Outdoor Life - Coyote RSS

42 Coyotes Taken During California Hunting Tournament, Controversy Ensues

Alex Robinson — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 11:03:33 -0500

The San Francisco Gate is reporting that Coyote Drive 2013 was a howling success with 42 coyotes taken.

The Modoc County event was sponsored the Pit River Rod and Gun Club and Adin Supply Outfitters. It was the groups’ seventh annual hunt. And while hunt sponsors have yet to revile actual hunt statistics (Would you? In California?) an unidentified law enforcement individual told the SFGate that 42 coyotes were taken by 90 two-man teams. This news is sure to devastate the protestors that crowded the Feb. 6 Department of Fish and Game Commission hearing to label the hunt as “savage” and “medieval.”

Medieval? What, did hunters take down coyotes with a swinging mace or a lance?

An estimated 6,000 people signed an online petition blasting the hunt as did 20 wildlife conservation organizations who put their complaints in letters to the DFGC.

Adin Supply Outfitters owner Steve Gagnon told reporters that despite the controversy, the hunt went better than expected with 240 people traveling to Adin (population 279) for the hunt.

Valentine's Day: The Seasonal Grace of a Coyote Killer

Alex Robinson — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 10:11:21 -0500

A hard-hearted old hunter, a solitary bachelor by choice and for cause, once told me that the only day he didn’t hunt coyotes was Valentine’s Day.

The rest of the year the old scab pounded coyotes with the sort of frightening intensity most people reserve for threats to their families or hopeless sports franchises. The old-timer had grown up on a sprawling sheep outfit along Wyoming’s Green River, and he had seen first-hand the sort of savagery a pack of coyotes could unleash on tender lambs and their bleating mothers.

One time, as he drove his old pickup down a county road and I feigned interest in a story I had heard a half-dozen times, I spotted a coyote in a dry wash, and he grabbed his rifle and jumped out of the truck while it was still rolling, leaving me to figure out how to hump over the trash on the seat, get behind the wheel and stomp on the brake before it veered off the gravel. He, of course, got his dog and never asked how I fared with the runaway vehicle.

Unlike most coyote hunters, who mimic the sound of a dying jackrabbit or the bleat of a wounded fawn to call coyotes into rifle range, this fellow didn’t use distress calls. Instead, he had an uncanny knowledge of where coyotes would show up, and would be there waiting, like an Old Testament demon, with his greasy Carhartt jacket and his rusty .243.

The only call he had was a howling tube, a reed call that could bark and whimper and howl like an entire pack of keening canines. He reserved its use for February, the months when coyotes roam the landscape in search of a mate, and would play it like a musical prodigy, luring hormonally raging coyotes to their death.

But he hung up his call and rifle on Valentine’s Day, even though he said it was traditionally the single best day to call in these rut-season coyotes, and even though he certainly didn’t have any romantic obligations of his own.

“Every critter needs one day to be themselves,” he explained. “One day to tend to their business without risk or fear.”

On Valentine’s Day some people bestow flowers or confections on the important people in their lives. This fellow gave something even more personal: a single day of mercy.

Trapping and Skinning: The Fleshing Beam

Alex Robinson — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:25:31 -0500

If you ever plan on dealing with large quantities of hides, whether it’s deer, beaver, or wolves, one of the most important pieces of gear to have is a fleshing beam. Although you can get away with not fleshing some smaller critters, most hides require a good fleshing job, and when dealing with a high volume, you’ll quickly find yourself overwhelmed if you don’t have a beam.

With a fleshing beam and a draw knife you can scrape off all the flesh and fat much faster, and with much less hide damage, than with a regular knife.

How to Build the Beam
Using a few basic guidelines you can build a fleshing beam out of a variety of materials, often for little to no cost. The one I built this year cost me around $30, but only because I didn’t have the time to dig around for free stuff. I built mine out of one 2x10 (for the base), one 1x6 pine board, and one piece of 1x6 oak (the oak is used for the scraping surface). Like most guys, I like a bit of an angle to my beam, but the exact angle isn’t critical. I made mine so that when I stand on the base with one foot, I can press against the tip of the beam with my hip to hold the hide in place while scraping. Any hard wood will work fine, but the scraping surface should be rounded, smooth, and free of knots or anything that the knife might catch on and tear the hide. One of the coolest fleshing beams I have seen was made out of PVC pipe. For mine, I screwed the oak piece on top of the pine very securely, to add rigidity, then used a jigsaw and sanding disc to round the tip of the beam (on which all of the scraping is done).

How to Use the Beam
The method for using a fleshing beam is pretty simple. The way mine is set up, I drape the hide over or around the beam, and work my way from the head down. In using the draw knife, keep in mind that you are pushing the flesh/fat off the hide, NOT cutting it off. I step on the base of my beam, and hold the hide in place by pressing my hip against it while it’s draped over the end. It’s important to note that all the scraping should be done on the top six inches or so of the beam—go any lower and it’s easy to tear the hide. Pressing with my hip, I’ll push in downward strokes with my draw knife to get the meat rolling off the hide. Sometimes I have to get it started with a knife, but once I start pushing the flesh off, it simply rolls off, and I rotate the hide on the beam, gradually working the ring of fat and meat down the hide. With this method, it actually helps to leave more meat and fat on the hide when you skin it because it gives more for the draw knife to grab.

If you deal with very many hides a good beam pays off in no time, and will save you hours of work, especially with critters like wolves.

Coyote Hunting in Montana from a Wall Tent Basecamp

Alex Robinson — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 08:54:59 -0500

Hunting Editor Andrew McKean and five of his buddies spent a week hunting coyotes on Montana's frozen prairie. In -35 degree wind chill, they camped in wall tents and did their best to fight off the frostbite.

Trail Camera Video: Bobcat vs Coyotes

Alex Robinson — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 11:07:06 -0500

The heart of winter is usually the toughest time of year for mammals in the North. Any animal that doesn't hibernate or migrate needs to endure the snow and cold to gobble up enough calories to keep warm and stay alive.

This clip gives us a little glimpse into that effort. The video is from a trail camera stationed over a bait site in Illinois. It was uploaded a year ago by Youtube user davencrystal13.

20 Best Taxidermy Photos from the Safari Club International Convention

Alex Robinson — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 15:58:49 -0500

We rounded up 20 of the best mount photos from the SCI convention floor. Let us know in the comments section which one you like the best.

Coyote Hunting Tips: Cutting-Edge Predator Tactics

Alex Robinson — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:18:20 -0500

As coyote populations have exploded over the last decade and the popularity of hunting them has skyrocketed, the cunning critters have become increasingly difficult to dupe. Here's how to rewrite the playbook and start dropping more dogs.

Hunting Suburban Coyotes
by John B. Snow

It was the look on the coyote’s face that changed the direction of Cory Lundberg’s life. He was a college student with some free time, so he figured he’d give predator hunting a try. He bought a book on calling coyotes, made his own camouflage, and hiked into a patch of Utah sagebrush with his rabbit squealer call. He set up in a spot that prevented him from being skylined, just like the book said.

“I started calling, and then that first one came in,” Lundberg says. “I’ll never forget the expression on his face. I could see the confusion in his eyes, like he’s looking for the rabbit thinking, I know the stupid thing is in here somewhere. I was addicted right away.”

That first success turned into many more, and since then Lundberg has devoted much of his life to understanding what makes coyotes tick and how to coax them into the open when other hunters have failed. Here’s a look at the most common scenarios he encounters when hunting coyotes—and how he tackles them.

Hunting in Town

Coyotes have established a considerable foothold in suburbia, haunting malls, cul-de-sacs, and other spots where prey is abundant and hunting pressure is nearly nonexistent. This presents hunters with some excellent opportunities, but some additional challenges as well. The biggest, according to Lundberg, is that it isn’t just the hunter versus the coyote—there’s a whole neighborhood to think about. Putting in pre-hunt work to get squared away with local officials and residents is essential.

“First, I’ll check with the police to make sure it is legal, and then I do the same with the city,” Lundberg says. “Then I’ll approach landowners. I like to inform as many people as possible so that they don’t get worried and call the cops when I start hunting.”

When speaking with people in the neighborhood, Lundberg works hard to make a good first impression. “I don’t wear camouflage and I don’t drive fast. I make an effort to be polite and tell folks that there’s been a problem with coyotes in their area and what I’m planning to do. If they have kids or pets, they’re usually pretty receptive.”

This soft touch and low profile extends to his hunting style. Where it’s legal and safe to hunt with centerfire ammunition, he opts for subsonic loads, though most of his suburban hunting is done with a shotgun.

