Wild Dogs
An exploration of coyote hunting, a growing Adirondack sport
Story by Alan Fanitzi
Photos provided by Jim Peacp, Canter, and NPS
According to the DEC, there are over 30,000 coyotes in New York state.
In the dense woods of the Adirondacks, a hunter waits silently for his prey. He is not hunting for deer, rabbits, or birds—he is hunting something that is smart, adaptable to its surroundings, and has the power to turn the hunter into the hunted. This animal is the coyote, and hunting these wolf-like creatures is becoming one of the fastest-growing hunting sports in the northeast. According to Douglas Yu, Community Manager for the Adirondack Regional Tourism Council, there are many coyotes in the North Country; in fact, there are more than 30,000 wild coyotes in New York State alone.
Hunter Becomes the Hunted
Hunting coyotes differs from hunting other animals in the Adirondacks, such as deer, rabbits, and birds because of one reason: coyotes are predators that kill prey. In order to hunt them, a hunter must trick the coyote into thinking the hunter is its prey. This is known as “calling,” says outdoor journalist, Dann Ladd
According to Ladd, calling requires the hunter to go out at night and use a 'caller,' a tool that produces a sound that mimics a rabbit dying. “It’s a blood-curdling sound to someone who hasn’t heard it before,” Ladd says. If all goes well and a coyote is in the area, the animal should be lured into range of the hunter’s weapon and is easily killed. "They [coyotes] are opportunists, so when they hear the caller, they think they’re going to get a free meal,” Ladd says. Calling is a method best used at night when coyote hunters have a special advantage.
"It’s a blood-curdling sound to someone who hasn’t heard it before."
"During the night, especially during the winter months, is the best time for hunting,” Ladd says. “Coyotes can get real hungry in the winter, and they are more susceptible to the call.”
There is one thing that gives the coyote an advantage over the hunter. “Coyotes have a good sense of smell, just like a dog,” Ladd says. This can be a issue because if the coyote detects the hunter, there is a slim chance that a hunter can actually kill it. Hunters do have a clever solution for this problem, though.
Group hunting is a tactic used to throw off a coyote’s sense of smell. Pair hunting uses a natural element to help accomplish this. “The hunter wants to use the wind to his or her advantage,” Ladd says. According to him, one hunter calls the coyote to lure it in, and the other hunter waits downwind to shoot it.
Weapons and the Color Red
Coyote hunting, as well as other forms of animal hunting, requires a weapon. “They shoot’em [coyotes] with very fast, smaller-caliber rifles,” Ladd says. “They don’t use a deer rifle such as a .30-06 or anything like that, but a rifle in the 223 range.” Hunters may also use a type of gun that has more explosive power.
Ladd also says that it’s not uncommon for coyote hunters to use a shotgun loaded with buckshot, a type of shotgun ammunition used to bring down large animals such as deer and wolves. “With a shotgun, you have to have them [coyotes] called in closer because the shotgun does not have as much range as a longer range rifle where you could just reach out and grab them,” Ladd says.
Callers for coyote hunting can be found at any sporting goods store.
Other than the gun that is used, there is another tool that hunters use that is equally important and deals mainly with a specific color. Many experienced hunters say that the color red cannot be seen by coyotes. Hunters use this to their advantage in the form of a red spotlight while hunting coyotes. “You can shine the red light on the dog [coyote] from a good distance and you can see your gun and the dog.” Ladd says. He also says that calling and using a red spotlight is the primary way to hunt coyotes in the North Country.
There is a scientific reason behind this tactic: “Most mammals have quite poor color vision,” says Dr. Neil Buckley, chair of the department of biological sciences at SUNY Plattsburgh. “They have lots of rod cells in their retinas [these are useful for vision in low light, i.e. at night when they hunt] but few cones [which are used for color vision]." Buckley explains that coyotes still see the color red, but it does not strike the animal as something to be afraid of.
Coyotes still see the color red, but it does not strike the animal as something to be afraid of.
Legality
According the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), coyote season opens on October 1 and runs through March 25. There is also no bag limit, so hunters can hunt as many coyotes as they want. In addition, all of Upstate New York is available to hunt on if the hunter has a small-game hunting license.
The only way to kill a coyote during the off-season is if it is damaging property. The DEC states, "Coyotes that are 'injuring private property' may be taken by the owner, occupant or lessee... at any time in any manner."
Ladd says that coyote hunting in the North Country is done mostly by deer hunters. To him, there is a line to be crossed sometimes. “If I’m waiting for guys [hunters] to push deer by me and a coyote comes by, I’m not gonna shoot it—I’m deer hunting,” he says.
