It was December. The snow was deep and the weather freezing. I had set out some beaver traps the night before and they needed to be checked. Because of the heavy snowfall, the only way to walk around was with snowshoes. Winters in Canada can be tough, for anything that may be subject to the outdoors this time of year.

As I topped the hill, I stopped for a moment to catch my breath. Scanning over the valley below I noticed the blood stained snow. As I walked closer for a better look, that is when I saw that it was a deer, a big doe, her hindquarters had been mutilated. I could tell by the sign in the snow and the bite marks that this was the handy work of coyotes. In winter, when snow conditions are right, coyotes can kill larger animals, such as deer.

For example, when the snow gets too deep, because of the weight of the deer, it is unable to out run the coyote which is lighter and able to run on top of the hard snow with out breaking through. Also, in hard winters, where deer have overpopulated there is not enough food, thus the deer die of starvation, and the coyotes enjoy easy pickens. Coyotes will commonly feed on small rodent. In urban areas they have been known to feed on family pets such as cats or small dogs.

When you come across a carcass that has been killed by predators, one way to tell if it was the work of coyotes and not some other predator is careful observation. Usually you can determine if coyotes are responsible for the damage by investigating the area. Because coyotes will feed on carrion, the presence of coyote tracks around a carcass does not necessarily indicate that the coyotes where the killers. To verify predation, look for trampled vegetation or other signs of a struggle. Bite marks and bleeding, around the head and neck should also be evident.

Coyote can adapt fast. The reasons for the coyote's expansion are not fully understood but researchers believe conditions created by people, the clearing of forests, easy access to domestic livestock, and the removal of the wolf, combined with the ability to adapt to sudden change are meager reasons.

Because of all these factors involved the coyote has had to adjust and can now be found from Costa Rica to Northern Alaska, and in the United States and Canada. Coyotes established themselves in New Brunswick where I am from, in the 1970s. The coyote began expanding their range into the Southeast in the 1960s, reaching northwestern Florida, where I now live, also in the 1970s.

Public attitude towards the coyote varies. Most people know little about the coyote population. Sightings are not very common, for the most part the general public is barely aware of the coyote, of those who are aware; attitudes of most would range from indifference to limited enthusiasm at the presence of a coyote.

With concern mounting over coyote problems some provinces in Canada offer a $50 bounty per coyote. Hunting coyote is fast becoming the next shooting sport for hunters. Coyote can be hunted year round in most states. I have hunted coyote in Canada and in Florida. Although the terrain is different the tactics are basically the same. Before one takes to the wood to hunt coyote, there are a few things you should know. The first question you may ask yourself is where can I hunt coyote? And how do I find an area where coyote may be living.

First off, coyotes can be found throughout the United States and Canada so the chances of a coyote living near you are good. Start off by looking for their tracks. Coyote tracks are narrower and more elongated than dog tracks. The next thing you will want to look for is the Scat. Coyote scat is difficult to recognize from fox scat.

Coyote can be distinguished primarily by their size those 3/4" or more and greater than 4" are probably coyote. Scat changes seasonally, during the summer and fall they have more berries. During winter and spring you will often find more small animal bones and hair. Coyotes den in hollow logs, brush piles and burrows. They will dig their own dens, but more commonly they enlarge burrows made by other animals.

This young coyote was called in and shot with a 12 ga. Remington shot gun. By Donald Parker.

After you have located where a coyote is or has been hanging out, the next thing you want is to choose a good camouflage. Try to choose a camouflage that blends in with the natural surroundings to the area you will be hunting. The coyote's sense of smell is highly developed so when hunting them being able to work the wind to your advantage is a plus. Calling coyotes is allowed during legal daylight shooting hours, or in some states at night with a special permit. Calling, using either a mouth call or tape player, can be used to lure coyotes within shooting range. If shooting coyote from a long distance wind will not be a factor as far as sent goes, It’s when you want some close up action that you will want to cover your scent. Like most predators a coyote would rather scavenge his food before taking a chance of getting injured trying to catch something. Here in Florida on most cattle ranches if a cow dies its not uncommon for the rancher to leave the cow in the pasture for the buzzards. Hunting over a carcass and calling has had some good result for us. I have had coyote stalk my decoys when calling turkeys in the spring.

PRIMOS HUNTING CALLS has come out with a whole new line of predator calls for this year, just to name a few. The Hot Dog Model # 351, Double Whammy Model # 317, Lil Dog Model #350 and the Ki-Yi Model #315 all of these calls come with a instructional CD to help you learn to use your new call. You can also view 11 great hunts on the TRUTH 1 Predator Hunter video.

Coyotes can vary in color from tan, red, black and silver or mixed like this one taken by Steve Archer of Dynamic Calls: http://www.dynamiccalls.com/index.html

When it comes to shooting and hunting coyote, I have used everything from bow to shot gun. Because of the difficulty trying to get coyote in close enough to kill with a bow or shotgun I recommend a rifle. Personally I like the Swift 22-250, I have dropped a lot of coyote with my 22 hornet also. If you are not worried about saving the pelts the 30-06 has proved to be the all around caliber for just about any game. When it comes right down to it, it doesn’t matter what gun you use if you are comfortable with it and can place your shots. Coyote hunting is fast becoming popular to hunters and shooters and it’s a good reason to practice up on your calling and shooting skills. If you haven’t tried it I recommend doing so.

As always hunt hard and be safe.

© Copyright 2004 Donald Parker