shooting coyotes at trap site

[primetime]

I would like to know different ways also. Just this morning I shot a coyote at the trap sight and used a .22 in the head. Well first I must suck at shooting, because I missed the first shot, but the second shot was better, but still didn't kill him. The third shot I was only inches away and that did the trick. But blood everywhere. I'm talking pools! All over the set and trap. So I just removed it and was going to reset close by tonight.

Does the lung shot work well? Where do you aim.

[Mallard]

No disrespect, but.....Maybe you need to practice a bit with your aim before moving to the lungs, even though its a bigger target. A good head shot will have them dead instantaniously, 100% of the time. I feel confident that I can shoot a dime within 15' time and time again. Good for not only coyote killing, but for that ever important lung shot on a skunk.

[bobwendt]

but a dime isn`t jumping all over! seriously, one time I emptied a 6 shot pistol with .22 longs at a big 50 lb coyote in a trap, all head shots. he would shake his head and just get mad. I assumed I was missing or grazing him or hitting in the muzzle etc. not true, those .22 longs were glancing right off the top of his noggin from shooting at an angle. when I got close in and hit him at a 90 degree angle, he then went down like a light. I never shoot anymore anyway as I just feel the chest compression is faster, easier, cheaper, just as humane, and bloodless. plus headlights and night running and gun shots draw unweanted attention and even concerns from landowners, especially night running. I am going to try 17`s method also this year ,as it may be faster yet.

[primetime]

No disrespect taken and THANKS Bob for defending me!

It's not an easy task trying to shoot something that is constantly spinning around in circles. They don't really want to look at you very long and usually just glance and turn around. Trying to get a between the eyes shot with a .22 in the dark at close range with a coyote that isn't really all that happy USING a FLASHLIGHT really isn't all that easy.

That's why I'd like to hear different methods.

By the way I'm actually a very good shot. Take many 13 lined ground squirrels (streaky gophers) with my .22 from 30+ yards all the time. But they just stand up and look at you funny. There head is about the size of a quarter so I'm 20 cents off. ;D

[thefoxtrapper]

on fox, I just take my catchpole and noose around the neck, cinch of tight, and take my foot and thump him hard in the chest, occassionaly it takes two (sometimes miss the sweet spot), but like bob said, their eyes will roll, tail go limp, and you can see them relax and go limp, I just take out trap and sling fox and catch pole and all to the side, re-make, then go on my way, I am usually real close to the truck as I can make time walking and I always carry a catchpole because of dogs, so Im always ready for the stomp method....w

[thefoxtrapper]

oh forgot to say, on cats just strangle with catch pole, usually 15 seconds, 30 max.....w

[Mallard]

Seems like my yotes calm down and just glare back at me, offering me a nice fixed target. Perhaps this is due to pure uglyness on my side. They kind of look at me like the girl in the car next to me. I'm smiling and giving the old "how you doin" look, and all I get back is that typical "what are you looking at you sick old man" expression.

[blakcoyote]

I usually just shoot the yotes.But on fox I just break there neck.The fox that dont try to run from you I'll tap on the nose with a rebar stake,and that usually puts them down,then break there neck.The ones that turn from me,I just grab their tail then grab them behind the neck,then go about breaking there neck,it's nice and bloodless.I'll have to try it on pup coyotes,I've done the neck break on adult coyotes on the ranch,but it was hard,so I figured the pups would be too.Just hard to get a good hold.

[JWarren]

primetime said:

I would like to know different ways also. Just this morning I shot a coyote at the trap sight and used a .22 in the head. Well first I must suck at shooting, because I missed the first shot, but the second shot was better, but still didn't kill him. The third shot I was only inches away and that did the trick. But blood everywhere. I'm talking pools! All over the set and trap. So I just removed it and was going to reset close by tonight.

Does the lung shot work well? Where do you aim.

You have to figure out the anatomy of different animals and become familiar with where the heart is. Then you play angles to get the heart based on what the animal gives you to work with. You want to avoid large bones if using a .22cb or short. I can usually get the heart first shot and they collapse in a few seconds. If you miss the heart and get the lungs they will take longer and sometimes blood comes out the nose and mouth. If they are broadside and have one leg extended just put one tight behind the forward leg and you should get the heart or the big pipes.
I feel that when you hit the heart death occurs long before the lungs fill with blood. If only lunged they stay alive a bit and the lungs fill with blood which then comes out the mouth/nose. Even if you lung one the nose/mouth blood is less than any head shot.

If you are only shooting coyote a high velocity short should work great too. I went to the cb because I had some pass throughs on small fox and cat with the HV short.

[blakcoyote]

jwarren said:

You have to figure out the anatomy of different animals and become familiar with where the heart is.

That's the truth,same goes for head shots.I had a buddy that was beaver trapping with me,I taught him how to use snares,and showed him how to dispatch beavers with a blow to the head,then drowning.He was trapping a shallow area of river.Well anyway,he shows up at my place with his first beaver,it's head was pretty messed up.He said it took him over 45 min. to kill it.He did the head whack like I showed him but it wouldnt knock him out,so then he took his 22 pistol and shot it 4 or 5 times in the head,then whacked it again,then finally drowning it.I told him the beavers brain sits further back than most animals and thats why he was having problems.I also told him I never got that wet trying to shoot a beaver. ;D

I learned a long time ago a good rule of thumb is draw an imaginary line from ear to opposite eye,making an X,and putting the bullet where the X cross's.

[Bubber]

Blakcoyote, that is how one does it with a cow. Shoot them any lower and you hit the sinuses and end up with a rodeo.

I do like chest compresions and am thinking about going back to it. The memory of that one still lingers though. I know another trapper that thumps and stomps his cats as well as coyotes. He says they are a little harder to drop but they go out fast once you stomp them.

[MRussell]

Tried Wendt's way last season and use it almost exclusively. Lights out fast once you get it right.THe "almost " is because my hog snare was a little small for a few of the big ones I caught. So they got wacked with an axe handle then compressed.

[blakcoyote]

Bubber,that's how I learned it on the farm butchering cattle and hogs and at a locker plant working the kill floor for 3 years

[JWarren]

Along these lines, when I was head shooting I had a bad experience and the yote started talking some really weird noises which made the rest of the bunch raise heck from the mountainside a mile away. Anyway I never caught another coyote at that spot. So do you think the late coyote communicated to his family to stay away?

[blakcoyote]

Maybe not intentionally,but it could have spooked the others hearing it.

[MadTrapper]

Bubber,
Think I would think twice about the stomp method on cats. Works most of the time, but only takes one crawlin up you pant leg with his hind legs to make you go to somethin else. I've tried about all the methods above.. Stomp method works well on good solid ground.. If there's a foot of snow, mud or any other kind of cushion, doesn''t work as well. I'm back to 22 pistol most of the time.

MadTrapper

[trappincoyotes39]

I take my catch pole remove coyote from trap and walk him away from the set and pop him with a 22 at point blank range ! My set has zero blood in it and it is quick, once you get a noose on "most " of them they become real meek for the most part!

[fishadict]

I am new to coyotes. I caught my first coyote last year and tucked a 22 tight behind the shoulder blade. Coyote just dropped and blood was minimal.

fa