When would you?

13pt

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Wow, well I guess I'm the exception for sure. Please don't throw sticks and stones at me, but I never shoot a yote while I'm hunting. Don't get me wrong, I hate them dogs, but I'm always trophy hunting. I just can't risk missing a buck of a lifetime, especially after all the work that went into the pre-hunt. About 25 or so years ago I had two come within 30 yards of me about 10:30am. I just almost wasted them, but restrained, then literally 20 minutes later one of my target bucks came around the same trail as those coyotes, and I busted him at 30 yards. From that point on I vowed to never take that shot, and I've passed plenty since. Any other time they're toast, but not from my deer stand…sorry guys.
 

Bell3wv

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Bowmantown, TN
Any day. All day.
And the reasoning behind this is at a minimum each coyote takes at least 1 fawn, 2 turkey, 3 squirrels, 2 chipmunks, and 1 slow moving rabbit each year. I'd imagine those numbers are low. I grew up in a world (WV) without coyotes until they appeared in the mid '90s...I want to make America Coyote 🇺🇸 Free Again.
 

13pt

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A word of caution about anyone attempting to eradicate coyotes. Indiscriminate killing of coyotes stimulates increases in their populations by disrupting their social structure, which encourages more breeding and migration. I would encourage a little reading and research about how killing too many coyotes can backfire, and you end up with more than you started. They're unfortunately here to stay, and whatever your particular population may be, don't expect to change it…and you could even make it worse. Doesn't keep me from dropping one on occasion, but don't try to overkill, or you'll have a breeding explosion on your hands.
 

rem270

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I most always shoot them. I was going to make an exception this past year when I seen 2 at first daylight. I was hunting a particular buck and didn't want to chance it. They came down to 20 yards and one started eating on something dead in the woods. Finally after 10 mins of them sticking around I put a bullet between her eyes. The other ran off and not even 5 mins later had a nice buck come out that got a pass. Seen some more deer shortly after and 30 mins later the 2nd coyote came back and I killed it. First time I've ever had one come back like that. Seen a bunch of deer that morning but I'm always leery if I'll scare something off but from experience it's never been an issue.
 

13pt

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I most always shoot them. I was going to make an exception this past year when I seen 2 at first daylight. I was hunting a particular buck and didn't want to chance it. They came down to 20 yards and one started eating on something dead in the woods. Finally after 10 mins of them sticking around I put a bullet between her eyes. The other ran off and not even 5 mins later had a nice buck come out that got a pass. Seen some more deer shortly after and 30 mins later the 2nd coyote came back and I killed it. First time I've ever had one come back like that. Seen a bunch of deer that morning but I'm always leery if I'll scare something off but from experience it's never been an issue.
I would have to argue how can you really know for sure. If you shoot a coyote, and your target buck gets spooked because he was nearby, then how do you ever know that happened…or didn't? I'm sure it's less likely to spook younger deer, but an old mature buck is a different story. Just saying how can you really know it was never an issue? It's like fishing, if I throw a rock in the water, and then cast in a catch a fish, does that mean I didn't run off any fish, or did I just run off that big 8 lb bass because he's smarter and more leery and the little ones came right back after the splash. How could I know?
 

rem270

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I would have to argue how can you really know for sure. If you shoot a coyote, and your target buck gets spooked because he was nearby, then how do you ever know that happened…or didn't? I'm sure it's less likely to spook younger deer, but an old mature buck is a different story. Just saying how can you really know it was never an issue? It's like fishing, if I throw a rock in the water, and then cast in a catch a fish, does that mean I didn't run off any fish, or did I just run off that big 8 lb bass because he's smarter and more leery and the little ones came right back after the splash. How could I know?
No one will ever know for sure on that if it scared it off or not. If I do decide to shoot one I always make sure it's a shot that I know I'll more than likely hit rather than just popping a shot at a running one. If I'm going to take a chance at messing my hunt up I want it dead for sure.

One shot I know that scared my target buck off last year was the one I shot at him and missed 😢. Talk about sick watching him run off and knowing it was a miss. But made up for it 3 weeks later and got him with the muzzleloader.
 

