I was out video tapeing deer last night, and heard what I figured to be about 6 coyotes yaping there heads off, needless to say the deer heard this and left the area FAST in the opposite direction.
I think the yotes are increasing there population in my area,(south central Mich) I shoot them, but dont think I'm hurting there population at all.

Crackshot wrote:

... I shoot them, but dont think I'm hurting there population at all.

Got #66, #67 and #68 weekend before last. All 68 have been taken from 2 square miles.

They must breed like rabbits or something!

In a few hours we will leave for our last calling trip of this season, but, this will be a two day affair in some remote areas of our little state of Arizona. Our last calling trip yielded a big zero with lots of wind. Our success ratio for the year has been average -- about 40%, for a total of 76 coyotes, 18 fox, three bobcat and one mountain lion which I noted in an earlier post.

Techniques change as the season advances and, now, pup coyote distress calls and male challenge calls have been best, although, the ratio is reduced from the Fall season. Too, this time of year I use hand calls only.

Got two more last weekend. #70 and #71.
Love that .257 Roberts!

Just gotta ask, what do you do with the coyotes you shoot
Keep it coming...

I've got a question and don't take this wrong. I'm just wondering if this is true. I heard that only the alpha male and female coyote breed and that if you kill the alpha the rest of the pack will start breeding and you end up with multiple litters instead of one.

In my experience a male controls a territory and holds it against all comers. They mate until death do them part . Only the alpha pair mate, no matter if he or she have changed mates during the winter season or even during breeding season. If it is a new male the territory size may change a bit , but they will set up house keeping some where in that same area.

If the couple lives a few years in an established territory, one young female or two from each litter stay on the next year as a nursemaid and assistant to the mated pair. If the alpha female is killed , the new female runs this one out of the territory.She will likely then find a mate and set up house keeping on her own in another area.

Telemetry studies done in the Dakota's show that litter size is based on female age. The older the female the bigger the litters.If well fed , by age four or so the female will be having litters of up to 7 or 8 on average. There have been litters recorded of a dozen.

I had a sworn enemy for several years. Killed his mates every year. They never raised more than one litter in his territory a year.Deer hunter finally got him. He was old and cagey,always stopped short of coming in. I never had a good shot at him in ten years. I miss that old dog a great deal, he was a very good teacher! L.O.

I'm still looking for an answer...What do you do with the coyotes you shoot?
Keep it coming...

Sell the hides and feed the carcases to the neihbors hogs.

Crackshot wrote:

Sell the hides and feed the carcases to the neihbors hogs.

there are places out there where you send them the hides green, thet will tan and make hats, coats ,gloves. one of my hunting budies had a hat made,its really nice.

Make it #72. Hadn't been out since middle of May but saw several. Dang things wouldn't sit still, though...

With our mild winters the past several years there has been a spike in all wildlife numbers here. The last 3-4 years there has been a rabbit population explosion and the deer have had great winter servival rates so the preditor numbers have increased with that trend. Coyote numbers, from what I've sceen anyway, have gone way up. So have the Black bear and cougar numbers increased.

Hey George, my friends and I just leave them to feed the scavengers.

Now my cousing gets quite a few in unit 27 in the winter with good pelts and he sells those.

Yep! the Coyote numbers do seem to be rising BUT I'm doing my darnedest to keep the numbers down by hunting the furry critters every time I get a chance .Buy the way I get lots of chances as I'm Retired and hunt once or twice a week,Lucky me.