When selecting calls, Lundberg avoids howls, which are a mainstay during the coyote rut in February. They are effective, but they can create other problems. “If you start howling, it can get the dogs in the neighborhood going and create a big racket,” he says. “During mating season, I’ll usually stick to distress sounds—kittens in distress or puppy whimpers. I use a lot more bird sounds near homes: woodpecker calls and other high-pitched noises.”

As for locating good spots to call, he’s found that suburban coyotes can be anywhere. “A lot of guys think you have to head far out of town, but you can find coyotes right off the highway. In the suburbs, they are used to traffic and sounds. They’ll adapt to anything,” he says. “The closer you are to town, the easier they are to call. They don’t get the pressure, they don’t get hunted.”

Because of this lack of pressure, suburban coyotes will respond and come in more quickly when called. In light of this, Lundberg uses a run-and-gun approach and will call for only 10 or 15 minutes (about half the time he devotes to a set in rural areas) before moving on.

Hung-Up Dogs
It’s a classic coyote conundrum. The hunter calls and a coyote appears on the horizon. And there, way out of rifle range, it sits and stays with the patience we all wish our Labs would exhibit in the duck blind, but rarely do.

This is no time to be timid, Lundberg says. In order to close the gap, he turns up the heat, trying different sounds and calling more aggressively.

“I don’t think they know the difference between a cottontail and a jackrabbit, so it doesn’t matter what they’re used to preying on. I recently had two hung up out there at 500 yards, so I just started cycling through sounds,” he says. “They were looking my way, milling around, and one started mousing. Then, once I got to the cottontail-in-distress, they came in. For whatever reason, they liked that higher pitched sound and rapid frequency.”

When coyotes exhibit some reluctance to commit to the caller, Lundberg establishes a “red line” using a reference point in the landscape. Once it’s crossed by the coyote, that’s his indication to shoot. The point is not to get cocky and try to get an especially wary coyote close to your position. Wait too long and you risk that the coyote will spook and bolt.

“I pick a point out there, and once he gets there I’ll stop him with a barking sound and shoot,” Lundberg says.

Charging Pack
It’s the dream scenario for predator hunters: not long after calling, a pack of coyotes comes charging in. But as anyone who’s spent time wingshooting knows, when a covey of quail bursts skyward, it’s much tougher to hit any of them than it is to hit a single bird in flight. So how do you handle multiple coyotes without whiffing?

“If I’m hunting by myself, I’ll try to bring a shotgun along in case this happens,” Lundberg says. “I always let them come as close as I can get them and start with the easiest dog first.

“If I have a rifle, then I shoot the one farthest back and work my way forward,” he says. “The second or third one will usually check back on its friend. When that happens, I hit a pup-in-distress or ki-yi [hurt dog] call, and that sometimes makes them stop, giving me a chance to get a shot at another dog.”

Another approach is to try to shoot the dominant—usually the largest—coyote if you can identify it. With that one down, the others are more likely to hesitate, offering follow-up shots.

If you’re hunting with a buddy, make a plan beforehand, Lundberg says. “One of us will have a shotgun, for sure. The guy with the rifle usually goes for the coyote farthest out, and he’s the one who makes the decision to shoot,” he says. “He’ll bark to stop them all, and after his shot, it’s kind of a free-for-all.”

Montana Hunters Draw Coyotes with Unorthodox Decoying Method
by Brett French

It's a back-and-forth, sometimes deadly dance between dogs and coyotes that’s rarely seen in hunting. When the tactic works, says Ryan Lawson, “Anyone who sees it is in awe.” Using trained mountain curs, the self-dubbed Montana Doggers—Lawson and friends Chad Muus and Levi Johnson—lure coyotes into shooting range, sometimes only an arm’s length away. The coyotes chase the curs—and it often looks downright playful—back to the trio of camouflaged gunners. “There is always action,” says Muus.

Their hunts typically begin in a large bowl-shaped area above a draw or creek (the bowl helps their calls reverberate outward). They spread out just below the top of the rim with the wind in their faces and rocks, bushes, or trees breaking up their outlines.

“I prefer to hunt early in the morning because it’s cooler and less windy, and it’s easier on the dogs,” Johnson says. “I don’t like to hunt in the evenings because if something happens to the dogs, it’s hard to help them in the dark.”

After sitting quietly for about five minutes and getting their rifles situated atop shooting sticks, the hunters start calling. Johnson first uses a mouth call, imitating a howling, yapping coyote. If there’s no response after five minutes of silence, he turns on his electronic digital caller to imitate an injured rabbit. If a coyote still hasn’t appeared, Johnson switches to digital calls of coyote pups in distress.

Johnson compares the calls to a series of challenges. At first he is telling the coyote he is in its house. The next one says, “Hey, I’m in your refrigerator!” The last one says, “Now I’m messing with your family!” If all goes well, he says, the coyotes come in to say, “Get out of here!” It’s only after the coyote makes an appearance that Johnson releases his dogs, Copper and Dezi.

Training Dogs to Decoy
Mountain curs, originally bred to hunt cougars and herd livestock, are one of 19 cur types bred in the United States. The dogs aren’t big, weighing between 45 and 60 pounds when fully grown. And despite their single-mindedness in luring coyotes to their death, curs make great family pets, Johnson says.

To train them, he first used a tanned coyote hide to introduce the pups to their future prey. He would let them fight with it and play tug of war. Their first hunts were simply to acquaint the dogs with the game. Johnson would call in coyotes and Dezi and Copper instinctively ran out to meet them. Initially, the dogs were intimidated, running back to their master with their tails tucked between their legs. As the dogs got more confident, they would run farther out. If the dogs strayed too far and failed to return to Johnson’s whistle, he would tickle them with a small shock from an electronic collar. Now they respond to the collar’s tone to avoid being shocked.

“Now that they’re four and five years old, they know the game,” Johnson says. “They used to work only on sight, but now they go on hearing and smell, too. Sometimes a coyote will come in and we won’t see it, but the dogs will wind it and let me know.”

Because Johnson is the one who has invested the time and effort into training Dezi and Copper, he makes the call on when to shoot, ensuring his dogs are clear before any lead flies. “The main thing is just having your dogs under control,” he says.

Tools of the Trade

The dogs and the calls complement each other, one working when the other cannot or fails. The calls pique the coyote’s curiosity, bringing it into view. The dogs lure the coyote in closer, and keep it focused on them and oblivious to the hunters. If the coyote stops advancing, Johnson will hit the pup-in-distress call, or the curs will turn and chase the coyote before retreating toward the hunters again. When the coyote sees the dogs retreat, its instinct to chase kicks in and it pursues the dogs once more.

“Usually when pairs come in, one will hang up,” Muus says. “When we shoot one and the curs start tearing up its hide, the other one will come in.” The second coyote, attempting to help its mate, dodges back and forth, snapping and barking at the dogs, but never leaving. When it runs far enough away from Johnson’s curs, he calls for the shot.

For the Doggers, these tactics have proven successful. One month, the trio shot 62 coyotes hunting just on weekends. Their longest shots have ranged out to 640 yards, but typically the coyotes come in much closer, sometimes within 5 feet.

Their gear lets them go long distance when necessary. Each man shoots a slightly different customized setup. Johnson and Lawson shoot Remington Model 700 SPS rifles modified with Jewell triggers set at 1 pound of pull. Johnson tops his rifle with a Vortex Viper 6.5–20x50 scope. Lawson uses a Viper HS LR 6–24x50. Muus and Lawson’s rifles are chambered in .243 Win. Muus shoots a Ruger modified with a Timney trigger, a Leupold VX-3 6.5–20x50 scope on top, and loaded with Sierra MatchKing 107-grain HPBT bullets. Johnson shoots 55-grain Nosler Trophy Grade Varmint loads in his .22/250. All three rifles have H-S Precision Pro-Series Sporter stocks.

Average Joes
Prior to focusing on their Montana Doggers gig, the trio became friends when they all guided deer and elk hunters for the same outfitter in central Montana. But they don’t guide hunters to shoot coyotes—Johnson is too worried that an excited client might shoot one of his dogs instead of the coyote—so the three hold down regular jobs. Muus makes his money in the North Dakota oil fields on a work-over rig, Lawson is a pipefitter at an oil refinery, and Johnson is a town maintenance worker.

United by a love of all types of hunting, and interested in videotaping their unusual canine encounters, the trio formed the Montana Doggers two years ago and produced a DVD with the hope that a television network would see their unique hunts and sign them for a full show. That hasn’t happened yet, but there are other incentives to their coyote hunts.

“I do it because it opens up doors with ranchers,” Lawson says. “They often will let us come hunt during big-game season, too.”

