Predator hunting, are there more people paticipating?

I have been asking around, are more folks chasing predators these days? I would say 5 of my friends who 3 years ago never rifle hunted past deer season now have the predator chasing bug. Once they realized how much damage they do to the deer / turkey population they were all in! I had no idea a coyote could catch a turkey when I find it so hard with a shotgun, but the article I read said the average coyote kills 6 turkeys a year. Probably young ones I would think. Anyway, this is the year we put in a real effort to hunt coyotes after deer season and to not pass up any opportunities while deer hunting too.

Thoughts guys?
Do you see more of your friends putting in a dedicated trip just for coyotes?
 
There are very few in my area. Ive asked about every hunter I know if they predator hunt and they dont or they dont anymore.. More yotes for me I guess
 
lol, that's one way to look at it! I have guys who keep telling me predator hunting will be more addicting then turkey hunting once I put in a good effort at it. Can't wait, one more hobby!
 
I think, but can't prove it, that we have more involved than several years ago...I know the stores and suppliers are selling a bunch of Predator related gear that didn't use to be available or in demand....

Years ago, at least in my home area, predators hunting used to be a Sunday afternoon past time for some of the farmers in their pick ups....or some of us kids, when there was a bounty on Coyotes and we needed some extra spending money...

Now, it seems a lot of 'used to be only' Deer and Turkey hunters are using predators as a year round skill sharpening activity, or a just for fun exercise...We have a very limited closed season on Coyotes and it's not unusual to find a lone vehicle parked along a county road or field edge and Coyote is the only season open for the most part...
 
Originally Posted By: Barton Hegelol, that's one way to look at it! I have guys who keep telling me predator hunting will be more addicting then turkey hunting once I put in a good effort at it. Can't wait, one more hobby!

I can attest to that! I love hunting turkeys and I always will but I think predator hunting may have moved up a notch above turkeys in my book.
 
I don't think the sport is growing here...years ago you could recover the cost of a tank full of gas with just one coyote...one of my best years I got over $150 per coyote...you could buy a new rifle after each season back then...today I won't even pick one up for the price of fur these days...most guys I talk to around here might shoot one if they see it in their hunting area because they know the damage they do to the deer and turkeys...but very few will spend the time and money to just go out and hunt them.

KB
 
I hear it is the new, craze, many more are trying their hand at it. Some doing it illegally and some legally. They are selling more calling equipment and more rifles like the R.204.
 
I would say ABSOLUTELY especially in Utah and Nevada. It wasn't too many years back that you could spend a day or even a weekend on the desert and not run into anyone else. Not so anymore.
 
It's blowing up here in Oregon. I don't know why though...No preds around here either.
whistle.gif
 
Quote:Definatley growing. Isn't that what we need and want?
It's a "Double Edged Sword" situation....

It's nice to find others that have the same interests and passion and the innovation of products and techniques is continually growing and improving...

The negative side is that it only takes one uncaring person to really screw up various landowners perception of the practice for many and it certainly educates the predators much more thoroughly in a given area,,,

While I doubt the predators will ever be totally eliminated, it does increase the challenge and reduces the frequency of success..
 
Originally Posted By: bootmudDefinatley growing. Isn't that what we need and want?
smile.gif
In county I live in thats definatley what we need.I would say the population is some where around 6 to 9000 people and I can honestly say I am the only one I know that really hunts coyotes.I know a few mabye 2 guys that might go once or twice a year and thats it.I know a couple guys that have tried it once or twice and gave up.Then I know some that pull the old truck out in the middle of a field and through the old wal-mart e-caller out on the hood crank it wide open and sit in the truck and drink a case of beer with there rifes hanging out the window and wonder why they cant see any or kill any.But what really pizz ya off is when all these guys start bow hunting next week and see dogs in the woods chaseing there deer around.They will call and tell me I need to go out and kill some of them they are killing all the deer off......
 
Don't kid yourself. Everybody and their Grand mother hunts Coyotes now. Evert frustrated bird hunter turns to shooting at a Coyote on a bad day.

One of the problems you have now is that Coyotes are hunted 365 days a year and have heard every sound known to man since the day of their birth.

Look at the noobs asking question on this board and there are 20 other boards just like this with noobs asking questions there also.

Think of this. For every Coyote hunter you might know in your area there are 20 others that come in from out of your area and out of state if it's allowed.
 
I would say here at least the numbers are still pretty limited. Although in talking with hunters pretty regularly, it seems there are a few more each year.
 
With predator calling a little hunting pressure goes along way. If someone deer hunts an area the day before you it will have very little effect on your hunt. Now if you are calling preds and some one did it the day before it might have a large effect. I guesss what I'm saying is yes there are a lot more folks calling. Is it like the increase in bowhunters, no but the impact is similar in that it is lowering everyones success rate. That just the way it is though, something you have to live with. I havent seen the number of bowhunters dropping out here and I don't think the caller numbers are doing anything but going up.
 
I haven't found pressure from other hunters to be a problem. I have private ground to call, but I call a lot of public ground too. I've learned to change up sound and tactics and have been very successful. We took second in a contest a few years ago and hunted exclusively public ground. Where we hunted was literally in another teams back yard and we killed twice as many coyotes as they did. Observe the animals and learn from your mistakes. Observe other hunters and learn from their mistakes. Dale
 
Back
Top