Those dog-gone coyotes

Saw a lot of coyote tracks last month here in the Southern Tier
and even heard packs of them howling after dark during the archery
season. I know there are numerous trappers in the area who target
them but I can’t help thinking they must be hard to catch. I was a
fox trapper when I was in high school and I know firsthand how
elusive canines like fox can be. Coyotes must rank right up there.
I used to use a dirthole set for fox and I wondered if it was an
effective set up for trapping coyotes.

There are a lot of guys who regularly hunt coyotes and the two I
know say it can be great fun and a real challenge. They tell me
fawn calls, distressed rabbit calls and even turkey calls will
bring in coyotes searching for a meal, but you have to be careful
because coyotes are extremely suspicious animals and will usually –
but not always – circle downwind of the caller’s position. I’m told
they may just as likely come in quickly so a hunter needs to be
fully alert when hunting them.

Twice this past deer season I caught a glimpse of them. One was put
out of a swap below me by other hunters and I could have shot it. I
was impressed with the beauty of the animal and thought otherwise
about squeezing the trigger. Besides, it was gone before I knew it.
On another occasion I was walking back to my truck after an evening
bow hunt and spotted six coyotes rolling and playing in the grass
at the edge of a large corn field. It’s not often you get to see
even a single coyote, so seeing a whole family was special. I felt
grateful for the opportunity.