Even without that side benefit, the Doggers enjoy hunting with each other in the vast, coulee-cut sagebrush prairies of eastern Montana. The outings are always a bit competitive, with bragging rights going to the one who makes the best, longest, or most difficult shot. Good-natured boasting follows a top shot; ridicule comes after a coyote is missed. They sometimes make whoever blows a shot wear a red clown suit as a mark of shame. “Trust me, around this bunch you don’t want to miss,” Johnson says.

Tactics for Nocturnal Eastern Predators
by Ben Swenson

The moon hasn’t yet risen when Chuck Taylor and Jonathan Cawley silently slip out of the truck, parked beside a small field of sorghum. Only a couple of distant sounds—some yippy family dog and a church bell—echo in the night. “There’s no wind,” whispers Taylor. “That’s good.”

Taylor and Cawley are president and editor-in-chief, respectively, of the six-year-old North Carolina Predator Hunters Association. The way they hunt coyotes at night—which North Carolina’s Wildlife Resources Commission began allowing for the first time last August—differs little from the way they hunt during the day, save for a red spotlight used to illuminate the dodgy dogs’ eyes. (Ed. Note: In November, a Wake County Superior Court Judge issued a preliminary injunction halting coyote hunting at night with the aid of artificial light in five eastern North Carolina counties.) Hunting Eastern coyotes at night, however, gives hunters a leg up, as the animals have largely become nocturnal. Nevertheless, night hunts still require great care to fool the coyotes’ keen senses, including their ability to see well in low light. The Eastern states’ general lack of wide-open tracts means that everything—landscape features, hunters, and coyotes—is in close proximity.

“The hunt begins at the truck,” says Taylor. That’s because coyotes’ acute hearing can detect unnatural noises. Loud conversation, slamming doors, clanging gear, and heavy footsteps are all audible warnings to predators that something’s amiss. Calling in coyotes at night is far from a sure thing, explains Taylor, who has killed some two dozen of them. “I can’t guarantee we’ll kill a coyote tonight,” he says, “but we’ll have a good time trying.”

Pre-Hunt Prep
The men know there are coyotes in the area—Cawley has heard them howling at night. A couple of days before, he scouted sites near his home in rural Corinth, about an hour southwest of Raleigh. Cawley talked to neighbors and picked a few promising spots that likely contain coyote dens—among them a couple of brushy bottoms and the field where they’re now prepping for a nighttime ambush. He made note during daylight of good shooting lanes and structures to avoid.

The pair slinks into the rows of crops and sets up near the crest of a gentle rise, a forested edge not quite 150 yards downhill in front of them. Cawley, seated, points his .223 bolt-action rifle in the direction from which the dogs are most likely to arrive. Taylor sits a few yards away, positions his spotlight, and readies his mouth calls. No electronics tonight. They wait in silence for 10 minutes, letting the night’s stillness envelop them. Taylor pierces the calm with a locating call—mimicking a lost coyote—in three 20-second bursts. He powers on the red spotlight afterward, slowly sweeping the slope in front of them, looking for beady eyes reflecting the glow. Nothing. Taylor dims the light and again they melt into the silence.

For the next half hour Taylor repeats various calls—a cottontail in distress, a field mouse, a coyote pup—following in measured sequence with a sweep of the light and a lull in movement. Taylor has more calls, but just as in flyfishing, he says, coyote hunters must “match the hatch.” The calls he’s using for this fall hunt are the most appropriate for the location and season. The cottontail and mouse are precisely the animals that would be feeding on the sorghum in this field, and a pup would yelp excitedly if it snagged one of these meals.

The Waiting Game
They sit longer still, waiting. “When you think it’s time to get up, wait 15 more minutes,” Taylor says. “I can’t tell you how many dogs I’ve seen that way.” At one point during that long wait, he illuminates a distant patch of tall grass. There’s s a jerky, unnatural movement, but nothing emerges. Two deer later appear at the edge of the field. Taylor reads them like a book. “They’re standing there, not a care in the world,” he says. “It’s time to go.”

They drive a short distance to a cutover and again take an uphill position intended to draw the coyotes up a rise. This time, after several rounds of calling, two different packs of coyotes, far apart, respond, filling the night with a chorus of howls. Taylor keeps at the routine—calling, sweeping, pausing—but the coyotes won’t come in. They’re on edge tonight, elusive and distant. But surely, one night soon, curiosity will get the best of one of the pack, perhaps more, and Taylor and Cawley will be there in the dark, waiting and ready.

Coyote Hunting Tips: How to Call Coyotes Out on the Ice

Alex Robinson — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 11:51:44 -0500

Steve Darling was icefishing on South Dakota’s Oahe Reservoir when he noticed the dog tracks. There were dozens of them, fresh every morning in the new snow around the shoreline of the frozen lake.

Later, he spotted the authors of the prints—a pack of coyotes that crossed the lake each evening, keeping well away from the cluster of icefishermen, as they worked into the wind and filtered out into the coulees on the north side of the lake.

That gave Darling an idea. Knowing that coyotes will always try to circle downwind of prospective prey, he now sets up his predator calling stands along the shorelines of frozen lakes, where coyotes are visible inside rifle range as they try to catch his wind. He regularly takes more winter coyotes now than he does walleye through the ice. Here are four tips that will enhance your chances of success.

Make a Hide
Shorelines of many lakes, ponds, and reservoirs are tailor-made for hiding hunters. Slink into cattails, brush up in briars, or just tuck up against a dam or cutbank. If possible, try to set up on a point where you can overlook ice in two directions. Next to scent, your outline is the most important feature to hide.

Use a “Moosicle”
Hunters in British Columbia bait wolves with frozen moose legs. The trick can work on hard-water coyotes. Drill two or three holes in an iced-over bay, then stick the legs from a butchered ungulate or roadkill (where legal) into the holes. The meat will freeze in place and keep coyotes from dragging it away.

Watch the Wind
The reason frozen bodies of water work is because coyotes feel safe on them. The minute they cut your scent, they will scatter out of range. So don’t let them smell you. Your stand location depends entirely on the wind. Set up where a coyote will have to cross frozen water in order to get downwind.

Create Range References
Frozen bodies of water can be deceiving. Because there are few references on the featureless surface, it’s easy to undershoot or overshoot a coyote. Before you start calling, set found items—a clod of dirt or a tree branch—out on the ice, then range them from your hide.

Varmint Hunting Tips: Clean a Coyote Hide with Your Washing Machine

Alex Robinson — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 12:26:39 -0500

I’m a fan of the saying “work smarter, not harder.” With that sentiment, I bring you this photo. It’s easy to prevent getting a hide bloody if you’re a trapper—most of the time. But if you do any predator hunting with a rifle, you know darn well that it’s hard to not end up with bloody hides. I've spent hours washing out coyote hides in five-gallon buckets.

A few weeks ago, I happened by chance to get a crack at a coyote, and shot him in the head with a .17 HMR. I dreaded putting that hide up; the coyote was gushing blood when I dragged him back to the truck.

I’ve grown accustomed—through trapping—to keeping hides clean and not having to wash them in the first place. After thawing him out and skinning him, I spent some time figuring out options to cheat my way out of this less than appealing job. Then it hit me: use a washing machine.

It works surprisingly well, and is one of the easiest and most effective ways to clean a hide. Treat it as you would a load of laundry. Bloody, messy hides come out perfectly clean, and I think it makes them look better once they dry because the detergent cleans out all of the dirt and grime in the fur. This trick works well for cleaning beaver and other greasy hides after fleshing. It doesn't really matter what kind of detergent you use, and about one cup is enough to get the job done.

If you can get away with it, give it a try the next time you get a messy one. However, I will not be held accountable for angry wives who find hides in their washing machines.

Missouri Hunter Shoots Young Wolf or Massive Coyote

Alex Robinson — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 11:58:02 -0500

A Missouri bowhunter shot what appeared to be a massive coyote last week while deer hunting in the Franklin Island Conservation Area. But the sheer size of the animal is calling its biological identification into question.

Although the nation's largest coyote on record was 74 pounds, this male predator weighed in at a hefty 81 pounds, reports the Columbia Daily Tribune. And what's more, biologists from the Missouri Department of Conservation say the animal wasn't even fully mature.

The MDC announced in a press release that no tags or markings suggest the mystery predator was a captive animal. The MDC collected tissue samples for DNA analysis to confirm the species, which will take three to six months. MDC speculates the animal may be a wolf, but other possible identifications include a large coyote or some sort of hybrid animal.

