UTAH.... Open Country or Brushy....?

dan brothers

New member
What is the terrain like...? I'd like to go out there and hunt those bounty coyotes, but was wondering if the terrain is open or brushy. I mean... are the shots mostly under 300 yds because of sage brush and stuff... or are there places for longer, more open shots...?

I don't really care about the bounty... I can make more money staying home and working... but I like the thoughts of helping out a state that is DOING SOMETHING about these fawn killers. It's like hunting with a bigger cause in mind... helping out the team. I wish my state would do something here like that, because our deer population is way down as well. When I think about what the coyotes are doing on deer... and what the wolves are doing to elk... it makes me want to sling lead even more... for the Bigger Purpose.

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks Guys...Dan
 
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The bounty is a crock of crap, as far as doing any good. Political eye wash. Seriously, killing coyotes out in the desert in November isn't helping a darn thing. To be effective, you need to kill coyotes in certain areas at certain times. And it helps if you can specifically target mating pairs, too. Not just any coyote anywhere, anytime. Bounties don't work for coyotes. Never have. Never will.

Take that bounty money and spend it on aviation fuel and shotgun shells for the guys who actually know how to do control work and it would have FAR more impact than spreading it out amongst every recreational calling, swinging unit in the state.

And don't get me started on how many guys the bounty motivated to get out there and educate and cross wire every coyote in the state. Calling in Utah has been pretty poor for a lot of years but it got noticeably worse since the bounty started. And it's not because there are any fewer coyotes...

Speaking of not being fewer coyotes, the numbers for bounty payout are public info. The numbers are so far below the stated goals for the program it's ridiculous. Especially since nobody with even a little bit of knowledge on coyotes in this state and two brain cells to rub together thought the numbers they put out when the program started were based on anything but pure fantasy.

I said from day one it would not result in any more coyotes getting killed. And it hasn't. Guys like me were already hunting as much as we could and killing as many as we could. The bounty did not motivate us to get out more - we were already motivated just by love of the sport. The bounty made it so a lot of us spend less time hunting in Utah and more time visiting other states though. To avoid all the clueless bounty hunters and the massively educated coyotes they leave in their wake.

That's all not even to mention how many Wyoming, Idaho and Nevada coyotes are getting turned in.

The Utah bounty program is stupid. S-T-U-P-I-D. Pork barrel jack wagon politico bull crap at it's finest.

If you seriously want to do some good, wait until April or May and hunt the fawning areas. It's tough hunting. Usually not many coyotes around. But if you can kill any, they might actually have eaten fawn so it might actually matter. Head out to the desert in the winter and kill some YoY, big whoopee crap. Ain't doing any good for fawns that will be born in the mountains the following spring and summer.

But, the bounty pays good, might as well get mine, no sense not taking the money, yadda yadda yadda.

To answer your question though, Utah has every kind of terrain.

- DAA
 
I was reading their website, and they did say that there is a yearly coyote kill of around 7000... and that they did want them targeted more around the mating season instead of now.
 
they claim to want them killed where there are deer that they kill,our deer numbers fell this is their way to claim to help.our game dept speds most of their time looking at computers not at actual game.example we only get a linited number of bobcat tags all the states around us get unlimited numbers.i read an article several years ago about the number of cat in the state and it gave a specific number 35000[not a quote ] then further down the same article said they actually did not know how many bobcats there were,figure that one out.but i will take their money they take enough from me,taxes on my cars,tow trailers,atv's,etc. every year
 
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Originally Posted By: DAAThe bounty is a crock of crap, as far as doing any good. Political eye wash. Seriously, killing coyotes out in the desert in November isn't helping a darn thing. To be effective, you need to kill coyotes in certain areas at certain times. And it helps if you can specifically target mating pairs, too. Not just any coyote anywhere, anytime. Bounties don't work for coyotes. Never have. Never will.

Take that bounty money and spend it on aviation fuel and shotgun shells for the guys who actually know how to do control work and it would have FAR more impact than spreading it out amongst every recreational calling, swinging unit in the state.

And don't get me started on how many guys the bounty motivated to get out there and educate and cross wire every coyote in the state. Calling in Utah has been pretty poor for a lot of years but it got noticeably worse since the bounty started. And it's not because there are any fewer coyotes...

Speaking of not being fewer coyotes, the numbers for bounty payout are public info. The numbers are so far below the stated goals for the program it's ridiculous. Especially since nobody with even a little bit of knowledge on coyotes in this state and two brain cells to rub together thought the numbers they put out when the program started were based on anything but pure fantasy.

I said from day one it would not result in any more coyotes getting killed. And it hasn't. Guys like me were already hunting as much as we could and killing as many as we could. The bounty did not motivate us to get out more - we were already motivated just by love of the sport. The bounty made it so a lot of us spend less time hunting in Utah and more time visiting other states though. To avoid all the clueless bounty hunters and the massively educated coyotes they leave in their wake.

That's all not even to mention how many Wyoming, Idaho and Nevada coyotes are getting turned in.

The Utah bounty program is stupid. S-T-U-P-I-D. Pork barrel jack wagon politico bull crap at it's finest.

