TN coyote hunting and TWRA Rules

Hagen

Hagen

New member
I know theres threads on here already about this, but they were 10 year ago. My question is In the new 2016 Hunt and Fish book I couldnt find all the Shotgun restrictions on WMA's. So can we hunt WMA's with Shotguns Year round now for Coyotes??? Can we Use the Hornady Magnum Coyote Loads now???? Its extremely Gray in the Reg book this year it seems.... I know I may use a Rimfire, but Personally I dont like that Idea.
 
I'm thinking its a maximum of #4 shot. In the past it has to be the same thing you would use for small game. Number 4 shot was the largest you could use for small game. I haven't read this years regulations in depth, it makes my head hurt.
 
Originally Posted By: HagenI know theres threads on here already about this, but they were 10 year ago. My question is In the new 2016 Hunt and Fish book I couldnt find all the Shotgun restrictions on WMA's. So can we hunt WMA's with Shotguns Year round now for Coyotes??? Can we Use the Hornady Magnum Coyote Loads now???? Its extremely Gray in the Reg book this year it seems.... I know I may use a Rimfire, but Personally I dont like that Idea.

Year 'round? NOPE. ONLY during a season that is open for another species. Basically, the best way to describe it is that you MUST be a legal hunter that is hunting during ANOTHER legal season .... squirrel, deer, etc. There is basically no season for coyotes and they are grouped into everything else. Make sense? And the legal firearms are whatever is legal to hunt the species that you are "supposed" to be hunting.

In a nutshell: There is not a coyote season as such. They can be taken at anytime. But you MUST be hunting legally during SOME OPEN season.
 
Its to bad there is not a thing we can do about these ignorant laws..... Id like to talk with a TWRA official about this mess they call a season. They have no idea how hard these coyotes are on the deer population.
 
Originally Posted By: HagenIts to bad there is not a thing we can do about these ignorant laws..... Id like to talk with a TWRA official about this mess they call a season. They have no idea how hard these coyotes are on the deer population.

Talk away ..... but they don't listen. I've bent their ears more than once about it.

Like I said, regardless of what the TWRA Hunting Guide says we don't have a coyote season. They are only "instances of opportunity" because you have to be a legal hunter during another season before you can shoot one. Most of ours are taken during squirrel season with a .22WMR.
 
Originally Posted By: HidalgoOriginally Posted By: HagenIts to bad there is not a thing we can do about these ignorant laws..... Id like to talk with a TWRA official about this mess they call a season. They have no idea how hard these coyotes are on the deer population.

Talk away ..... but they don't listen. I've bent their ears more than once about it.

Like I said, regardless of what the TWRA Hunting Guide says we don't have a coyote season. They are only "instances of opportunity" because you have to be a legal hunter during another season before you can shoot one. Most of ours are taken during squirrel season with a .22WMR. +1 on what Higdalgo said, You can talk until your blue in the face and they will turn a deaf ear, then go pass some law stupider than what ignorance is already in effect. I firmly believe that they do not want coyotes killed or you would be able to hunt at night. I contacted my local warden about WMA's and he said that the rules state nothing larger than #4 shot. This is for safety reasons he said.But, you can shoot T shot at ducks or geese and there is no safety concern there. Makes perfect sense to me. Shoot large shot into the air no problem with safety.
 
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Nothing larger than #4 shot on WMA is during squirrel season. You can still hunt with a rimfire. We "squirrel hunt" during squirrel season on WMAs with a .22WMR.

The rule about shot size came about years ago to "help prevent poaching of deer as well as aid with hunter safety". That's from an old TWRA handbook that I have. But I fail to see how a shotgun with ANY size shot is more dangerous than the rimfires that we are allowed to use?
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the officers you meet & talk to generally don't have squat to do with what the regs are, they're just tasked with enforcing what is, not changing it to what they think it should be.

in short, you're talking to the wrong people if attempting to get change considered is your goal.
 
Originally Posted By: Stu Farishthe officers you meet & talk to generally don't have squat to do with what the regs are, they're just tasked with enforcing what is, not changing it to what they think it should be.

in short, you're talking to the wrong people if attempting to get change considered is your goal.



Stu is right.
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Originally Posted By: fw707Originally Posted By: Stu Farishthe officers you meet & talk to generally don't have squat to do with what the regs are, they're just tasked with enforcing what is, not changing it to what they think it should be.

in short, you're talking to the wrong people if attempting to get change considered is your goal.



Stu is right.
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Yes he is. I have several "higher contacts" at the offices in Crossville and Nashville that I've had discussions with (one is actually a relative of my wife). The truth of the matter is that they don't know how to set a season that they can police. Too much fear of poaching and opening doors that they don't want to go through. I was told "We don't want people hunting with high powered rifles 365 days a year".
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Any more I would rather varmint hunt than deer hunt. Most of the regulations are placed around the deer or protecting them from poachers. If they would let you night hunt in Tennessee I could help protect the deer better. LOL. Hopefully eliminate some of the 4 legged poachers. As I found out working for the government, you can't use logic to make something work. Yeah Right..
 
Another thing that comes into the mix is the fact that there are LOTS of people that use WMAs and other regulated "hunting grounds" for other use like mountain biking, ATV riding, hiking, camping, etc. They (TWRA) know there would be a huge backlash and outcry if the folks suddenly saw hunters all the time and heard gunfire on a regular basis year round. And to some degree they are correct. Also you have to wonder what would happen if the coyote hunters had a troop of ATVs, horses, or mountain bikes riding through their stands all day? It wouldn't be long until something got out of hand.
 
That's really the core problem. WMA's are multi-use properties open to the public, not just hunters. Especially in TN.
 
Its like this. The more people we get moving in the less rights we hunters have...... Its sad. Im lucky to have 3800 acres of family owned land to hunt. But I cant hunt it 24/7.

2nd. TWRA Biologists are either Naive about what the coyotes are doing or they just don't care. they are harder on the deer heard than any stupid redneck shooting our 1yr old bucks. On that 3800 acres I mentioned above, we lose atleast 15% or more of our fawns every year do to the Coyotes and Bobcats. I kill them, I trap them and we still have them. I figure anywhere from 18-30 different coyotes a month coming through that I catch on Cameras. Most Come from the North Cumberland WMA across 25W. So thanks TWRA for Managing and excellent Coyote HEARD!!!! lol. A little venting there...
 
Keep in mind that yotes eating deer can be part of their management.

Their goals and your goals aren't necessarily the same.
 
Originally Posted By: Stu FarishThat's really the core problem. WMA's are multi-use properties open to the public, not just hunters. Especially in TN.
Thing about it Stu is only the hunters pay their way. Sure it's a multi use area but who pays for the use. I don't see any one but hunters required to have a permit. They (multi use people) gripe when the area is closed to deer hunts,but they don't want to pay for the privilege. It's like making people give bicyclist 3 ft distance on a roadway when the bikes don't have tags, obey the rules of the road, carry insurance, or have an operators permit. I like for everyone to enjoy the great outdoors but it's always the hunters that get blamed for everything. They need to change the name from WMA to Multi Use Area. MUA. TN always caters to deer as the money species. Small game does not matter. Long story short, It's all about the deer. Whining Over.....
 
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