Coyotes

   / Coyotes #1  

EastTexFrank

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Joined
Jun 5, 2003
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1,423
Location
East Texas, USA
Tractor
Kubota Grand L4740, B2400 and F2680
There are a lot of coyotes in this part of East Texas. They have never really been a problem around the house but lately they have been coming really close at night. A couple of times in the last week, when I've taken the dogs out about midnight, they have started making a noise in the pasture right next to the house, about 20 yards away. It's not really howling, it's more like yelping and yapping that'll go on for at least a couple of minutes. It sounds as if there are a small pack of them. We often hear them doing this but it's usually earlier in the evening, just after sunset. The thing is I don't want to lose any of the dogs to them, especially one of the older dogs who is kind of beaten up and slow.

Last night when I took the dogs out they started their yelping after about 30 seconds. I ran, grabbed a flashlight and 20 guage and went to the fence. I scanned the pasture with the flashlight and didn't actully see anything but I picked up the reflection from 3 sets of eyes out there in the darkness. The thing is, the reflection from the eyes was silver/white in color and not the usual color from a dogs eyes. The question is, what was I seeing? It crossed my mind that it might be deer out there and not coyotes so I didn't want to shoot at them. I fired into the air and they disappeared.

All you varmit hunters (and deer hunters) out there, what color are coyote eyes when you catch them in a flashlight beam. I don't usually like shooting at things I can't see but in this case I might make an exception but I'd kinda like to know that I'm not reducing the deer population out there .... that would be illegal.
 
   / Coyotes #2  
Just curious about your hunting regulations. Is it legal to hunt after dark in Texas?
 
   / Coyotes
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Tig said:
Just curious about your hunting regulations. Is it legal to hunt after dark in Texas?

Remember, this is Texas, anything is legal as long as you don't get caught.

Seriously though, I doubt that it's legal to hunt deer after dark. You certainly can't spotlight them. Coyotes are classified as varmits and those you can hunt at night. I don't have a problem with hunting wild hogs after dark either but I'm not a hunter although I do shoot - but not at anything you have to clean, skin or dress.
 
   / Coyotes #4  
You may want to check, I think on your own property here, you can hunt after dark. Let me suggest getting a big red spotlight. You will see everything in a red glow, but they won't be affected by it if I am correct. That way you should be able to tell what is out there without buying nightvision. The other thing you could do is try a video camera if you have one. A lot of them have nightvision now. Good luck.
 
   / Coyotes #5  
Tig said:
Just curious about your hunting regulations. Is it legal to hunt after dark in Texas?

I say you can always get forgiven quicker than you can get permission....and if it is coyotes, wolves, cougars....or any other predator like that, the best ones are dead ones.

Shoot away EastTexFrank....hope you get the suckers.
 
   / Coyotes #6  
have to laugh at this one... OK., you can shoot varmints 24x7...don't shoot the deer (out of season!! day or night!!)... as for eyes., gray/sliver in a spot light is about right...recall your not going to see color at night. For my two cents, you might try and see if you can just drive them off...after an encounter or two at night they will move on...if they don't, I am sure you can find someone to put out a varmint call and take them off your hands...
 
   / Coyotes #7  
Get the most powerful light that straps on your head that you can find.

There are a lot of them available in the $20-50 range right now. All LED.

You will be amazed at how much easier it is to shoot when you have both hands free & don't have to point a flashlight. Plus, it lights up the sights if you are using a handgun. Also it always points in the direction you turn your head.
 
   / Coyotes #8  
Here in PA since Jan 1 I've shot 3 coyote's at night as the were running deer in the neighbors hay field. I let them make their kill first. As this arrangement is they have become quite easy to pattern I.E. time and place and where deer were night before. The pack will vocally announce kill has been made, from my front door about 300 yards. At that announcement I take four wheeler and spook pack from kill, then return home park quad and grab my gear. These coyotes will return in under 10 minutes to their kill. I use above mentioned red light mounted on straight 2 power scope on top of 25wssm rifle. I have yet to have to shoot over 40 yards. All three kills were within the same 185 acre field. My neighbors and I combined have killed 8 at night and 5 during daylight. This field and woods surrounding hold an incredible amount of game and this is a large pack of dogs, we estimate 40 plus, its a real problem.
Coyotes will eat what they want off of a kill and not return if game is abundant, we see this weekly as a new carcass appears in this field or another. Silver and a shade pink is common at night with white light for eye color.

Brad

Brad
 
   / Coyotes #9  
Tig said:
Just curious about your hunting regulations. Is it legal to hunt after dark in Texas?

Yes, it's legal. There is a list of animals that are legal to hunt at night with the aid of artificial light here in Texas. What you might find interesting is California also allows hunting at night with artificial light for some animals!!


Frank,

It's very rare that I've seen a coyote at night with the light. Usually, we only see them in the early morning hours. Then, they are almost always out in the open and run the second they've been spotted.

The only animals that I know for sure with silver looking eyes when spotlighted are wild hogs. Deer are red for sure, hogs have that silver look.

One thing that woks pretty good for night shooting is to have a spotlight with a lock on it to keep the light on without holding the trigger. Then all you have to do is lay it down next to you and shoot before it runs off.

Eddie
 
   / Coyotes #10  
Please don't ever shoot anything when all you can see are it's eyes. Animals eyes look different colors to different people and with different lights and there is no sure way of knowing what it is by the color of the eyes. Have a bright enough light that you can see exactly what it is before you shoot.

Not too long ago a hunter shot a friends prized horse that he mistook for a deer at night. There have been many stories of shiners shooting cows, goats, sheep, dogs, cats, and even people when just shooting at the reflection in their eyes.

One of the first rules in gun handling is to not fire until you are positive of the identity of your target.
 
 
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