The hunter, who asked the MDC to withhold his name, shot what he thought might be a state-record coyote around 8 a.m. on Oct. 30. Coyotes are in season in Missouri and the hunter had a license. If the animal turns out to be a coyote, it will be returned to him for mounting. If the DNA analysis confirms it's a wolf, the MDC will dispose of it.

Gray wolves haven't been native to Missouri since the late 1800s when populations succumbed to hunting and habitat loss. While the MDC reports there is no evidence of breeding populations in the state, wolves are still a protected species in Missouri.

Regional wildlife supervisor John George told the Columbia Tribune the animal might be a wolf that traveled hundreds of miles in search of new territory. A wolf was killed by a landowner in 2010 in Carroll County, and another was shot in 2002 in Grundy County. Both had wandered to the state from the northwest, George said.

What do you think? Is this mystery predator a coyote, a wolf, or some sort of hybrid? Comment below!

California Woman Swerves Off Road to Avoid Hitting Coyote, Spends Night in Vehicle

Alex Robinson — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:45:31 -0400

A Monterey County, California woman’s fear of clocking a coyote with her car led to her spend the night in her vehicle after she ran off the road. Mercurynews.com reports that Carrie Joseph, 55, was driving northbound on Thursday night April 12, when a song dog ran in front of her 2006 Dodge Charger.

Joseph swerved to avoid hitting the animal. Her tires left the road and she rolled down a 250-foot embankment.

Joseph spent the night in the car before climbing the embankment the next morning where she flagged down a motorist for help. First responders arrived at 10:48 a.m. (almost 15 hours after she ran off the road). She was taken to Twin Cities Community Hospital in Templeton where she was treated for “minor” injuries.

Joseph is extremely lucky she escaped with only minor injuries. She could have very easily died when her car plummeted off road. Remember, no coyote is worth your life!

Don’t swerve to avoid hitting wildlife. Do like the old football coach who taught my Driver’s Ed class way back in the 1980’s said, “Turn that crap off my radio! Oh, and never swerve to avoid hitting a dog or deer or some other animal. Plow on through it and pray.”

The 35 Best Hunting and Fishing Towns in the US

Alex Robinson — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:54:56 -0400

Now in its fifth year, our annual “Best Towns for Sportsmen” feature is an OL institution. Readers love to argue the merits of their burgs based on our rankings; local newspapers crow about the inclusion of their town; and realtors call to ask for extra copies of the issue.

This year we’re forgetting all the socio-economic data and focusing on what matters most: hunting and fishing. In the next few pages, you’ll find the 35 towns in the U.S. where we would live right now, based solely on the outdoor opportunities there. Some boast bass and deer, others elk and trout or ducks and redfish. Regardless, each of these towns is an outdoors mecca in its own right, and from sea to shining sea, they offer the best hunting and fishing in America.

#1 - Appleton, WI
More than 170 years ago, trappers and fur traders chased the promise of lucrative beaver pelts up the Fox River and settled the town of Appleton. Today, enormous whitetail deer draw outdoorsmen and -women to the Fox River Valley. The Boone and Crockett Club recently anointed Wisconsin the number-one trophy whitetail state in the country, with Cheesehead hunters logging 383 B&C entries in the last five years. In the last three seasons, three different bucks killed within 50 miles of downtown Appleton have either broken or threatened Badger State records. But there’s a lot more to do in Appleton than sit in a treestand.

Nearby Lake Winnebago and the Fox River, which runs through town, are premier walleye fisheries. Green Bay, 30 minutes to the north, offers some of the best smallmouth bass and muskie fishing in the country. Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area sits 70 miles to the south and is the largest freshwater cattail marsh in the country. Hundreds of thousands of geese migrate through the region each fall. Sixty miles to the north, the 661,000-acre Nicolet National Forest, home to deer, bears, and grouse, is one of the last true wild places in the northwoods.

#2 - Salmon, ID

This town’s name should be your first clue as to why it attracts sportsmen the way a spawning run draws bears. Located right on the Salmon River—and bordering millions of acres of public hunting ground, including the largest wilderness area in the Lower 48 (the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness)—Salmon has, well, everything.

The Salmon and its tributaries offer world-class fishing for trout, steelhead, and other species year-round. On the crags and benches above the Salmon and other nearby rivers, wingshooters chase chukar and huns, while at higher elevations blue and spruce grouse predominate.

The big-game scene has changed in Salmon with the resurgence of wolves. But trophy elk, mule deer, and whitetails are still accessible, and the hunting for bears and mountain lions is second to none.

#3 - Venice, LA

If you like your saltwater rimmed by white sand beaches, palm trees, and tiki bars, this is not the place for you. However, if you live to hunt and fish, and yearn to do it 24/7/365, then this tiny community at the mouth of the Mississippi River beckons.

Despite its infamy as the epicenter of both Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Venice remains arguably the greatest place in North America to fish and hunt waterfowl.

In 2011, Bassmaster Classic competitors ran down the Mississippi from New Orleans to Venice—more than two hours by boat—to fill their livewells with largemouths. However, it’s world-class redfish and speckled trout fishing that draw the recreational fishermen. You will catch fish here every day that you hit the water, and you can’t say that about very many other places in the country.

If you get bored in the marshes, big-game fishing opportunities—from marlin to tuna, sailfish to swords—are plentiful around the offshore gas and oil rigs.
September marks the beginning of teal season in this waterfowler’s paradise, with more than 14 percent of the country’s wetlands located in this region of southern Louisiana.

#4 - Rapid City, SD

This gateway to the ruggedly beautiful Black Hills region of western South Dakota offers its 67,000 residents a wide variety of hunting and fishing opportunities. Mountain lakes and coldwater streams to the west of town are home to brook, brown, and rainbow trout. In the surrounding prairie, a constellation of reservoirs and stock dams hold largemouths, pike, and panfish.

Hunting opportunities are available nearly year-round. Whitetails, mule deer, elk, and Merriam’s turkeys prowl the mountains. A short drive will put you into pheasants, sharptails, and prairie chickens. Pronghorns, coyotes, and prairie dogs are plentiful in the grasslands.

#5 - Centerville, IA

They got the name right. Centerville is in the middle of a sportsman’s paradise. Epic whitetails get the headlines (the 307-inch Lovstuen Buck was killed just north of here), but south-central Iowa has plenty of four-season opportunity: abundant turkeys and waterfowl, plus great crappies, walleyes, and channel cats on Rathbun Lake north of town.

But it’s the human dimension of this place—the classic Midwestern courthouse square, the easy friendliness of its residents—that makes this a great town to call home. Plus, Centerville has some bona fide hunting pedigree: It’s the original home of groundbreaking Knight muzzleloading rifles.

#6 - Grand Junction, CO
Magnificent mesas and endless elk—Grand Junction’s breathtaking scenery makes the perfect backdrop for chasing public-land bulls. Numerous alpine trout lakes keep local anglers busy.

#7 - Georgetown, SC
Several rivers converge at the Intercoastal Waterway in this city in the Carolina Lowcountry. Famed lakes Moultrie and Marion are a short drive to the west.

The Francis Marion National Forest provides more than a quarter million acres of public-land hunting for deer, turkeys, quail, and small game.

#8 - Bend, OR
Drive less than an hour from Bend and you can be fishing a stream in a desert canyon, a high alpine lake, or a spring creek.

#9 - Bismarck, ND
If you’ve got your eye on walleyes, set your sights on Bismarck, on the banks of the Missouri River. Grouse, pheasants, ducks, and geese abound in fall and winter.

#10 - Saratoga, WY
With the North Platte River running through downtown Saratoga, your next trout is never more than a cast away. Elk, deer, and pronghorns roam the mountains and prairies around town.

#11 - Traverse City, MI
Glacial inland lakes hold perch and smallies, and Traverse Bay offers big-water angling opportunities. But the area’s four blue-ribbon trout streams get top billing. The Boardman, which winds through downtown, is the birthplace of the Parachute Adams fly.

#12 - Lake Placid, NY
Fish for brown trout on the famed West Branch of the Ausable River, and catch lake and rainbow trout on Lake Placid. Whitetail deer and black bears roam the quarter-million acres of state lands surrounding this quaint Adirondack mountain town.

#13 - Cody, WY
Cody is heaven on earth for big-game backcountry mountain hunters. Mild weather means more opportunities to chase bighorns, elk, mule deer, and pronghorns.

#14 - Islamorada, FL
Watch the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean, where offshore fishing for everything from grouper and snapper to dolphin and swords abounds. Cast to tarpon, permit, and bonefish on the flats as the sun sets over the waters of the Gulf of Mexico to the west of town.

#15 - Ely, MN
Just miles from the million-acre Boundary Waters Canoe Area, Ely is a pike and walleye fisherman’s paradise in the summer, and a whitetail mecca come fall.

