Last spring, while on a walk within a few hundred yards of my home, I came across a dreadful sight: two tiny deer legs and feet. The scant remnants of a new-born fawn were all that were left after a fresh coyote kill. Just because it’s nature’s way, doesn’t mean I have to like it. And, I don’t.
The mental picture of a totally defenseless fawn being ripped to shreds while alive conjures up disdain for the indiscriminate killer(s). Now is the time to even up the score.
Coyotes will also attack unattended small dogs and cats, if opportunities exist. Some coyotes learn to kill smaller livestock, such as sheep, goats, calves, and poultry. They have no natural predators in Michigan (other than wolves in Michigan’s upper reaches), which is probably one of the reasons they have been able to increase in numbers so dramatically. And, contrary to what some people believe, the DNR didn’t plant them here.
In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, 142 fawns have been radio collared, as part of a long-term study. Predators have killed 53 of the fawns broken down as follows: Coyotes accounted for 26 kills, bobcats 13, wolves 5, bears 4, bald eagles 1. But in our southern zone, predators other than coyotes are virtually non-existent, thus making the coyote top dog for killing.
Coyote and Deer on Opening Day
If you plan to hunt them in daylight hours, no special equipment is necessary. That deer rifle you’ve yet to clean can serve double duty for varmint control. There’s no law against it, unless you hunt at night. In addition, Michigan fox and coyote hunters are now permitted to hunt from elevated blinds and that makes your deer stands a good choice for several reasons: 1) Downward shooting angles are safer 2) Being elevated means a better chance of remaining undetected, and 3) You can increase the odds of better deer hunting where you hunt.
Fox and coyote hunters are permitted to hunt from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. All rules that apply to the manner in which treestands can be used on State land apply.
Michigan’s DNR provides the following information, which is useful in understanding the quarry. This member of the dog family is extremely adaptable and survives in virtually all habitat types common in Michigan. They are most abundant in areas where adequate food, cover, and water are available. The size of a coyote’s home range depends on the food and cover resources available and on the number of other coyotes in an area, but it generally averages between 8 and 12 square miles. Mated pairs and 4 to 7 pups occupy the home range during the spring and summer seasons in Michigan.
Breeding season occurs in Michigan from mid-January into March and that’s when challenge-calling (howling) makes them vulnerable to hunting. Other distress calls can bring them in close, as well.
A coyote’s primary defense is its sense of smell. Pay particular attention to the direction of the wind, much as you would for hunting whitetails, when you are designing your set-up. A motion decoy is a great way to keep the predator’s attention away from you and relatively inexpensive ones are numerous. Used in conjunction with electronic or mouth-blown calls, decoys can tip the scales in your favor.
So, get out there and help yourself to some of the most challenging hunting Michigan has to offer.
