Coyote, should I kill and how to

Yeah defence of property is very broad anyone who doesn't think you can has never looked into it. Most people have no idea that farmers can shoot turkeys in their fields when crops are in with no limits, no permits, and no need to report anything. And the métis thing gives you the constitutional right to hunt year round in your bands territory but im not sure how it applies to your own private property outside that territory. I say wack it, its legal under defence of property and no game warden will touch a métis anyways.
 
In answer to your original question, we have always had coyotes running around the farm. We have never had to shoot them on sight or anything and they gave the rodents a run. Our dogs were never dumb enough to go after them and they never bothered us as kids.

So, "should" you shoot the coyote? If you think it is going to cause problems with your kids or pets etc then yeah. If you are wondering if they need to be shot on sight, then no imo. I know others will disagree with that last point. :)

J
 
I think .22mag would be no problem for the coyote. I live in the country in SW Ontario and this year for the first time I had coyote tracks on my front lawn and all around my backyard fence almost every morning. I couldn't figure out why they were coming so close as our only animal is a 85 lb German Shephard. I then discovered that 4 cottontails were spending the evenings in the safety of my fenced yard. It was easier and tastier for me to harvest the cottontails instead of the coyotes. I generally don't feel a need for a war of extermination with coyotes, but I have no issue giving lead poisoning to any that appear brazen or might pose a danger to livestock or pets.
 
If it isn't coming close enough, often enough, for a .22 mag to do the job, you don't really need to kill it.

Coyotes do a lot of good until they start doing bad. If it is minding its own coyote business, why kill it? If it starts "hanging around" and begins to show no respect for your presence, your pets may well be in danger, but until you see it within 100 yards a few times, don't worry. If it is within 100 yards, a good shot from a .22 mag will certainly do it.
 
I've had neighbours lose small dogs to coyotes. One was taken from inside the yard, 30 yards from the house, in broad daylight and with 2 adults seated at a picnic table nearby. I can't let my small dog out at night without accompanying her. I've shot two at night, on two separate occasions, as they sat on their haunches near the barn and gazed at my dog taking a crap. Legal? Don't really care! I will still shoot any coyote that comes within sight of the house if I can reach a firearm in time...and I can almost always do that! I want them to fear me, and to treat the area of my house as no-man's-land. I love hunting coyotes for sport and fur, but this isn't hunting that I am referring to here. It's predator/pest control, plain and simple.

I think that many or most of the problems that people have with coyotes are caused by the attitude of the people in question. "Live and let live" does not work when it is applied to an intelligent, predatory animal species that knows you have something it wants. "Shoot on sight" comes much closer to having the desired effect, and rest assured, you will never...ever...cause any significant damage to the local coyote population by following that path.
 
Your .22 mag will work fine within 100 or so yards. If it's facing you shoot it in the centre of the chest and it will drop like a rock. If it's broadside shoot it behind the front leg about middle of the body. I always refrain from headshots (especially broad side) because you run the risk of seriously wounding the animal but not killing it (blown off bottom jaw to die a slow and painful death). Also, I'd suggest NOT trying to call it into your property, as that will be out of the norm and they're smart enough to know when something's up... you know where (and hopefully when) it comes through your property, so just wait it out during legal hunting hours and pop it as it comes through. You could also try going a few hundred yards to the other side of the den from your house;

house ------------------- Den ------------------- You

and call from there, I've never had luck calling from an area where a coyote knows people are around. Calling from the other direction (when the wind lets you) is far more likely to work out.

Sounds to me though like your best bet is to get in touch with someone in your area that can get it done quickly and humanely.
 
if you dont want to wait for it or get tired of waiting, might i suggest a 10 dollar fawn/rabbit/mouse distress call? (if its legal under this circumstance of course) and then wack em. How bout getting a trappers license if its not too much trouble and just snare the little fu@@#r(if its legal to do so)
 
This is the perfect excuse to buy a new rifle :) "But honey, I have to kill the coyotes or they'll eat out dog/cat/child!!!"
 
If it is on your property, shoot it! I have a buddy who hunts yotes exclusively with a .22 Mag and shoots them out to 150 yards... one pill in the lungs will do the trick... forget the head shots. And by the way... I'd be willing to bet that you have more than one coyote... maybe alot more than one.
 
Thanks all, especially for the where exactly to shoot advice. I think because of the cat death, my yard, and valley edge is already a food source for them, and the den is probably less than 150 Meters from the back edge of my house. I'll watch them for a bit once I move in and then deal with it if it crosses my property near the house.

Thanks again,
 
jjohnwm said:
I've had neighbours lose small dogs to coyotes. One was taken from inside the yard, 30 yards from the house, in broad daylight and with 2 adults seated at a picnic table nearby. I can't let my small dog out at night without accompanying her. I've shot two at night, on two separate occasions, as they sat on their haunches near the barn and gazed at my dog taking a crap. Legal? Don't really care! I will still shoot any coyote that comes within sight of the house if I can reach a firearm in time...and I can almost always do that! I want them to fear me, and to treat the area of my house as no-man's-land. I love hunting coyotes for sport and fur, but this isn't hunting that I am referring to here. It's predator/pest control, plain and simple.

I think that many or most of the problems that people have with coyotes are caused by the attitude of the people in question. "Live and let live" does not work when it is applied to an intelligent, predatory animal species that knows you have something it wants. "Shoot on sight" comes much closer to having the desired effect, and rest assured, you will never...ever...cause any significant damage to the local coyote population by following that path.
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Well Said, I agree 100%.
 
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