#16 - Thompson Falls, MT
This secluded town west of the Rockies is surrounded by massive swaths of national forest. The two most accessible, the Kootenai and Lolo, hold elk, whitetails, ruffed grouse, and turkeys.

#17 - Show Low, AZ
You’ll find pronghorns to the north of town, and elk, deer, and lions to the south and east. The nearby White Mountains are the only place in the world to fish for Apache trout.

#18 - Russell, KS
Pheasants, quail, doves, turkeys, waterfowl, and deer provide hunters in the heart of the Smoky Hills a dizzying array of opportunities.

#19 - Toccoa, GA
Tucked into the southeastern corner of the Chattahoochee National Forest, Toccoa is 15 minutes from the Lake Russell Wildlife Management Area, home to deer, turkeys, bears, squirrels, rabbits, and wild hogs. Lake Russell is stocked with trout, and nearby Lake Hartwell has hybrid stripers, brown trout, and crappies.

#20 - Craig, CO
Craig offers access to a million acres of public land just 7 miles from town, and boasts two of the largest elk herds in North America.

#21 - Cadiz, KY
In less than 30 minutes, you’ll be into bass, crappies, and catfish on Kentucky Lake or Lake Barkley. Deer and duck hunting are vital threads in the local sporting fabric.

#22 - Logan, UT
Located in the Cache Valley, Logan is surrounded by marshland for waterfowl hunting and myriad blue-ribbon trout streams.

#23 - Homer, AK
Halibut, ling cod, salmon, and rockfish are plentiful in Kachemak Bay, while local rivers host spawning salmon runs, plus Dolly Vardens, grayling, and monster rainbows.

#24 - Wellsboro, PA
Nearby Pine Creek, which runs through Pine Creek Gorge—aka the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon—is a prime flyfishing destination. Surrounding that oasis is state land set aside for whitetails, black bears, rabbits, squirrels, and pheasants.

#25 - Rogers, AR
In the heart of the Ozark Mountains, Rogers is a short drive from 31,700-acre Beaver Lake and its epic striped and largemouth bass fisheries.

#26 - Montauk, NY
The Atlantic Ocean and the Long Island Sound meet at this home of world-class saltwater fishing. Hook up with bluefish and stripers faster than you can count them during the spring and fall blitzes.

#27 - Goldendale, WA
Salmon, steelhead, bass, walleyes, perch, crappies, and catfish live in nearby waters. Duck, goose, and deer hunting starts at the edge of town.

#28 - Los Alamos, NM
Stay close to home for walleyes, catfish, bass, and trout, in waters like Abiqui Lake, Rio Chama, and Rio Grande. The nearby Valles Caldera National Preserve runs a lottery program for monster elk.

#29 - Sebago, ME
Sebago hugs the northwestern shore of Maine’s deepest lake (and the town’s namesake). Locals troll for landlocked salmon around rocky points and shoals.

#30 - Arnold, NE
With only 500 residents, tiny Arnold is home to more whitetails and mule deer than people. That game-rich environment has fostered a hunter-friendly culture in this north-central Nebraska town.

#31 - Mammoth Lakes, CA
Surrounded by dozens of fishable lakes and streams, this central California fishing hotbed is ringed by the stunning Sierra Nevada mountains.

#32 - Woodward, OK
Kansas’ big-buck cup runneth over the border into Woodward, in northwestern Oklahoma, where a number of 150- to 200-class bucks are tagged every fall.

#33 - Beckley, WV
The New River is a prime destination for smallmouths, walleyes, and muskies, and many of its tributaries teem with wild trout.

#34 - Harrisburg, IL
Though the nearby Shawnee National Forest is best known for its whitetail hunting, the area is also home to turkeys, waterfowl, upland birds, and small game.

#35 - Uvalde, TX
This beating heart of south-Texas deer country is also home to some of the best dove hunting in the nation. Lake Amistad sits on the Mexican border 70 miles to the west of town and offers excellent bass and catfish opportunities.

Worst Town - Camden, NJ

Little-known fact: The upper Delaware River’s fabled American shad run is caused in large part by the fish trying to get the hell away from downriver Camden as quickly as possible.

Who could blame them? Camden, a perennial favorite on any “Most Dangerous Cities” list, laid off half of its police force in January. Take a cue from the shad and stay far away from Camden.

Do you have any suggestions for other fishing and hunting towns not mentioned on this list? We'd love to hear from you, so enter your favorite town in the comments section below or click here to upload photos.

Coyote Tactics: How to Hunt the Coyote Rut

Alex Robinson — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:33:41 -0500

In February and March the main thing driving coyote activity is the need to breed. Here's how to capitalize on this magic time of year to take more dogs.

Coyote Suspected of Killing Dog in Michigan

Alex Robinson — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:41:08 -0500

Coyotes are being blamed for a bloody attack in Clinton Township, Michigan last week that left a family pet dead. Julie Wickwares let her dog Duffy, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, outside shortly before six in the morning and returned only a few minutes later to find the animal still and covered in blood.

“Within ten minutes I went out to see where he was and I found him in the backyard. I saw the coyote about 20 feet away,” Wickwares told CBS Detroit. She rushed the dog to the veterinarian where it was declared dead due to a snapped neck.

The attack did not only leave Wickwares without a dog, it has also frightened her children and grandchildren. “My 5 year-old grandson won’t even go outside without two adults next to him,” Wickware said. “He’s afraid they’re gonna get him.”

Coyotes are also being blamed for a neighbor’s missing cat.

What’s the best way to remedy pet killing coyotes in a neighborhood, Outdoor Life readers? I bet y’all have plenty of ideas. Comment below!

CC Image courtesy of Sequoia Hughes on Flickr

Top Ten Creatures You Hope To Stumble Across in 2012

OL Editor — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 09:36:29 -0500

Bigfoot, Loch Ness, mermaids, unicorns and dragons... I’ve never seen any of these creatures, and I’ve covered a lot of ground in my day. I’ve even been lost without a camera a few times. You’d think that would have been the perfect time to run into one of these! But, "Nope!", Chuck Testa’d. I’m not lucky enough. Question is what would a guy do? Shoot it? Probably.

There are a ton of myths out there, including whatever always swallows up that missing sock. I have no idea. And Da Turdy Point Buck--where’s he livin’? I definitely haven’t seen him and if I did, what would I do? Miss, most likely.

So, Happy New Year everyone! Let’s hear what critter you’d like to finally get an encounter with in 2012!

Here’s Mine: A Liger! If Napoleon believes--I believe!

Write your funniest ideas in the comments section for the chance to win an ASAP Survival Gear Pack. Last week’s Winner

Top Ten Christmas Gifts You Hope Fall Out of Santa’s Sleigh

10.) from pineywoods: Feral hog chia pet.

9.) from Buckshott00: A man bag. I don't care what the salesman told you, it's a purse!

8.) from Sven_Katur: A python.

7.) from Johnnie: Reindeer poop. I have three dogs and I pick up three dogs worth of poop all year long. The one gift that I hope Santa doesn't bring me this year is nine reindeer pooping on my lawn. I have enough poop to pick up as it is. Merry Christmas everybody!..... Johnnie and Family

6.) from pbshooter1217: A gift certificate to the mall, I was their long enough with my girl friend Christmas shopping.

5.) from Fishman24: A$$less Chaps, I just don't need them.

4.) from ishipley: naked Rosie O'Donell quote of the day calender

3.) from JM: Women's Lingerie...it's not the base layer I want to wear hunting.

2.) from Ric Waters: I carved a brook trout and wan't happy with it. My mom pulled it from my scrap heap, painted it, screwed brass hooks in the side and gave it to me for hanging my keys on.

1.) from drake_whisperer: A week long visit from my new mother-in-law...'nuff said...Anyone need company in a duck blind? The lab and I are ready to load up the wagon and peel out of here.....

Help Us Pick The Prize for Our Next Caption Contest!

Alex Robinson — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:33:47 -0500

So Outdoor Life is part of a cool contest operated by Crown Royal, sponsor of Field & Stream’s Hook Shots show and maker of the whiskey that comes in a purple bag. The contest is called “Pass the Crown,” and it’s a variation on the Secret Santa gift exchange anyone who’s ever worked in an office is familiar with. Are you lucky enough to have never worked in an office? Then here’s how this works:

Each day from now until Dec. 15 Crown Royal is giving away a prize to a different web site to pass along to its readers. Today is Outdoor Life’s turn, but here’s the catch. Crown’s not telling us which prize they’re giving us right away. Instead, we get a clue, embroidered on one of their famous purple bags,* and we have to guess what prize the clue refers to. Based on that guess, we then get to decide whether to keep the prize in our bag or steal one of the prizes that have already been opened by a different site. Here’s a list of the prizes that have already been opened.

