AZ Game&Fish Coyote Hunting Viewpoint

NorthAZHuntr

New member
Well, can't speak for all of AZ Game and Fish, but I attended hunting safety field day this last weekend (to get a permanant draw bonus point) and was pleasantly surprised to hear the instructor voice his opinion... says "if you're out game hunting and don't see anything and run across a coyote, shoot that mangey critter". Said coyote population is well over 100% in nearly every hunting unit, and they are taking a toll on all of the big game, especially during calfing seasons. Said he had a video of a coyote actually pulling out an antelope calf as the mother was giving birth. Wished they had more sponsored coyote hunts, but all the animal rights folks go nuts and made a big deal of it every time anything like that is advertised. Went on to say that since coyote trapping laws in AZ changed a few years back, they have really proliferated and the preditor hunters aren't even putting a small dent in their population control.
 
True.

I attended a seminar recently by the cheif biologist at AZG&F who detailed a research study done in AZ a few years back where antelope fawn populations dropped from 2000ish at birth to 525 after 3 weeks due to coyotes following herds around.

The imposed limitations on trapping in AZ screwed it all up. More should have been done at the time to save leg-hold traps. Now AZG&F cries about how the deer, elk, and altelope are decimated when they should have stepped up the heat and lobbied more for trapping. We also had a few real bozos in the drivers seat at AZG&F. Things have changed recently and we're moving in the right direction.
 

Quote: We also had a few real bozos in the drivers seat at AZG&F.
It was a long time since I took hunter saftey, but about 5 years ago while elk hunting in 5B south, and I had a G&F warden actually tell me not to shoot coyotes unless I had a use for the meat. I thought right then that something must be wrong for a game warden to say that to a hunter, especially in this state where the coyote numbers are high.
 
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Originally Posted By: huntinazI had a G&F warden actually tell me not to shoot coyotes unless I had a use for the meat.

What a idiot... I would have ask him "is that what the regs say or your personal preference"? And then for his address and told him you'd bring the "meat" to him as a gift.

I moved to AZ from Alaska who, unlike AZ (which makes you salvage meat on black bears), Alaska doesn't make you salvage any meat on preditors, even grizzly bear. But get nabbed hauling out caribou or moose antlers before you haul out evey once of meat first and you can kiss your hunting license, your kill and a wad of cash from the fines goodbye. Some folks liked bear but the smell throughout just skinning was bad enough for me... no way I could have ate it. Glad I didn't have to haul out all that stinky greasy meat too.
 
If they allowed coyote hunting without a license or had a cheap nonresident license specificly for coyote I would be happy to help. I am in AZ visiting my parents several times a year. I can't speak for CA, UT, and NM residents but I know several people in Southern Nevada that would love to be able to cross state lines to open up hunting to the South.
 
Its worth it to me to pay the year license fee to hunt coyotes in AZ. Since the there is basically no trapping or spotlighting them, it makes day calling a blast! Plus the drive out there is not that bad, considering I would have to drive further here in NV to get into the numbers I see in AZ.
 
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I was considering that for this year. Just having a hard time spending the $150 for one. Is there much between here and Kingman? I always see roadkill in Kingman and past it on 40 heading East.
 
If you know a licensed hunter in AZ they can get you a 2 day apprentice license free of charge once a year. I did this last year for out of state family visiting. They started this a year or two ago. Gotta go to a department office to get it.
 
Originally Posted By: wesleyp223If you know a licensed hunter in AZ they can get you a 2 day apprentice license free of charge once a year. I did this last year for out of state family visiting. They started this a year or two ago. Gotta go to a department office to get it.

I saw that mentioned on here before but with less detail. Thanks for clarifying it for me. 2 days once a year would be nice but I am in AZ 4 or 5 times a year. I think I might just buy the license. Does AZ have any wanton waste laws that apply to coyote requiring the removal of fur or can you just leave them lay?
 
I find it interesting that the coyotes are blamed for killing all the deer.

Having spent some time in Arizona (all my life), I've noticed some changes over the years. Used to be that a person would see plenty of deer along the roads as they traveled. Now I'm not noticing deer in places where vehicles are common, but there's still plenty of them if you get far enough into the back country.

You suppose the coyotes mostly kill deer along the roads?

I blame the population explosion here in Arizona. Folks move here from other parts of the country where there's enough deer to live on, and then they continue to do it here in spite of Arizona's limited resources.

That, and a drought over the last several years having heavily affected range conditions takes it's toll. This year is the first in several to have good rainfall, and the range is now overgrown for lack of cattle to graze it here. Most of the cattle were sold off because the ranchers couldn't feed them hay and still make money on them. The drought affected them, too.

Yes, coyotes are predators, but they've always been here. I've been hunting them for enough years to know.

Around here, dogs and cats that are turned out at night do more damage than coyotes ever thought of. My grandmother lost a dozen chickens before she got around to asking me for help. The offender? A house cat, caught in the act.

She hasn't lost one since.

Oh, and the neighbors blamed it on coyotes. Heck, at least a coyote will eat the dang thing. This cat was killing them for sport.

Daryl
 
Maybe, Daryl but the antelope losses have been documented here also. Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge had huge fawn losses specifically linked to coyote depredation. Of course, they can't use any hunting of any kind for control there. Antelope may be more susceptible to coyote depredation than other species but I wouldn't negate their impact on fawn survival in deer as well. JMHO.
 
I got a copy of the predator/furbearer harvest stats from AGFD. I crunched some numbers to compare statewide harvest of predators before and after leg hold traps were banned in 1994. Here is what I found.

Before leg hold traps were banned, from the 1982 to 1993, trappers in AZ averaged 9577 coyotes, 3836 bobcats, and 13,911 foxes taken each year. During this same time period, hunters averaged 24,819 coyotes, 878 bobcats, and 2028 foxes each year for a combined statewide annual harvest averaging 34,396 coyotes, 4715 bobcats, and 15,939 foxes each year. The number of licensed trappers in AZ averaged 926 while the number of hunters pursuing predators averaged 11,675.

After leg hold traps were banned on public lands in AZ, from the 1994 to 2005, trappers averaged 782 coyotes, 439 bobcats, and 554 foxes per year while hunters averaged 34,636 coyotes, 1767 bobcats, and 4361 foxes for a combined statewide annual harvest averaging 35,418 coyotes, 2207 bobcats, and 914 foxes each year. The number of licensed trappers in AZ averaged 105 while the number of hunters pursuing predators averaged 13,367.

When more predators/furbearers became available to hunters after the trapping ban, the harvest of coyotes by hunters increased with an average of 3% more coyotes taken annually after 1994. However, there were 54% less bobcats and 94% fewer foxes being harvested annually after 1994 in light of a slight increase in predator hunters.

The ban on leg hold traps did not affect the number of coyotes taken each year because hunters filled the void. Bobcats and foxes are what became more abundant.

I believe a more liberal hunting season should be allowed to also take other predator/furbearers year around. Coyotes and skunks can be taken year around in AZ, but other predators/furbearers cannot and should be.

For example, no sense in closing the hunting season for foxes during the denning period when statewide harvest is 94% below historic levels, rabies in AZ is setting records each year, and foxes are a primary disease vector for rabies to other wildlife species.
 
Originally Posted By: Jeff MockI started a petition some time ago for legalizing Arizona Night Hunting...

Petition to Legalize Night Hunting in Arizona...

Thanks for the link Jeff, I signed it. Hopefully if enough sign it they will see the light....pun intended
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I am seen more coyotes in the past 5 days just running back and forth across the inner city streets than I have in the last month in the wild. I know there are a ton in the wild but the numbers in town amaze me
 
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