population year to year one of the factors they take in has to be the amount killed by humans. If they didn't offer $$$ no one would report it and they would have no idea.

On a side note, we dont have a problem with coyotes and cattle... never have had one. I see coyotes browsing through cattle just like every one else.

Coyotes do effect your deer herd. Where the coyotes are the deer are not.

On a positive side, I have seen coyotes run hogs down and kill them.

I am extremely conflicted every time I see one......... :???:

 

[Taurus]

Coyotes do kill the newborn calves and may will eat the cows alive while they're having a hard time to give birth or unable to get up. Just never underestimate the coyotes. But I do have more problems with the wolves than the coyotes. Thank god for the wolf hunting season! That said, someone lost a longhorn cow to a wolf pack last Oct. On other bright side, there are zero reports of the dogs killing the livestock in our local area.

 

[TexasBred]

Coyotes do kill the newborn calves and may will eat the cows alive while they're having a hard time to give birth or unable to get up. Just never underestimate the coyotes. But I do have more problems with the wolves than the coyotes. Thank god for the wolf hunting season! That said, someone lost a longhorn cow to a wolf pack last Oct. On other bright side, there are zero reports of the dogs killing the livestock in our local area.

You're lucky. They get together around here and wreck havoc on cattle. Everyone has an owner and is nothing but a pet at home but get with the pack and they are cold blooded killers. Guess your coyotes are more brave than ours as ours tend to be very shy, will eat some afterbirth if they have the chance but have never harmed a calf let alone "ate the cow".