Planking

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A word of caution about anyone attempting to eradicate coyotes. Indiscriminate killing of coyotes stimulates increases in their populations by disrupting their social structure, which encourages more breeding and migration. I would encourage a little reading and research about how killing too many coyotes can backfire, and you end up with more than you started.
Ive been trapping the fire out of them the last few years. I have yet to get trail cam pic of one this year. I have lots of fawn pics though. Seeing groundhogs again and rabbits too.
 
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13pt

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Ive been trapping the fire out of them the last few years. I have yet to get trail cam pic of one this year. I have lots of fawn pics though. Seeing groundhogs again and rabbits
An incredible amount of research conducted by wildlife biologist all concluded the same thing. I would refer you to the article below, and a quick Google search will list other numerous articles repeating the same…you can't eradicate coyotes! That being said, what you're doing is aggressive trapping, and I'm sure that's why you're seeing those results. Guaranteed if you stop trapping for a year the population will come roaring back. Probably 99 out of 100 of us don't have the ability to launch an aggressive trapping campaign. So, we'll never have your results. Hope you can stay on top of them aggressively. Good job!

4953B41A-3195-4385-A085-14808C5C845A.png
 

13pt

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Well I'll have to say I've learned something valuable from this thread. I've concluded that about 1/2 the gun shots I hear around me in deer season are hunters shooting coyotes. Keep it fellows! Push those old mature bucks my direction…lol.
 

backyardtndeer

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Well I'll have to say I've learned something valuable from this thread. I've concluded that about 1/2 the gun shots I hear around me in deer season are hunters shooting coyotes. Keep it fellows! Push those old mature bucks my direction…lol.

Have shot yotes and had deer come through right after with a dead yote laying there that I know they could smell. Had three does last year standing in my field and a yote popped out about 50 yards past the does. Shot the yote and the deer just stood there looking around for a few minutes. They went back to feeding like nothing happened.

I heard and read about the study about yotes hierarchy being out whack and causing populations to explode. Also heard that female coyotes can control how many pups they can have. Far as the yotes being killed out, all I know is the years I kill 6 or more on our small property, I have had more deer around.

I kill yotes indiscriminately. Have killed several out the back door of the house. I don't want them killing my calves or killing fawns. I may not be able to control the population but I know a dead yote this fall won't kill any fawns or calves in the spring.
 

13pt

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Have shot yotes and had deer come through right after with a dead yote laying there that I know they could smell. Had three does last year standing in my field and a yote popped out about 50 yards past the does. Shot the yote and the deer just stood there looking around for a few minutes. They went back to feeding like nothing happened.

I heard and read about the study about yotes hierarchy being out whack and causing populations to explode. Also heard that female coyotes can control how many pups they can have. Far as the yotes being killed out, all I know is the years I kill 6 or more on our small property, I have had more deer around.

I kill yotes indiscriminately. Have killed several out the back door of the house. I don't want them killing my calves or killing fawns. I may not be able to control the population but I know a dead yote this fall won't kill any fawns or calves in the spring.
Like I said…how do you know you didn't run off an old mature buck. Sure you obviously didn't run all of them off, but impossible to know if that shot, or dead coyote, didn't cause the big boy to turn the other way. Just not willing to take that chance with all the work I put into the pre-hunt. But hey that's just me. Keep on busting em…and good luck 👍
 

Planking

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An incredible amount of research conducted by wildlife biologist all concluded the same thing. I would refer you to the article below, and a quick Google search will list other numerous articles repeating the same…you can't eradicate coyotes! That being said, what you're doing is aggressive trapping, and I'm sure that's why you're seeing those results. Guaranteed if you stop trapping for a year the population will come roaring back. Probably 99 out of 100 of us don't have the ability to launch an aggressive trapping campaign. So, we'll never have your results. Hope you can stay on top of them aggressively. Good job!

View attachment 83729
The Humane Society. Really? What's next a link to PETA?
 

Hduke86

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Soddy Daisy, yes it's a real place
I shoot them anytime I see one regardless if I'm after a certain buck or not. Who's to say if I shot a yote and scared off my "trophy buck" that he doesn't survive and breed 3 does in my area and later on I still kill him late season. Not only did I kill a yote, my "trophy buck" spread his seed, and I still got him. That's called the Trifecta of the woods. A whole bunch of what if's but it makes me feel better lol
 

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