Navajo Nation Coyote Hunting Not What It Seems.

kylesredapple

New member
Last year I ran into a Navajo Nation Officer while coyote hunting. I was told that coyotes could not be hunted during Big Game Seasons. I pulled out the proclimation and showed him that my coyote hunting was not during any big game season. November 23rd. No Big Game hunts during that time. He countered with the Navajo Nation Mountain Lion Big Game Hunt which is October 1st thru March 31st for ALL UNITS on the Navajo Reservation, hence, no coyote hunting without a Lion Tag!

Can you imagine my shock and suprise? I am grateful to the officer for not confiscating my equipment and for not citing me, giving me a warning, which I promptly "left the reservation".

I have done my research and sure as heck, NO COYOTE HUNTING during BIG GAME SEASONS on the Reservation. A call to the Director confirmed that this includes Mt Lion Season.


So to clarify my statements, Navajo Nation Coyote Hunting is only allowed from April 1st to August 31st each year unless you are in possesion of a Big Game License.
 
Reservation land is like being in a whole different country. You did get lucky he didnt take all your stuff. I dont mess with the reservations at all for fishing or hunting...its just better that way.
 
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Originally Posted By: PowerfisherI dont mess with the reservations at all for fishing or hunting...its just better that way.

I always felt the same way about the Reservations in MT when i lived there
 
in 2009 I hunted the navajo during the world championships and even was checked by a warden , he told us where we could go to get on some coyotes , alot of teams hunted the navajo that year non of us got in trouble , sounds like we were lucky
 
They make an acception for the World. We have to call every year to get it passed so guys can hunt the rez during the world.
 
Originally Posted By: PowerfisherReservation land is literally like being in a whole different country. You did get lucky he didnt take all your stuff. I dont mess with the reservations at all for fishing or hunting...its just better that way.

Fixed it for you.
 
I live right next to a rez with some of the best elk hunting in the world and I wouldnt hunt in it to save my life. They make it known how they feel towards "non" tribal members so I return the favor and stay away.
 
interesting we hunt the rez all the time and get the same response as 'caller4hire' and even the non-navajo hunters from Page get the same.
 
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Looks like i'm going to have to get a lion license to keep hunting the rez year round in accordance with regs.
 
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thats the same thing i was told. i hunt the western navajo reservation and have never seen a lion hunter. most lion hunts i know of are in central and eastern navajo. i've run into several rangers and officers of the rez and all just wished me luck and told me of areas to try, but if i do ever run into a big game hunter i will give him the unit and not disrupt his hunt.
 
I grew up in Gallup (the heart of the Navajo Rez) and have hunted and fished it forever. That officer you ran into just wanted to be a A$$. I have been checked by a lot of real cool officers and some that wanted me off their land whether I had the right permit or not. It kinda of depends on who you run into.

I understand the rule but I guarantee not all of the officers out there know it or don't enforce it. That doesn't mean I am saying to go hunt the rez during that time. I am only saying it all depends on who you run into. You could call their game and fish office (928-871-6451) and get a different answer from every person you talk to.

This is a great post to discourage people from hunting the Rez though. I'm not saying that is what your trying to do but it will scare people into not even attempting to hunt there even during legal times. It might actually save some people alot of money in fines, lost equipment or money spent on a worthless license.
 
"This is a great post to discourage people from hunting the Rez though. I'm not saying that is what your trying to do but it will scare people into not even attempting to hunt there even during legal times. It might actually save some people alot of money in fines, lost equipment or money spent on a worthless license."



Nowhere in my posts have I slanted my perception to discourage people from anything, in-fact, all I have given is accurate information about small game on the Navajo Reservation.

Knowledge is a powerful thing, what you do with it is up to you. I won't be on the rez when I'm not supposed to be there.
 
Originally Posted By: kylesredapple"This is a great post to discourage people from hunting the Rez though. I'm not saying that is what your trying to do but it will scare people into not even attempting to hunt there even during legal times. It might actually save some people alot of money in fines, lost equipment or money spent on a worthless license."



Nowhere in my posts have I slanted my perception to discourage people from anything, in-fact, all I have given is accurate information about small game on the Navajo Reservation.

Knowledge is a powerful thing, what you do with it is up to you. I won't be on the rez when I'm not supposed to be there.

That is why is stated that I was not saying you were trying to discourage people from hunting Rez land. I have read the regs over and over and saw that you have only stated facts. I actually like your post because I think it will keep people from wasting money, buying a tag and then being ran off the land because of a mountain lion season. I thought it was informative. I'll introduce myself to you if you hunt the worlds and we can talk about it.
 
I have hunted the navajo for a lot of years. Never had a problem . I work with a bunch of them and I read this to them they just said its away for the tribe to get money. Idk I found the calling is not that good any way I like the boarder the res myself
 
Little unrelated, just has to do with reservations.

We got called to a fire on a rez, and I was in the first engine on scene. We pulled up and saw it was a fish smoker that had caught on fire, and it had spread to a nearby shed.

I didn't even have the first hose rolled out before I had a someone living on the reservation show up and ask me to leave. He said a tribal officer was on the way and they would take care of the fire themselves. We waited right outside the rez just in case they couldn't get the fire out on their own, and the tribal officer got there, he asked us to leave, or he could arrest us for coming onto the rez without permission in the first place.

I haven't been on a reservation since. Left a bad taste in my mouth.
 
I am not inferring that the Navajo Nation Reservation, its government or its people have done anything wrong whats-so-ever. They are "a sovereign nation" I respect their decisions to do with their land whatever they want. Kinda like my place, its mine and I get to say what happens on it.

I would hope that someday the NN could find something to value about "Non-navajos" making positive contributions to the conservation of their wildlife. $30 bucks is a way good deal to hunt so much land for coyotes. I would pay a couple hundred to be allowed the opportunity to hunt coyotes from August 31 to April 1st and not catch any flack.

 
I'm a member of the Navajo Nation and have run into the same. case in point, During the late Elk hunt which my Dad had a tag and I was only along for support and I happen to be packing my pistol. We were check by a Resource Enforcement Officer (Rangers)and she had asked for my Elk tag, which I had none and produce my Small game license but was told that was non valid during a Big game hunt (late elk). In the end I had to remove my sidearm.
frown.gif
You happen to remember the officers name? Fish and Wildlife or Rangers? or worst yet, Animal control.
 
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