If you’ve hunted in the “Wild West”, you’ve probably dipped your toe at least once into the world of coyote hunting.

Growing up in rural Utah, hunting coyotes was a fun past time for my friends and I. We felt like we were helping out the local ranchers and deer populations, and we were having a good time doing it. Guns were often stashed under the back seat of the truck “just in case”, and if a coyote got away because we couldn’t clamber out fast enough, that dog was considered “lucky”.

However, as a naive young man I hadn’t yet realized that moral battles, sometimes ending in legislative decisions, were being waged over a pastime that I enjoyed. Twisted facts, skewed statistics, and subjective opinions still shoot back and forth between an emotionally charged no-man’s land that exists between sportsmen and animal rights organizations. Hunters claim that coyote hunting helps control population sizes, reduces livestock depredation, and prevents human-coyote conflicts while animal rights organizations claim that these arguments are unsound, and that healthy coyote populations are beneficial to the environment.

After some digging around, I’ve compiled some statistics, studies, and moral arguments that I think you might find interesting and might change the way you explain the reasoning behind coyote hunting.

The Statistical Side Of Coyote Hunting

Canis latrans is a wiley predator that has quickly spread from the American West into Canada, the East, and even south into Central America despite heavy and consistent efforts to hem their expansion.

Various programs, events, and contests have been organized with the intended goal of eliminating these coyote “vermin” in order to preserve deer populations and protect livestock.

The eastern state of Georgia has held a DNR sponsored coyote hunting contest where participants can win lifetime hunting licenses. South Carolina tried out “Coyote Powerball“, and there’s even a “World Championship Coyote Calling Contest” where only the best hunters are invited to participate.

But even if incentivized programs and all the hype that surrounds coyote hunting results in more dead dogs, does it actually reduce population size, help out deer herds, and prevent livestock depredation?

Population Management

Utah began a bounty program in 2012, paying out $50 for every coyote brought in. The program was started in an effort to encourage hunters to pursue coyotes and improve the survival rates of mule deer fawns throughout the state. However, the data that stems from program provides us with some interesting insights.

Ending June 30, 2014, Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources recorded 7,041 coyotes submitted to the program. Fast forward four years later, and that number jumped to 10,589 while participation in the program remained nearly the same.

If you also include coyote killed by trappers and the USDA’s Wildlife Services, that number jumps from 12,564 to 16,821.

At first glance it seems like coyote numbers have grown wildly. Animal rights activists who are against coyote hunting or predator management would be quick to point out that these numbers indicate an increase in coyotes, the exact opposite result of the Utah’s intentions.

In a 1995 study, researchers found that coyotes tend to respond to hunting pressure with larger litter sizes and by breeding younger females, resulting in more pups and more litters. Dead coyotes equal less coyotes, less competition, and higher survival rates among litters. All in all, hunting coyotes just equals more coyotes.

I asked Dr. John Shivik, the wildlife biologist first in charge of Utah’s coyote bounty, what he thought of the growing numbers. He replied by saying, “It’s likely that hunters are becoming better, or that there are more young animals every year that are vulnerable to hunting.” He also confirmed that people have been caught bringing in coyotes from out of state while trying to cheat the system.

I asked if Dr. Shivik thought that coyote populations were growing under pressure, to which he responded, “Science indicates that coyote population density is dependent on food resources and territory size… If coyotes are killed, they’ll quickly ‘backfill’ into the open spots, but the population won’t necessarily grow larger than what the food and space can hold.”

Despite the numbers, coyote populations most likely aren’t growing. Utah mule deer populations haven’t seen any significant declines, and the number of livestock depredation due to coyotes has remained relatively stable. But, this also means that the program probably hasn’t made any significant dents to coyote populations.

Dr. Robert Crabtree of University of Montana has stated that in order to effectively reduce the number of coyotes you need to cut populations down by 70%, something which rarely happens and requires years of intense, focused work.

In short, eliminating coyotes, or even reducing their numbers is near impossible. The effort required just isn’t worth it, and statewide programs like the Utah bounty aren’t focused enough. However, on the flip-side, coyote populations aren’t going to expand exponentially under hunting pressure like animal rights activists would like us to believe. There just isn’t enough food or space for that to happen.

Influencing Deer Populations

During the first years of Utah’s bounty program, deer populations were on the rise, from 332,900 deer in the winter of 2013 to 384,650 in 2015.

At first glance, someone might assume that the rising counts of deer correlate with the growing numbers of coyotes killed in Utah. However, that assumption doesn’t quite play out like it should when deer populations dropped by nearly 20,000 over the following two years in spite of a record coyote harvests.

In fact, similar results have been observed in other areas of North America. A study concerning whitetail fawn recruitment was conducted in two areas of central Georgia by removing coyotes during the second and third year. Only one of the areas showed an increase in the survival of fawns after coyotes were removed, but even then, fawn recruitment quickly dipped during the study’s third year.

Another study analyzed deer harvest statistics and coyote numbers in six eastern states over 37 years. Despite growing numbers of coyotes in the East, the study found no indication of them harming whitetail deer populations.

Dr. Shivik, during our conversation, stated that, “Coyotes eat fawns, but whether or not fawn survival actually influences deer populations is more of a matter of debate and may depend on a particular location.  The weather is usually the primary factor, and saving a fawn from a coyote often means that the fawn dies from something else.  In general, it’s doe survival that drives deer populations, and coyotes aren’t as important of a predator on does.”