This is where we need your help. Do we keep our prize, or steal one from somebody else? You’ve got until 4 PM this afternoon to weigh in. Check out our clue (below), then post your best argument for keeping the prize in our bag or for stealing a specific prize from another site in the comments section here or on our Facebook post about the contest over at facebook.com/outdoorlife. If you can convince us your argument is best, we’ll go with your suggestion. If you’re not convincing enough, we’ll make the decision ourselves.

We’ll post an update here tomorrow telling you what prize was in our bag, and whether we decided to keep it or not. Keep in mind that any of the five sites who come after us can steal our gift, so don’t get too attached to whatever we end up with!

And last, of course; how will we determine which of our readers wins the prize we end up with at the end of the contest? It’ll be a caption contest, photo and date TBD. Stay tuned!

*Crown is running this contest is to get the word out about the custom-embroidered Crown bags ($9.95), and the free personalized Crown Royal bottle labels (21 and over, only) available at CrownRoyal.com. If you’ve got a Crown-lover in your family, this would make a great gift.

Man's Best Friend, Even in Death

Alex Robinson — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:59:12 -0500

The web is abuzz with the loyalty displayed by one dog in China. It seems that the dog’s owner died a week or so ago and that the dog has stayed by his grave ever since. After a week, villagers began bringing it food and water, and now there are plans to build it a kennel.

It’s reminiscent of Shep from Ft. Benton, Mont., as well as the story of fallen Navy Seal Jon Tumilson and his Labrador, Hawkeye, who laid down near the serviceman’s coffin during the ceremony.

While the stories do pull at the heartstrings, especially the photos of Hawkeye at Tumilson’s funeral, I have to wonder: are the dogs really “mourning” as headlines and some people proclaim? Or is anthropomorphism blinding us and something else entirely is going on?

I don’t know the answer. While I will admit that I do get a little choked up at Tumilson’s photos and story, Shep and his latest Chinese incarnation create a passing sense of wonder and interest but not an outpouring of emotion (maybe this says something about me?).

While I will quickly acknowledge the extreme loyalty of dogs and their desire to please and fit in with a family, when I hear stories of one dog passing in a multi-dog household I often times wonder if what people are relaying is more of what’s inside them than what the dog is actually displaying.

As humans we continually misread our dogs. Just watch an episode any canine “fix it” show and you’ll see. As hunters and trainers we’re usually far ahead of average pet people when it comes to understanding canine psychology and picking up on body language. But even many amateur trainers I know slip into this sort of touchy-feely mindset after a dog dies and then talk of how bad it has affected the other dog(s) in the house.

I often wonder what’s really going on in the household. The dog might actually be mourning. But from what I’ve read and seen, any such mourning tends to be short lived. After all, if wild dogs or wolves were prone to mourning for any extended time, the livelihood of the pack would be put at risk because the attainment of resources (prey, safety cover, etc) would be interrupted.

I’m not discounting that mourning actually takes place, but I think there’s a human element that comes into play with anything lasting more than a few days or week. We see the dog adjusting to life without a pack mate and inject our human emotions (read: baggage) into the process, giving the dog cues and reinforcements. The feedback the dog receives often comes in the form of resources (food treats, a uniquely human pacifier) and physical praise (touching, petting); both are highly regarded by the dog and strongly reinforce the dog’s behaviors.

The sudden change in pack hierarchy combined with a human not acting normally (excessive petting and treats) has, from the dog’s point of view, turned his world upside down. Not only has a pack member disappeared, but the focal point of the pack and one responsible for providing resources has gone on the blink! The remaining dog is left to figure out how to stabilize the situation and if everything will be okay; that insecurity goes a long way to perpetuating behavior changes in dogs.

While there are many scientific reasons why a dog might behave in the manner of Shep, Hawkeye or this yellow dog from China, it’s nice (from an emotional human viewpoint) to think that they really are so attached to their owners that even death can’t interrupt their loyalty.

What say you, Gun Doggers? Do you think these dogs are really mourning? Or is something else taking place, too?

Almost Extinct Red Wolf Found in Florida Woman's Backyard?

OL Editor — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:48:58 -0500

The red wolf was declared extinct in 1980. So how did one wind up at Diane Pulliam's house in Florida? And is it the real deal? Authorities aren't sure.

It's tough to distinguish red wolves from their taxonomic cousins. Based on Pulliam's hasty snapshots, her backyard visitor could indeed be a red wolf--or just a coyote, depending on whom you ask.

Local experts were consulted by TCPalm (a publication near Palm Beach, about 60 miles south of Pulliam's property). Bruce Dangerfield, animal control officer with the Vero Beach Police Department, swears it's a genuine red wolf, citing the wide head and jaws.

But David Rabon, coordinator for the Red Wolf Recovery Program, thinks it's probably a coyote: Those creatures, especially in the east, take on unpredictable physical traits from interbreeding with other species.

He also mentions the improbability of a red wolf appearance. The US Fish and Wildlife Service estimates less than 100 red wolves roam the wild today, most of which have survived due to captive breeding efforts in North Carolina.

What do you think? Red wolf? Coyote? Or weird mutt?

Stem Cell Scientist Successfully Clones a Coyote

OL Editor — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:25:19 -0400

As if the world’s population of mangy coyotes wasn’t high enough, scientists in South Korea claimed to have successfully cloned coyotes. “Claimed” is the operative word here as the scientist in charge of the project is Hwang Woo-suk, the man who lied about having cloned a human in 2005. Woo-suk and his team at Sooam Biotech Research Foundation did clone a dog however later that same year.

I’m no scientist, but I suppose that if you can clone a dog you can probably clone a coyote. My question is why? Coyotes are about as scarce as mosquitoes. The species is in no danger of becoming extinct. Or even threatened.

So why clone it? Why not clone an animal that’s actually endangered? A snow leopard maybe? Asiatic cheetah? Bigfoot? We need a few more of those. We don’t need any more coyotes. Heck, even Woo-suk doesn’t want them. He stated they’re donating the yotes to zoos. Yeah, because everybody goes to the zoo to see coyotes.

Am I being too harsh? Do we need cloned coyotes? Comment below!

Are Coyotes Killing Your Deer?

OL Editor — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:44:08 -0400

In the last two decades, numerous scientific studies have been undertaken to get a better understanding of coyotes’ impact on, among other things, whitetail deer populations. For example, an Auburn University report on fawn survival at a South Carolina military base found that coyotes killed eight out of nine fawns.

Another, in Maine, showed that whitetails made up 50 to 60 percent of coyotes’ diet. But contradicting these numbers is an oft-cited study from southern Michigan showing virtually no coyote predation on fawns. An Iowa study found minimal deer mortality due to coyotes; likewise, the answer was no when, in 2010, Penn State University researchers looked into whether coyotes were the cause of dwindling deer numbers in the Keystone State.

Coyote Control

Unlike wolves, which have been shown to specifically target prey species, coyotes are opportunistic feeders. That means that sometimes they prey on deer, sometimes they don’t. It should be noted that the coyotes’ predation on whitetails seems to be habitat-dependent. Fractured habitats—field edges, road cuts—tend to favor predators. Intact habitats tend to favor prey species like deer.

Generally, it’s been found that an overabundance of coyotes can have a temporary “suppressing effect” on deer numbers, and in areas where there are too many deer, having a few extra coyotes running around can actually be a good thing. But no scientific study anywhere has ever determined that coyotes, by themselves, are capable of limiting deer populations for any length of time. The same can be said of most hunters’ efforts at coyote-population control. In other words: It rarely works.

No Stopping Them

Biologists have determined that recreational predator calling and the shoot-on-sight approach taken by hunters who believe they’re doing something good for deer have, in fact, no lasting impact at all. Sometimes it can even have the opposite effect, since killing coyotes actually works to stimulate coyote reproduction.

This explains in part why coyotes have been able to thrive and expand their range despite more than a century’s worth of calculated human effort to exterminate them. Despite our having lived alongside the coyote for so long, most of the more interesting biological discoveries about them have come to light only through recent research. While coyote population dynamics, habits and impact on prey species—namely deer—can differ from state to state, below are a few things about coyotes we know for certain.

