Coyote Trapping year round.....

[Nick C]

Just generally thinking outloud here...... k9 and I have discussed this a few times I believe.....


We can hunt coyotes year around in Iowa, but not trap? The end result is still a dead coyote.

Why is that? Incidentals I assume? Especially as the "real season" approaches.

I would think that killing a den or 2 of coyotes in the spring time, would help with a variety of things. Especially game bird populations and the red fox populations in our state.

For those that look at trapping from a "sporting" sense. I think it would be fun to be able to spring/summer trap some coyotes, for chits and giggles.

In no way cost effective, but like I said sporting wise, big fun. Actually it's not even cost effective when the fur is prime, so no difference.

It is my opinion a good coyote is a dead coyote. I believe the DNR's stance is that as well, or it wouldn't allow year around hunting.

I know not many of you would waste the gas or time to participate in such an activity, but I know some others that would dabble, as there is some coyote-a-holics that frequent this site too.

Assuming the reason is that, in late October I'm running a "coyote line" but am taking large amounts of "incidental coon". Which could be held over until season starts, I realize that situation would not be "fair".

I do agree with k9, that there is "good incidentals" such as the nest robbing skunk & possum. That are also "protected" under the "regular season". I don't believe that their populations are at all hurting, nor could be hurt due to a spring time trapping season for coyotes.

And to finish, if you can't tell, I have the trapping bug/itch real bad right now, and had a friend tell me where there is a den of coyotes, and I would love to be able to set traps now. Woe is me. ;D


Thoughts gentlemen?

[Nick C]

I assume such change would have to go through legislation?

or could such a change be enacted through DNR commission like the issues this past spring?

Thanks

[Eric Rector]

I believe it used to be open year round to trapping , but the "incidental" thing was a concern, the way I understand it. I'll see if I can find my 1970ish conservationist mag , it, listed some pretty interesting stuff and quotes on species harvest, historical dates, etc..

[Scott W.]

I would assume you could snare them with little or no incidentals.

[x-demoman]

The coyote use to be classified as a predator. They changed it to a furbearer I think in 1972 so they could put a season on them. As time went on and the price of fox increased the trapping season was placed on coyote (now a furbearer) to avoid the incidentials.

This is legislation so administrative rule does not apply. This could be a long story but that is the just of what happened. Myron Johnson was ITA President then and the spring convention was held a Albia. It even snowed that morning.

[hvtrapper]

Nick,
That's why pocket gophers were created, so trappers could play in the dirt during the summer. Lots of coyote/fox/badger activity around the gophers to keep your scouting sharp, too.

[Nick C]

Haha, We don't have gophers to trap around here. As hardly any hayfields to speak of.

[braveheart]

I just got done trapping about 40 gopher's had a badger come in and started helping it's self to a free meal.The farmer's around here the badger is public enemy no. 1.

[Scott W.]

Hey Braveheart,
How do you handle getting paid for gophers that badgers (or coyotes) steal? How much are you getting per gopher? If I know I killed the gopher I charge the farmer, if I don't know for sure its just a miss. I'm getting $4 each. Seems to be working. Scott

[Coydog]

As much as I love trapping coyotes, I really don't think I would do much if any during the off season. That being said, it would be a nice option for certain occasions, such as training a dog, starting fur harvesting earlier/ later if they looked decent, working a mange pocket/damage complaint etc....

A guy would have to be pretty picky on location to avoid non targets as much as possible.

[braveheart]

Most of the time the farmer will give me some pork or beef for the work.It keeps me sain during the summer and I crave the stuff.I make a bunch of test stations on new lures I try.I got a pack of coyotes that think they have to wake me up at 3 am every other day.I don't think the 70 gal. of catbait or 18 gal of assorted lure pulls them in.

[grandpa]

One night out of two isn't bad. LOL

[k9]

Yep I remember when the fur boom started up the coyotes got relabeled and a season opened on them. Me thinks a few old boys were "coyote trapping" fox back then.

I would love an open season on them only so that I could start up trapping them in Oct before the pheasant hunters scatter them all over the place.

Non targets I can release, except for skunks. If they ever opened up the season on coyotes they would have to do the same for skunks, and might as well for possums too. Both are nest robbers and not targeted by too many trappers.

I would not roll hard after them but would kill some around here just for giggles and to burn off some steam.

I have summer trapped coyotes for hire in the past, and in the heat of the summer that coyote will go down fast. Its a little different sort of a game. I had it set up with the local DNR guys, would tag the trap with the farmers name, farmer agreed to check them, and I'd gang set a place up so that snapped traps would be less of an issue because the farmer could not reset them.

Coyotes killing sheep every night are easy to kill. Coyotes killing sheep once a month are a real bitch to kill.