Coyote hunting, despite the popular slogan of “saving deer”, doesn’t generally do much good for large populations spanning wide regions. If we really want to “save the deer” we should focus on restoring habitat and creating food sources that will have a much more significant effect bolstering deer populations.

Effects On Livestock Depredation

Coyotes have never really escaped the negative vibe that surrounds their species since we first crossed their path. Native Americans viewed the animal as a “trickster” while early European settlers viewed them as “cowardly” and “untrustworthy”.

These stigmas still exist today, with ranchers cursing coyotes for expensive livestock losses, the USDA’s Wildlife Services shooting them from helicopters in order to protect cattle and sheep, and the guy who’s constantly out, AR-15 in hand, in order to help out his neighbor.

In 2013, combined losses of lambs and mature sheep to coyotes totaled near 16,500 in Utah. A corresponding 12,564 coyotes were killed in Utah around the same time. The surprising thing? Sheep losses remained fairly stable over the next three years, and even skyrocketed to over 20,000 in 2019 despite record coyote harvests in the preceding years.

So does coyote hunting really reduce the amount of livestock killed every year?

Coyotes kill more sheep every year than any other form of domesticated livestock. Since 2012 over 100,000 sheep have been killed in Utah alone. However, there is no correlation between the number of coyotes killed and livestock depredation.

Coyotes often target mice and rabbits for food. However, killing those that feed on small rodents opens up their territory to problem coyotes, which will kill sheep. Killing coyotes also means increased litter sizes and lost mates, which pushes them to find larger prey in order to provide food for pups.

Lethal methods of coyote removal can be effective, but only when targeting the specific “problem” coyotes. Trapping, calling, and placing poison around livestock can be effective, but the best example of a super-precise technique is the livestock protection collar. The collar releases low concentration doses of lethal Compound 1080 into a coyote’s mouth when it punctures the attached pouches.

However, the idea that coyote hunting, or taking out any coyote that responds to a distress call, is going to protect your neighbor’s sheep is nonsense. In fact, it might only create more problems for the poor guy next door.

Coyote Hunting Ethics

The more you examine the data, the less “saving deer” and “livestock protection” seem like viable reasons to hunt coyotes. Our efforts to encourage the growth of deer populations might be better spent rehabilitating habitat instead of chasing down wily canines and hunters really aren’t doing much in terms of being a “good shepherd”.

So does outdated reasoning mean we should quit coyote hunting altogether?

Of course not. We just have to see coyote hunting for what it really is, a fun past-time that can result in a couple of bucks made from selling pelts, and not some righteous crusade. And just because it has its place doesn’t mean that we should disregard the fair and ethical treatment of coyotes completely. Coyote hunting has recently popped up in the public’s radar, and legal changes are affecting the sport.

Coyote Calling Contests

Take coyote calling contests for example. These competitions invite the best predator hunters from across the nation, with events being held in almost every state. The goal? Call in and kill as many coyotes as possible. Pretty simple right? That is, until state legislation gets in the way.

California outlawed coyote hunting contests in 2014, with Vermont following in 2018, New Mexico in 2019, and Arizona hot on their heels.

In recent years, animal activist groups have been working hard to outlaw such competitions. Yes, I understand… This probably frustrates most hunters, especially those who have called in a coyote or two. But how do you think the general public views these contests? Reports are popping up with animal rights activists going undercover during these events, a search for “coyote hunting contest” shows six out of ten results framing them in a negative light, and organizations are being specifically created to effectively oppose these competitions. If hunters aren’t aware of the influence these contests have on predator hunting, public support of the practice could spiral out of control.

How do we answer concerns about “wanton waste” and explain the reasoning behind such competitions? Perhaps we need to take a step back and reconsider our motives that drive us to participate in coyote calling contests.

The Weekend Warrior

What about that couple of friends that just wants to get out and call in a couple of dogs over the weekend? Do they also need to worry about the image they’re presenting to the good majority of North America that doesn’t hunt? You bet they do.

Take for example the practice of ‘coyote whacking’, or running over coyotes with snowmobiles in wide, open areas. Hunters may find this amusing and enjoy sharing their feats on social media, but how do you think the general public will view it, and even worse, what will happen if anti-hunting organizations get their hands on it?

Earlier this spring, I left for Southeast Alaska on a black bear hunt. After successfully taking a nice boar and returning home I posted a picture of the hunt on my personal social media accounts with a simple caption stating that I was “grateful for opportunities like these”. However, I’m not sure that others quite understood why I was so “grateful”, and comments started popping up questioning my motives and criticizing my actions.

The same can happen to any weekend warrior coming home with a truck bed full of coyotes. The average Joe needs to be just as careful coyote hunting as any skilled contestant. With the widespread use and influence of social media, it’s important to be sensitive to what we’re posting online and whether or not our reasoning for all the dead coyotes is well explained.

Concluding Thoughts About Coyote Hunting

I am 100% in support of coyote hunting and predator hunting in general. I participate in the sport myself, and having grown up in rural Utah I understand the mindset of most when it comes to coyotes. However, I do think it’s time we reconsider why we hunt them.

Statistically, coyote hunting just doesn’t support the reasoning we so often resort to. Deer populations can be more effectively managed in other ways, and aimlessly killing coyotes doesn’t really do much for livestock.

However, morally I believe that coyote hunting still has it’s place in society. It’s fun, and selling pelts can make you a couple of bucks. But, if we want to preserve this sport, it’s up to us and future generations of hunters to effectively explain and reason with others as to why it should stay.