Coyotes by the Numbers

500,000: Current estimated number of coyotes killed annually by government-funded predator-control programs, trappers, hunters and ranchers

2,000: Estimated coyote population in Chicago

75: Percentage of coyotes that would have to be removed annually to cause a decrease in their general population

22: Percentage of Maine coyotes found to have wolf genes

1-3: Miles, average range of a coyote

Introduction to Trailing

Brian Lynn — Mon, 09 May 2011 18:23:32 -0400

For a dog, the act of following a scent trail upon command is a very different behavior than that of following one during hunting. It's a learned behavior that cues the dog to act in an independent manner and not interdependently with the handler.

It's a cue and behavior that I'll be working with Kona on over the next couple of weeks, and I'll be laying scent trails all over the place as is described in the video above by Dan Hosford. Trailing was something I was worried about with Kona at our last NAHRA test, but wasn't something I trained on during the two-week hiatus before this week's test. This past weekend it came back to bite us in the butt.

While Kona nailed the sit-to-flush, which we thoroughly trained during the last couple of weeks (including walk-through sits at heel, flushed pigeons in the field and obedience drills in the fight pen with birds flying and walking directly in his face), when we moved from the upland exercise of quartering and flushing he was still in hunt mode and we didn't have cue cemented in his psyche that told him to stop hunting and start following the scent without regard to my distance.

As a dog that has done quite a bit of pheasant hunting, Kona keeps my location in mind and works as a team (most of the time anyway). When we're afield and looking for a cripple, he's either in hot pursuit or we're both working the cover for the downed bird.

His "dead bird" command holds him tight to the immediate cover and if he scents the bird he can track it down. In the hunting field when he gets on scent I'm usually following behind in case a follow up shot is required. In the NAHRA test, however, you show the dog the start of the trail and then he's on his own.

You can encourage him to follow, but you can't give hand signals or walk with him. Most trails take a turn or two and can stretch anywhere from a short 20 yards to 100 yards or more. Where Kona and I often run into trouble is that he picks up the scent and tries to puzzle it out but when I encourage him with a "dead bird" he stops and starts working the cover for more indications. If I use his "where's the birds, get 'em up" command, he thinks it's time to hunt and starts to quarter the trail eventually stopping and waiting for me to catch up into gun range. When I don't follow, he returns to me.

This past weekend the trail had broken down on Saturday morning and redrage in a different location was fair and Kona followed it. On Sunday, however, he was all messed up. Coming straight off the quarter and sit-to-flush exercise he was still in hunt mode and never even showed an indication of understanding what I was asking him to do. It was a very fair judgement to be disqualified.

So, our next couple of weeks will be filled with trailing, as well as sit to flush, marking, blinds and water work. When you get down to it, trailing is probably the easiest thing for the single trainer to work on alone, yet it's something that is often ignored for sexier things like technical marks, blinds and the like.

But that folly won't happen again. I'll be dragging a dead duck through the sagebrush and fields surrounding me every day from now on! Check out the above video to see how best to lay a trail and teach a dog to use his nose independently of the handler.

As I can attest however, use a separate command to initiate the behavior and after the dog starts getting good at it, make sure to train it with other dogs and people so he gets used to the multitude of scents and tracks laid.

War Dogs and the bin Laden Trail

Brian Lynn — Thu, 05 May 2011 16:52:17 -0400

In the wake of Osama bin Laden's assassination in Pakistan this week, the nature of elite military teams has captured the imagination of the public. We wonder who these brave, mysterious men are, what their daily lives are like, their families, training, etc.

The same sort of intrigue is taking place in the dog world. Canines have been used to detect IEDs at increasing rates in Afghanistan and Iraq, and that trend will continue and is a testament to the abilities of man's best friend, but one dog in particular has now piqued the interest of many in the public: the canine that accompanied Navy SEAL Team Six in the raid of bin Laden's compound in Pakistan.

In this piece by the New York Times, the training of commando dogs and their role in detecting IEDs and hiding insurgents, as well as more a more mundane question: what breed of dog was with the SEAL team? It's a toss up between a German shepherd dog and a Belgium Malinois according to the article. If I had to guess, I'd lay my money on a Belgium Malinois.

While at a D.T. Systems seminar with George Hickox last year (where pros answered your questions), he mentioned some of the work that is being done by the Pentagon in regards to dogs. Different training techniques, timing, reinforcement and the like that the government is testing in order to improve the training and reliability of dogs and their handlers. As one of the few civilians that has been allowed to see some of the techniques and been privy to some of the statistical results, it was very interesting to hear his reports. In a more lighthearted moment, he mentioned that the baddest dog around was the Belgium Malinois. "The won't just bite you," he said. "They'll try to eat you!"

But as smart, athletic and tough as the Malinois is, the Labrador retriever is very popular with troops. Just as the dual-purpose dog excels at quartering and flushing ahead of the upland hunter, Labs also work more than 100-yards ahead of patrol troops searching out IEDs.

In this story by foreignpolicy.com, not only is the dog at the center of the bin Laden story examined but the history of dogs in war is looked at too. The pictures themselves are worth a quick scroll through, even if you don't read the fascinating history.

Of particular interest to me was the reclassification of war dogs. According to the article's fourth slide: "Military working dogs (MWDs in Army parlance) may not enjoy all the privileges of being full-fledged soldiers, but the U.S. military no longer considers them mere equipment. (The war dogs deployed to Vietnam during that conflict were classifiedas "surplus equipment" and left behind.) Today, MWDs are outfitted with equipment of their own -- a range of specialized gear that includes Doggles (protective eye wear), body armor, life vests, gas masks, long-range GPS-equipped vests, and high-tech canine "flak jackets."

I remember a conversation with John Satterwhite, the former US Olympic champion shooter and current exhibition shooter, while at a seminar at Wildrose Kennels, on what really sent him down the shooting road. While he enjoyed shooting in high school and was a state champion, it wasn't until Vietnam that he got really, really serious about it.

The impetus took place with his entrance to the Air Force during that war. "I put down that I liked to train dogs and got assigned to the canine unit," said Satterwhite, noting that the survival rate of dog handlers was about 10 percent. "That's something you never wanted to have happen back then."

His former high school coach called his commanding officer and told him about Satterwhite's skill with a shotgun. The officer told Satterwhite that as long as he could maintain a certain level of prowess with the firearm, he wouldn't have to enter the canine unit and deploy to Vietnam. From that moment on Satterwhite lived at the range and practiced every shot he could imagine. As you can see by his biography, Satterwhite not only shot exhibition, but represented our country in the Olympics and taught our troops how to shoot better.

It's nice to see that military intelligence isn't always an oxymoron and that canines have been reclassified and are now given the deserved attention and respect as team members (check out picture slide 10; man and dog living in a pack at its finest). With results like these, however, I guess it's hard to ignore the success, fiscal impact and the abilities of dogs:

"In October 2010, the Pentagon announced that after six years and $19 billion spent in the attempt to build the ultimate bomb detector technology, dogs were still the most accurate sniffers around. The rate of detection with the Pentagon's fanciest equipment -- drones and aerial detectors -- was a 50 percent success rate, but when a dog was involved it rose 30 percent."

If you're looking for more war dog stories, check out this book: "Always Faithful: A memoir of the Marine dogs of WWII". It looks like a very interesting read!

Gun Dogs: Training vs. Practicing

Brian Lynn — Tue, 03 May 2011 14:57:06 -0400

Back in my younger days I enjoyed skiing. A day on the mountain was filled with fresh, cold air and adrenaline rushes as my buddies and I pushed each other to do better. I used the mantra (sometimes it doubled as an excuse): "if you're not falling, you're not skiing hard enough."

The same might be said of training your dog: if you're not making adjustments, corrections or changes to your dog's performance, you might not be training hard enough. You might just be practicing. Now, I say might because with dogs it's very subjective and depends upon what you've already done with the dog.

If you haven't taught the dog what you expect and then suddenly throw him into a scenario that he has to figure out by trial and error, then corrections, be them verbal, physical or via e-collar, are woefully unfair.

However, if you've gone through the teaching phase, the dog understands what you're doing and what's expected, then pushing him to do better by challenging him mentally and giving him every opportunity to make the correct decisions is training the dog.

If you're simply running drills over and over or keep repeating the same scenarios in the same area, then the dog begins to pickup on what's happening and can react accordingly.

"So many people don't train, they just practice," said pro trainer Dan Hosford recently when I was out at his place. "They just go through the motions and the dog isn't really working or having to try."

Now, practicing can have it's benefits. It's great for building a dog's confidence and momentum, as well as re-establishing the basics, but repeating the same scenario or drill over and over in the same place doesn't train the dog to react accordingly in the future in a new setting.

"When people train in the same place, the dog begins to pick up on cues and anticipates what's going to happen next," said Hosford. "You need to get the dog out of its comfort zone a little bit and challenge it, or else you're just practicing and not training."

