Calling All Airgun Coyote Hunters!!

Not me. I'd rather see a coyote eat a cat than shoot one. I can't think of a reason to hate on a coyote at all.

Hawks are the big cat killers here. A guy that would shoot a hawk (or coyote) over a dead cat needs a spanking IMHO.

I've lived with them all my life. They are as much a part of the desert as the rabbits and snakes. I don't care to shoot a rabbit or a snake either.

There are dozens of coyotes within airgun range every night. I love to hear them sing. I haven't killed one in 50 years. I've never had a reason to.

I asked and researched it but decided against it. I am going out hunting them and calling them during daylight so my shots could be from running by at 10yds to 300yds and probably my average shot is 150-200 most times. I don't have time range it and make sure it's in ethical range for an airgun shot and to be quite honest I'm not waiting for them to get into that range. I'm not calling one in to educate it and not shoot it because it's not close enough. Sure maybe some big bores have plenty of fpe but they are loopy trajectory and to me not worth the hassle. I'm come to kill and want a very flat shooting hard hitting gun. So I will stick with my 22-250 with 200yd zero only drops 5" at 300. I can hold on fur out to about 350 and have plenty of energy to kill it.
To each his own and now I'm sure people will say you only need 50fpe to kill a coyote and if your comfortable with that great I'm not.

Jon

Man, Coyote hunting and depredation is a sticky sticky topic.
Anyone looking to "shoot a few to reduce their numbers" should take caution and look into the biological function of the "role call" and how you can be exacerbating the very problem.

I'm not saying "don't under any circumstances" but DO consult an expert and or your local wildlife resource office about management and viability.

TheSuperToe said:

Man, Coyote hunting and depredation is a sticky sticky topic.
Anyone looking to "shoot a few to reduce their numbers" should take caution and look into the biological function of the "role call" and how you can be exacerbating the very problem.

I'm not saying "don't under any circumstances" but DO consult an expert and or your local wildlife resource office about management and viability.

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This.

The more you hunt the more problems you have. Even the sheep ranchers are finally figuring that out.

Every time we have a bounty hunt it turns into a circus. Every "contest hunt" is a fiasco. Every biologist says the same thing about "population reduction" where coyotes are concerned. Even fish and game will tell you they have reservations about coyote hunting as a management tool.

The hunters should leave the hunters alone.

Kill all you want but don't pretend it's "management". It's just an excuse to shoot an animal. It's doing more harm than good.

Just my opinion. But it is shared by range biologists, hunters, sportsmen and outdoorsman universally.

Bedrock Bob said:

This.

The more you hunt the more problems you have. Even the sheep ranchers are finally figuring that out.

Every time we have a bounty hunt it turns into a circus. Every "contest hunt" is a fiasco. Every biologist says the same thing about "population reduction" where coyotes are concerned.

The hunters should leave the hunters alone.

Kill all you want but don't pretend it's "management". It's just an excuse to shoot an animal. It's doing more harm than good.

Just my opinion. But it is shared by hunters, sportsmen and outdoorsman universally.

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This thread was about how people who have hunted coyotes with air guns are doing not a soap box to preach about not doing it

drsquall said:

This thread was about how people who have hunted coyotes with air guns are doing not a soap box to preach about not doing it

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So you only want to hear from the airgun hunters who are hunting coyotes? And the opinions of the ones who are not are off topic?

I will stop and allow your echo chamber to resonate.

My sincere apologies.

Ezana4CE said:

@drsquall That makes sense. Did you have experience hunting them before considering trying it with an air rifle? Do you think that you’re educating them by calling them in and not killing the canines that respond to the call? In what type of terrain do you call them?

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Yes I've hunted coyotes for 30 years. 100% correct I think you educate them when they come in and realize the gig is up. That's why this time of year when the pups get kicked out are easy to kill because they are stupid and don't know better but an older dog is smarter than that. I hunt farm land with creeks and stuff.

I got set up, bought a call and they moved across the road...

As far as population control goes, it's "indiscriminate" hunting that does not work, do your research and plan your hunt.

One of my dogs got chewed up by a yote so I've been shooting them with different firearms for 15 years since I moved to my place which borders the FS on 3 sides.

It's a cycle. I'll shoot one or two and they'll hang back staying clear of the property for around 3 years then here they come again. I'll kill one again and they'll keep away for another 3 years, and so on. Now I can tell the cycle is starting again because they've been howling night and day not far out of sight in the woods.

Additionally I haven't seen a cottontail in years at my place and the jacks are fewer. High concentrations of predators have to eat and they need to be kept in check.

I don't believe the BS propaganda studies the gov puts out or the tree lickers either for that matter. These are the same groups that think cow farts are bad, that want you to eat GMO bugs for dinner, and also would rather sell you 3d printed GMO imitation meats.

This may be off topic but I’ll add it to the conversation. I hunt coyotes with anything that fires a projectile. I will even use my truck as a projectile. I’ve lived half my life without them and half with them after their population exploded everywhere they shouldn’t be. Life was better without them. I started using a hot .25 slug but switched to a .30 slug. My preferred weapon for them is a 6mm. But since they have moved in close to dwellings, a quiet airgun had to pick up the slack.

I shot one a couple weeks ago with the .30. Boiler shot. It ran 50 yards into a corn field. It hasn’t been on any of the guys cameras who made me aware of it since. And they were getting pictures of it regularly. It even took one of my neighbors ducks at 10:00 in the morning.

I would like to add this. I hope the coyotes kill as many stray or irresponsible owner cats as possible before I kill them. But me or new born fawns don’t need coyotes around for cat control.

Vetmx said:

I would like to add this. I hope the coyotes kill as many stray or irresponsible owner cats as possible before I kill them. But me or new born fawns don’t need coyotes around for cat control.

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If I was around different surrounding where I had lots of dwellings around me I think I would for sure use a 30cal air rifle for them with shots being closer and would enjoy it I'm sure. I'm a man of opportunity and living out here in the country in pretty much wide open space it's just not feasible so the reason I always have a rifle with me at all times when checking fence or cattle. I don't like to let one get away. lol when hunting them specifically I'm always sitting on over looking creek bottoms across a wheat field or pasture hence the 22-250 or 6 creed

If I lived in an apartment complex or in a city and had a coyote problem, one would think the problem has now moved beyond backyard Bob and his overpriced pellet gun. I would be contacting local officials to see what they are going to do about it. I can shoot a high powered airgun east and west of my house. I can shoot moderate powered airguns north and south. Fortunately the only need for shooting higher power is east or west. My range or a power line.

When at my hunting camp I still use an airgun for them most of the time because a nighttime gunshot raises the deer poaching flag. But I 100% prefer to nail them with a real gun. Way more effective. Lots of I’s to dot and T’s to cross as the distance increases with a loopy lame slug shooting airgun.

Vetmx said:

I would like to add this. I hope the coyotes kill as many stray or irresponsible owner cats as possible before I kill them. But me or new born fawns don’t need coyotes around for cat control.

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or calves

Just my 2 cents, seen way to many pets taken by them and had them decimate the fawn population on our lease. I use a .25, 30, and 357 air rifle. Depending on where I’m hunting and the backdrop. All three shooting slugs near or over 1000 fps. Soft 7 Bhn hp slugs are where it’s at for me. Never tried a head shot on a yote, they move it way too much and I prefer ethical kills.