Whether you're hunting or trapping for the adaptable coyote and other predators, a consistent year-round plan pays off more than a hit-and-miss approach.
Hunting coyotes is a ton of fun, no doubt. I love it, although in the last few years haven't been able to do it enough. Chalk that up to the job and not taking advantage of the time I could. That's going to change, though. I have at least three coyotes on some land that I hunt and they have an appointment with some tiny, lead-tipped missles soon.
Trapping also is a great form of management and a lot of fun. It takes patience, skill to build effective sets, and trappers have solid woodsmanship skills. If they don't, they either learn them or likely don't find too much fur in their traps.
Mark Kayser sometimes may work a coyote for hours before getting a clean shot. Maintaining pressure on predators all year can help impact populations and benefit other wildlife, along with being great fun.
One thing about coyotes is they're not going to disappear completely. Hunters and trappers can put the hammer on them and see a big decrease in the population, for sure. But eventually, because some of them roam, they'll be back.
We know coyotes are pack animals and roamers. Occasionally, some of those may break away or lose one or more of their pack — possibly from trapping, hunting, natural mortality or the bumper of Uncle Fred's pickup. Some studies show that these solitary or transient coyotes move around in search of a new pack or home area. Males also roam more than females, and forage availability also impacts movements.
What this means for hunters and trappers, especially those trying to help deer, turkey and small game populations, is that knocking back coyotes and predators is a year-round task. I've talked with a lot of deer hunters over the years who say they shoot five or six during the season but not in spring or summer.
Predator management is, or should be, just as intense as whitetail, turkey, quail or small game management. It's all a piece of the puzzle in the bigger picture. Improving habitat, knocking back predators, setting hunting goals and then making it a year-round plan is the best way to achieve success.
VIDEO: Predator Xtreme contributor Mark Kayser discusses patience while predator hunting
