Coyotes aren’t the safest animals to be around. They are quite unpredictable and have been known to attack children on and off. In the past two decades, there has been a rise in the population of coyotes. You can easily note that with more and more sightings of coyotes in states in the Atlantic Coast such as North Carolina. They are even spotted in areas where you would never expect to see them.

Coyotes moved from the West to the South and eventually around the US. The rise in population of coyotes had an impact and led to a decline in the population of deers in the region. Studies conducted in South Carolina concluded that anywhere from 40 to 80% of the drop in population of whitetail fawn was due to coyotes. In Alabama the percentage of the whitetail fawn mortality to coyotes is at about 67%. So the coyotes have become a predator in the area and have started to affect the ecosystem.

Defend the ecosystem

It’s not just whitetail fawn that have taken a dip in population. Other smaller animals like rabbits and smaller deers have also become a target of coyotes. Due to the high mortality rate of animals because of the coyote being a predator, you can find many groups that promote the hunting of coyote. This is a major reason why it has become a sport especially during the winter time. It helps control the population of coyotes which is currently on the rise.

Currently, most coyote hunting takes place in the winter. If we were to really aim to improve the population of deers and other animals that are targeted by coyotes then the hunting would need to be expanded into spring time also. The current tactic of hunting in the winter only has an impact but only to an extent. The coyote population is quite large at the moment and therefore hunting would need to be done in more than one season to really control it. The spring is a good time because that is when coyotes target a lot of the deer population.

Hunting coyotes 

Most hunters trap coyotes first and then shoot them. It isn’t easy to trap coyotes as they are quite clever. It is much tougher for beginners because setting trap and getting yourself ready for the hunt is not an easy task. So you should do your research, get the best possible trap before you set yourself out for the hunt. Otherwise, there is a good chance you will end up catching nothing at all.

Coyote hunting is still picking up steam. It isn’t as popular as other hunting sports like deer hunting. With time and as the coyote population rises, more and more people will turn to the sport. The fact that it isn’t easy and requires proper planning and skills will make it quite popular amongst those that like a challenge. Only then will it lead to predator control.