You can push a dog by changing locations or making a known drill/scenario more challenging by increasing the complexity, distractions, number of birds, suction, terrain or getting out in inclimate weather (after all, hunting rarely takes place during ideal conditions).

I've been guilty of lazy training (especially over the last couple of months) and have repeated training sequences that rarely challenge Kona. What about you Gun Doggers? What's your ratio of training vs. practicing?

How to Feed Your Hunting Dog

Brian Lynn — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 19:23:20 -0400

We've talked about feeding, how to keep pup at his ideal body weight and the benefits of feeding a performance formula before here on the Gun Dogs blog, but I thought you might want to hear about the best time to feed and how many times per day you should feed -- straight from the mouth (or pen, well, computer anyway) of an expert.

Brian Zanghi is a nutritionist with Purina and his latest release details why feeding your active sporting dog once a day will help him perform at optimal levels.

Will feeding twice a day ruin old Fido? Nope, but if he's a hard-working dog that hunts extensively, day after day, then you might consider switching his feeding routine to a once-a-day regiment. He'll feel and perform better in the field for you.

So when do you feed your dog during the day over the course of the hunting or performance season, and how many times a day do you feed? There are some concepts to consider in structuring a feeding strategy for your hardworking dog and we will discuss why they work. Some things to consider include, the optimal time to feed and how often to feed daily.

There is a variety of information that indicates feeding a hardworking dog is optimal when the food is provided after hunting or training for the day, and not before. Did you know that it takes 20-24 hours for your dog's meal to be completely digested and eliminated as a bowel movement?

Nutrition studies have revealed that a dog's endurance performance can be as much as doubled when on an empty stomach compared to having eaten 4 or less hours before exercising. There is also scientific evidence from dog nutrition studies that feeding 17 or more hours before exercise results in a much greater use of fat as energy; this is compared to feeding 6 hours before exercise, which results in a much greater use of carbohydrates for energy generation.

You might be asking: why is this important? Exercise metabolism for a hardworking dog is best when fat is used for producing energy for muscles. This is because fat is the best energy source for promoting and supporting endurance exercise, which is exactly what most hardworking dogs require for optimal performance.

For any sportsman or pet owner reading this article that has dogs that tend to sprint more often than quarter a field, this applies to you and your dog as well. Why? Because nutrition studies with greyhounds have even indicated that high fat diets, which promote fat metabolism for energy, result in faster run times than strictly high carbohydrate diets. Even though all the reasons for this are not well understood, it minimally demonstrates that fat metabolism is very important for short duration/high intensity, as well as long duration/moderate intensity, exercise in dogs.

Based on this information, it is recommended that intensely exercising dogs be fed approximately 24 hours before an intense exercise bout to help alleviate problems associated with a full colon. This can include bloody stool, believed to be associated with irritation of the intestinal lining by movement of fecal material in the large bowel because of intense exercise.

If the sporting activity is a multiple day event, then likely it will not be realistic to wait 24 hours before the next exercise bout. Therefore, most dogs should be fed 30-60 minutes after exercise or hard work is complete for the day so that they have the maximum amount of time to digest the meal before the next day's exercise bout.

Immediately after the dog stops working or hunting, it is best to focus on allowing the breathing rate to slow or generally return to normal, and provide fresh water in for rehydrating. Just be sure that the dog doesn't over-consume the drinking water all at once, as vomiting could occur.

DAILY FEEDING FREQUENCY

Consistent with feeding your hunting dog after a day's training or hunting is complete, as well as providing as much time for digestion, also leads to the suggestion that feeding once daily is more optimal than feeding twice daily.

Healthy adult dogs, unlike people, don't get hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) with short or multiple days of food deprivation, even when exercising, as they rely much more significantly on fat metabolism. Of course, feeding once daily would be considered optimal for performance of a hardworking dog, but this may not be feasible in some situations or for some dogs.

If very large quantities are required daily to maintain an ideal body condition, like 7-8 cups for a 50-60 lb dog, it would be recommended to consult your veterinarian to devise a custom feeding strategy for your dog's particular needs. This scenario can be typical of young adult dogs housed outdoors in cool to cold temperatures, particularly when they exhibit very active kennel behaviors, and are trained/hunted multiple times a week.

If you are feeding this large quantity of food on a maintenance formula, this is a good example of a need to switch to a performance food. Feeding 7-8 cups a day would also be a situation where feeding twice daily may be required, however feeding the bulk (~75%) of the food immediately after exercise, then the balance 4-6 hours later. Alternative options to consider would be to increase the caloric density and/or feed a food with higher digestibility as a strategy for reducing the amount needed to deliver adequate calories. Again, if you find yourself in this scenario with a high-octane dog, consult your veterinarian to work out a custom strategy to ensure adequate nutrient balance and feeding, as each extreme situation will require some customization.

Our hardworking dogs are nothing less than elite athletes in every way. We expect high performance when they are afield and we train them for success, so it is important that we consider how providing the best nutrition and feeding strategies support our canine athlete. This is critical to complement the training and breeding of your pet. Taken together, all these suggestions can contribute each in simple ways to develop an optimal feeding program for your hardworking dog. Good luck.

Dogs Can't Cram

Brian Lynn — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 01:35:04 -0400

Cramming with Kona:

Pushing deadlines and cramming isn't a good practice for anyone. When a dog is added to the mix, however, cramming definitely doesn't work.

Case in point: I entered Kona in a North American Hunting Retriever Association hunt test in Chewelah, Wash., despite not doing any serious training for months. We went 1-for-1 in the Senior Division, which is the highest of the organization's four levels. We passed on Sunday but failed to meet the standard on Saturday.

To add an ironic twist, the judge that ruled us out Saturday was my high school Vice Principal. I was sent or called to his office on more than one occasion and now nearly 20 years after graduation I find myself, not to mention my dog, once more disciplined by the man.Going into the weekend I feared two elements of the test the most: sit to flush and trailing. Some last-minute training, or cramming if you will, did nothing to alleviate my concerns. Arriving at the test as a late entrant, I found out my high school Vice Principal has been into dogs for 30 years and would be judging the Senior stake on the first day.

This man struck fear into even the biggest, baddest football players we had at school. Probably because he was bigger and meaner than they were. His bald head contrasted with his dark bushy moustache and only served to frame his penetrating eyes.

I found myself sitting in his office on three occasions that I remember: once for talking in class (not guilty, it wasn't me), once for getting into a fight in gym class (guilty, but I was sticking up for a smaller kid) and another for a Homecoming prank that apparently wasn't funny to some female members of the senior class (again, guilty. But it WAS funny). In all three instances the punishment fit the crimes. He was very fair and two decades later it was no different.

After nailing the land triple and one-whistling the land blind, we moved on to the quarter and sit-to-flush test. Coming out of the holding blind we worked down a thick hedgerow. Kona worked the cover perfectly. He stayed in range and zig-zagged back and forth hunting the cover, plowing through briars and crossing the small creek in search of birds.

And then the sit-to-flush portion came. The thrower tossed the bird into the air and shot it. At the toss I blew the sit whistle and Kona's butt dropped. The pigeon dropped too. About 7 yards in front of him. The mostly white bird flapped, flopped and rolled around. It was too much for Kona to handle even with a second whistle. He broke and had the devil bird in his mouth within two strides. Delivering it happily to hand, the man that had meted out discipline in 1992 again informed me of my punishment: "that's an out," he said.

I agreed with the decision (although I did say, "that was brutal!" to which my old VP agreed) and we ran as the test dog for the rest of the day.

On Sunday we did better but I think the only reason Kona didn't break on the sit-to-flush portion was because the gunner missed. When Kona realized the pigeon wasn't coming down his posture relaxed a bit and I no'd him off the flyaway and we continued quartering through the field. I can't say for certain, but I am pretty sure had that bird been shot that "The Black Booger" would have reared his head and he would have broke again. I bet you can guess what we'll be working on for the next couple of weeks.

After that Kona nailed the marks for both the land and water triples (despite a no-bird situation on the land test's live flyer), did so-so on the water blind, respectable on the land blind and looked like a Hoover vacuum on the trail.

Despite passing on Sunday, I'm not happy with either Kona's or my own performance. In addition to training sit to flush before the next test in two weeks, we'll be working on line manners (specifically: creeping), water blinds and practicing more trailing. He did great on the trail Sunday, but I'm not confident in Kona's confidence in himself on the exercise at this point.

I'm an idiot who has been extremely lazy in training this winter and obviously cramming doesn't work when it comes to dogs. The ony reason I got one ribbon this past weekend is because I just have a good dog that can handle most of what I throw at him on short notice and with little preparation.