coyote trapping

[Jeepnik]

Yep, I was speaking locally in a built up urban area. Until my heart issues I regularly hunted coyotes in our wild places. I still trap and kill those I can, but we are limited to doing so on our own property. We have a lot of parks with unimproved area, and a very large former Navy Fuel Depot. Add several canyons, like the one behind me, that are private property and we have a lot of land for them to breed.

Too many bleeding hearts have caused enough of an outcry that local governments won’t do anything.

To the owners of small pets I have suggested forming their own group to apply pressure but they are uninterested.

 

[Mobuck]

I think coyotes have evolved into a smarter version vs 40 years ago. Back in the late 70's, I was just beginning to operate on my own while still helping Dad run a fairly large cattle operation. Wife (this was BEFORE she gathered the Grouch Attack moniker) had a summer job but that left us a bit lean during winter. I was basically providing food and heat for our little mobile home by selling coyote fur. That required about 3-5 coyote hides per week and I was keeping up quite well just popping the ones I bumped while feeding cattle and checking water tanks.
Even with the flourishing population, this is no longer possible. 'Modern day' coyotes seem smarter and more sneaky--or maybe Darwin is on the job and the dumb yoties don't survive to propagate.

 

[Jeepnik]

Where I hunted them in the high desert you weren't likely to stumble across them, though I did a few times. Mostly we called them. Early morning seemed to be the best. I think they were heading to their dens and the rabbit call was hard for them to pass up.

 

[contender]

I too started going after coyotes in the late 70's, while stationed in Texas. And after all these years,, I think the reason they were a bit "easier" to get,, or why they may seem "smarter" now is due to the way the evolved.
When the government stopped the proven & deadly methods of controlling of them in the late 60's, early 70's,, they had a population explosion and they quickly spread & became a nuisance. That era was full of "less than educated" coyotes,, all while we who hunted or trapped them enjoyed a bounty of them. They have evolved & adapted to where I too feel they are "smarter" so to speak now.