Dilemma…

Spurchaser

Spurchaser

Well-known member
For first time in my life I’m conflicted on coyotes. I’ve always been a kill’em all type (trapping), but since I’ve gotten into calling I’m thinking of laying off them for a while on some properties.
I started trapping about 8-9yrs ago after a 35yr hiatus, lol. I’m not a professional and let all landowners know that upfront. I just get lucky every now and then and get paid for only what I catch/kill. I’ve always trapped them all year rotating between properties. Some had a good population and others not so much.
I actually got embarrassed one evening at the main property I trapped when I heard 3 different groups one evening before climbing out of my deer stand. I vowed then to get “rid” of all coyotes. My hip replacement recovery was probably the worst thing for coyotes because I had 12 weeks off of work to recover and between traps and thermals I put a serious dent in the population.
I’m not saying there’s “no” coyotes on the property. Because I’ve taken many more since then. I will say I haven’t heard a howl in about 5 months or so on this property.
I know they’re denning now and any females killed will definitely result in an entire family group gone off the landscape. Good for fawns/poults and landowner. Good for me for $$$, but bad for me for calling them in later in the year.
Like I said, this is a new feeling for me and don’t quite know what to think, lol!
 
No, that's normal. You wouldn't be trapping if you didn't enjoy it. Look at it this way, coyotes are travelers. I have had place where I couldn't find a coyote to save my life one year and the next they are everywhere. I don't have an answer for you but coyotes are pretty resilient. Glad your surgery went well.
 
Same conflict hit me 3yrs ago. I now lay off them from the end of Mar. thru June unless a landowner calls. Our deer herd is out of control so 'mother nature' taking control is ok by me. Poults, well that is another story, but you gotta take the good with the bad.
 
NY State keeps me from having to struggle with this sort of thing. Can only legally pursue them from October through March, then its a closed season. There are lawful circumstances for nuisance coyotes causing problems of course. It's a bit of a gray area in that a farmer, for example has to prove there's a problem. Yeah, right! Any farmer that has lost sheep or calves to coyotes is not going to wait for another coyote to act negatively before addressing the situation! Especially when they see coyotes amidst their animals!

In your case, Mark, it's your call on how you handle it. Choose the path that you feel is best for you. You can always change your mind later! :)
 
Interesting! That's sort of why i packed it in about 12 years ago. Some time off though made me have a desire to get out chasing them again. Yesterdays coyote will be the last I shot until next winter, unless one crosses my path during turkey season, there, I don't discriminate :LOL:
 
I got into trapping when “voluntold” I was going to, lol.
Didn’t have a clue I was gonna get paid for it, thought the “benefits” were payment enough. I was halfway decent and people started calling. I make some decent spending money at it, but I mostly enjoy seeing the results of it. When landowners are seeing more fawns, more turkeys, and even have enough coveys of quail to have a hunt for the first time since they’ve owned the property, well to me that’s better than money.
I’m enjoying calling/thermal hunting more and more and I know what I take out now, will take that fun, experience, thrill away. But, I do LOVE my turkeys, so hence the dilemma. Think I’ll just concentrate more on the egg eaters on my property and hunt wherever I’m called.
 
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