If you seriously want to do some good, wait until April or May and hunt the fawning areas. It's tough hunting. Usually not many coyotes around. But if you can kill any, they might actually have eaten fawn so it might actually matter. Head out to the desert in the winter and kill some YoY, big whoopee crap. Ain't doing any good for fawns that will be born in the mountains the following spring and summer.

But, the bounty pays good, might as well get mine, no sense not taking the money, yadda yadda yadda.

To answer your question though, Utah has every kind of terrain.

- DAA

Tell us how you really feel Dave. I have to admit the bounty was a motivating factor for me but based on the amount of time I've invested in learning how handle my addiction it's clearly not a factor on whether or not I get out and hunt. If it were I would have quit months ago. I've only ever hunted in Wyoming and my first stand I called in a coyote within 3 mins of setting up. I really want to head out to Nevada to try my skills out there where you may find a spot where they've never heard a hunter calling.

Dave there is a contest in a couple of weeks out in Nevada you want to partner up? Last year there were 110 teams and the winer splits the jackpot which based on this years entry would have been over $9k. Definitely worth a trip out in my opinion.
 
Josh, I'm definitely not interested in doing any contest hunts. Have never had any interest in them. Does not appeal to me on any level. Coyote hunting is a rare bull crap free zone for me. Not looking to artificially inject it with bull crap by turning it into a contest.

Just not my speed.

- DAA
 
Funny because we have aerial gunners funded by the state and feds here. Those gunners even take out cats and have taken sheep.
Many of us wish we had a bounty. Being on the east side we often get overrun by west siders hunting.
 
Originally Posted By: dan brothersputting the bounty aside... is Utah worth going to for coyote hunting...? What other state would you Boys go to..?

Honestly if I was planning a trip I would go to New Mexico or Nevada.
 
Originally Posted By: chazwho2Originally Posted By: dan brothersputting the bounty aside... is Utah worth going to for coyote hunting...? What other state would you Boys go to..?

Honestly if I was planning a trip I would go to New Mexico or Nevada.

Coyote hunting is terrible in Nevada! Don't waste your time
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Go west young man! California is the land of milk, honey, and coyotes. Or was it fruits and nuts!? Make sure to keep an eye out for the tie dye wearing ones! :)

In all truth there are some pockets of great hunting here, but there's a lot of country to pick from, so choose wisely.

Hmmmm, I should take some of my own advice! Haha
 
Originally Posted By: dan brothersputting the bounty aside... is Utah worth going to for coyote hunting...? What other state would you Boys go to..?

Although there seem to be areas of coyotes in the southwest states, the cactus is haunting to me. So I stay more northern. Nevada, southern ID, eastern OR, and eastern WA which have much open sagebrush ground. Out of State license is spendy here though.
 
Originally Posted By: dan brothersputting the bounty aside... is Utah worth going to for coyote hunting...? What other state would you Boys go to..?

Wyoming or continue west to Nevada. It's tough calling around here.
 
Originally Posted By: DAAJosh, I'm definitely not interested in doing any contest hunts. Have never had any interest in them. Does not appeal to me on any level. Coyote hunting is a rare bull crap free zone for me. Not looking to artificially inject it with bull crap by turning it into a contest.

Just not my speed.

- DAA

That's understandable.
 
I hate the contests too. why because its gets more people out that wouldn't be hunting otherwise. Contest hunting isn't about enjoying new areas and scenery. its about calling as many areas as fast as you can. The guys that win the big contests look VERY carefully at the results its typically the same guys, but when the contest is held in other states or areas the same people aren't winning in other areas. what that tells me is the winners had special access to something others didn't or know something about THAT area others don't. wow thats really going to stir the pot. so be it. I just hate contests that much. its opposed to just about everything I enjoy about coyote hunting.
 
Dave is correct about the effectiness of the bounty. There are also a large number of coyotes killed in other states and brough back just for the bounty. The DWR will tell you how many are killed now but have no clue how many were killed prior to the bounty. Without that information they cannot say it is effective. I read an article written by the DWR and in it they stated that some of the areas that the deer herds had increased was because of the mild winters we have had. A harse winter here will kill more deer than anything else.

Joshua is the contest in Ely? If it is, I wouldnt waste my time. I did it several years ago about 3 times. At that time 3-5 coyotes was winning it with 100+ teams. That tells me there are not many coyotes in the area. The hunting there was tougher than hunting here in Utah.

Dan you will find a lot of sage brush areas in the desert. There are some places you can get long shots but that is not the way I do it. If I was making a trip specifically for coyotes, Utah would be one of the last places I would go.
 
I've never participated in any competition. I second the inquiry as to where if it were specifically for coyote you would head too reb?
 
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If it is out west that you want, I would look at New Mexico, Arizona or some parts of Nevada. Not only does Utah get hunted a lot but there are usually a lot of contests also. Same in parts of Wyoming.
 
maybe they should have the worlds in Utah one year on the rotation?

AS for the original question it changes. It can be open grass, ridges and rolling drawns and fingers, and it can be vast sea's of Sage.

I found the best thing is to have a seat that lifts you a little (cactus) and then a stool too.

I have shooting sticks that work for standing next to bushes, sitting on the stool in the sage, and the chair for elevated positions that overlook the open area's.

Also look at the states that don't require a lic. (Utah and Nevada)

There are lots in all of the states and most of these area's have open or the land owners are more than happy to let you shoot coyotes.
 
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