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Need to exterminate all coyotes

Hey gents. So, earlier this week I posed a question about shooting coyotes during deer season and got some awesome answers. Well here is the bad news. The last two weeks on the farm have been terrible hunting. Now before that it wasn't great but I mean one of my good friends have been out very regularly and carefully for the last couple weeks without a deer sighting. Now this is weird as during the first week and before of season, there was tons of deer traffic. I have the farm deer patterned pretty well, they're pretty much creatures of habit here. But no deer. And I mean none. The only thing we have heard and seen are yotes. Too many of them. I had my suspicions about why the deer disappeared. Maybe change in seasons, maybe feeding patterns maybe even the "October lull" (myth) but after checking all my cams that have been sitting out for at least 3 weeks, I have very few pics period and almost none of deer. All the pics are of yotes and multiple yotes. It seems like there is a pack of 4-5 that are roaming my property. Young ones looking like. Basically the coyotes have run off my deer herd or at least pushed their travel patterns so out of whack that no one is seeing them and neither are my cams. I'm going to try to get out at night and call in and shoot as many as I can but does anyone know anything about trapping em. I want all of them dead and gone so my deer can return or at least resume semi normal travel before the rut hits. Any ideas on trapping, night shooting and calling or anything useful to getting rid of these damned things I'd really appreciate it!!
 

Bigslam51

Dignitary Member
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Stark County
You can get an ICOtec coyote caller for around $80 that has a 300 yard remote if you want to go that route. But make sure you have a good red spotlight. I don't think I'd try trapping them right now just because you'd have to check them everyday maybe cause more harm than not. Maybe some foot hold traps that are easy to get to would work also?
 

Dannmann801

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Springboro
If you're as serious about this as I think you are - you need instant gratification. You need to bring in some ringers, hired guns.
I'm not your man, as I'm not experienced, but there are plenty of others around who are.

Jus' sayin'
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
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SW Ohio
Good luck on your coyote hunting. But keep in mind coyotes are territorial and when you shoot one coyote another in time just takes over the area. I wish it wasn't so but it is.
But removing some is always helpful.
 

Jackalope

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You can blame the coyotes. Truth of the matter is you should blame the ODNR for allowing over harvest without factoring in predation. Killing the coyotes will help. But the fault falls on our DNRs shoulders for the low population.
 

hickslawns

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Ohio
How big is your budget? Don't answer out loud. Just saying, consider what you are willing to spend to make this happen. If you have a decent sized budget, I would scrap the idea of a good red spot light. I would drop coin on a true night vision scope. $3-6000. If you want to hunt them at night, this would be quite helpful.

I have hunted them at night plenty. I have a high dollar scope. I can scan a field with my naked eye and see blackness. Look thru this scope and you can make out objects. It is NOT good enough. With snow on the ground and mega strong spot lights, this scope cannot pick up every movement of them. I honestly believe you need to be able to see at night. Otherwise, snares are the way to go.
 

Boarhead

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
Yep what Phil said..Snare em. Put 40 or 50 snares out you will get rid of more that way than you ever will hunting them.
And snares are pretty cheap.
You can get 5 dozen from the snare shop for about 70 bucks or make your own for even less.Good luck! I personally wouldnt waste my time hunting them for population control.JMO
 

xbowguy

Dignitary Member
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29,632
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Licking Co. Ohio
X2 what Brian said.
You can buy a truckload of snares for what a night vision scope would cost. Plus with snares you still get to shoot some!
 
You can blame the coyotes. Truth of the matter is you should blame the ODNR for allowing over harvest without factoring in predation. Killing the coyotes will help. But the fault falls on our DNRs shoulders for the low population.

While I completely agree with you there with ODNR needing to rethink the harvest numbers, my property's issue is not due to lack of population. Earlier this year, I had plenty of deer, actually more than in year's past due to habitat management and selective deer harvest the last couple years. This is def. a localized issue due to coyotes moving into the property. I'm with you though. To expect population numbers to rebound at all while allowing such a large antlerless harvest is unrealistic.
 
Statistically, the highest success for killing coyotes are: Snares, drive/push hunting with large groups and calling being the lowest success, but most fun.

I'm with Jackalope for the mismanaged wildlife populations. A simple count of predators vs. prey, is alarming in itself.
* Predators: Coyotes, red fox, grey fox, raccoons, opossum, weasels, skunks, mink, bobcat and feral cats and dogs. These animals are killing the prey animal that I used to enjoy hunting and eating. I didn't even mention all the hawks that you see sitting along the highways...about every 5 miles and then there are owls.
* Prey: Deer, rabbits, squirrels, pheasants, quail, grouse and waterfowl.
Considering the above lists, you have to take in the amount of young born to each predator and their survival rate, compared to the same amount of prey. It just doesn't balance out. Mismanaged? Hell yes!

Bowhunter57
 

camo

Junior Member
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0
just a little info for those of you that are interested in night hunting coyotes. i shoot them every chance i get, and last year i stumbled onto a light for night hunting. i have to admit pretty sweet light and a whole lot cheaper then night vision. with a good scope you can see eyes clearly at 400 yards and body shots at 250. look them up online its called wicked hunting lights.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
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Ohio
just a little info for those of you that are interested in night hunting coyotes. i shoot them every chance i get, and last year i stumbled onto a light for night hunting. i have to admit pretty sweet light and a whole lot cheaper then night vision. with a good scope you can see eyes clearly at 400 yards and body shots at 250. look them up online its called wicked hunting lights.

Welcome to TOO Camo. I have spent money on numerous lights as well. Flashlights can be a bit addictive when you start buying them. You just want one a little more powerful than the last one you bought. next thing you know you have a dozen of them. Problem is, I want a bit more than "eyes" before I squeeze the trigger.
 
Im no expert but if you had a ton of deer and now you arent seeing deer maybe they are just avoiding you.

I would say that is a possibility but, our hunting is as low pressure as possible. No hunting wrong winds, exit and entry without deer seeing us. We hunt smart every year and continue to see a good amount of deer each sit. Just doesn't make sense. The only variable that has changed this year is the influx of coyotes.
 

camo

Junior Member
2
0
i agree completely with wanting to see more then eyes before pulling trigger. i was impressed with this light after trying out other lights. And eyes are visible at four hundred yards with red lens or green lens. once they hit about 250 yards you can see the body red is a little less green is a little more that was always the problem i had before i could see the eyes but not tell what they were attached to lol. And for me as where i hunt it works pretty good cuz 250 yard shots around here are hard to come by. But i understand bout having more lights then you know what to do with. and thanks for welcoming me