It’s that time of the year where the hunting seasons are winding down with the exception of quail and rabbits which will end in February. Duck season here this year has been fantastic, with more ducks now in the state than we have had in several years.

The deer hunters have also been very happy with the overall population, and every hunter, whether successfully harvesting a deer has at least seen deer while in their stands, with several that I know harvesting more than one. While I don’t deer hunt on a regular basis, I still manage to swap a few ducks for some venison.

Quail season is still open, but numbers here are still on the decline. Fields that once held numerous coveys are lucky if they have a single bird left. Part of the reason for the decline in the quail population is due modern farming techniques, mainly zero margin cultivation, which greatly reduces the cover that quail need to maintain a population.

Another reason is the increase of the predator population, mainly coyotes and bobcats. Almost every hardcore deer hunter I know has seen both of these species while sitting in their deer stands, yet did not eliminate them. At the same time, a lot of deer hunters are quail hunters, and they continuously bemoan the veritable rarity of quail these days, while doing nothing to deplete the predator population. Their excuse is that they were deer hunting and if they had shot a coyote or bobcat, they might not see a deer. While this is true, they can still do things to deplete the predator population and enjoy increased deer AND quail hunting success. This can be done by having their “hunting” season end when deer season ends. Simply put, predators are an open season form of hunting that runs year round, if they want to pursue it.

As I have stated previously, I love wingshooting. To me it is a lot more fun than sitting still in a cold deer stand, watching a crossing or a trail that may or may not have a deer travel that way that day, or any day, for that matter. I also love coyote hunting. It doesn’t take a lot of effort, very little equipment, and almost every rancher or farmer who has any livestock who has what they feel is a coyote “problem” will welcome you if you knock on their door, introduce yourself and ask if you can hunt/shoot coyotes on their land. And don’t kid yourself, hunting coyotes can be very exciting. And an added bonus is that almost every land owner who allows you on their land to shoot coyotes will volunteer their land to your other hunting pursuits. Which comes in very handy if you don’t own land to hunt on, or do not belong to a club that leases land.

About a year ago I knocked on the door of a farm house not two miles south of town and asked if they had heard any ‘dogs’ singing in the dark. The farmer laughed and asked if I was referring to coyotes. I replied in the affirmative. He said he was “covered up” with them, and if I was serious, he would show me where he thought they were denned up. As we talked, he lamented the loss of several calves to them. Arrangements were made for a friend of mine and me to meet him the next Friday afternoon late. We showed up and he drove us in his truck across a pasture that he had cleared of livestock, and pointed out the area in question. We gathered up our gear and set out a ‘decoy’ I had made, then set up our shooting mats and rifles.

Now, I like to use the ‘decoy’ and an old, old Olt’s mouth call, and after we were ready, I hit the call for about 45 seconds, tugging on the string to make the decoy appear to be a wounded rabbit. In less than a minute we had four coyotes in sight, all headed for the decoy. Two came right on in on it, stopping less than 50 yards from the decoy, the other two stopping further out, noses working the wind to detect any other scents.

Working on a countdown basis, my hunting buddy and I shot at virtually the same time, each of us downing the closer ‘yotes. The two that were further out, turned and started to trot away, heading back to deep cover. I hit the call two more times and they stopped, each of them sniffing the air and looking back in the direction of the decoy. Again, we counted down, firing almost simultaneously, and the other two went down. All told, we had been in the field for less than thirty minutes and had four ‘yotes down and dead. Examination of the four showed we had what appeared to be a dominate male, two juvenile males, and a mature female.

After calling for another 30 minutes or so, we knew we were done in that pasture, and with four dead coyotes, it was pretty much over for the day, as none showed up in response to the call and decoy.

We gathered up our gear as the land owner drove back across the pasture, and the look on his face when we showed him the four coyotes was one of those “kodak moments.” He said he only heard two shots, and asked how we got four coyotes with two shots. After explaining the technique to him, he smiled and told us that we had “done good.”

The point of this story is that your hunting season doesn’t have to end. You just have to change ‘targets.’ You can improve the habitat for other species..in this case quail and rabbits by eliminating their predators. You also get the added benefits of having access to private land you could never have gained access to before, and you keep your shooting skills sharp year round.

When I coyote hunt, I carry two rifles. One for relatively short shots…those inside 250 yards, and one for the longer shots..those over 250 yards and inside 500 yards. My calibers of choice are the 223 Remington chambered NEF Handi Rifle and a custom 25-06. My buddy, Robert, uses a Remington 700 in 243, and a Browning A-Bolt in 300 Win Magnum. All four are lethal on coyotes, and almost any centerfire rifle is good for coyotes and bobcats.

So, when you lament that your hunting season is over, think again. There are lots of opportunities for us to keep a season going year round, make new friends, and open up lands that would remain closed otherwise. Of course, it should go without saying that you need to make sure of your line of fire, not trash the land you are hunting on, pick up after yourselves, and thank the land owner for letting you enjoy yourself. You’ll be surprised how many of them thank you for helping him rid his property of these “varmints.” And if you mind your manners, you’ll be invited back again and again.

Happy hunting…..

John