Coons and yotes

[waligators]

Has anyone noticed higher than average numbers of coons and yotes roaming the woods this year? Man, every time i've been in a tree this year i've seen one or the other! Cant ever remember seeing so many! I wont waste my broad heads on coons and only have had one coyote come in close enough for me to get a crack at, which was her last day of roaming

[Archerysniper]

Yes they are thick this year.

[96trigger]

I have more yotes on camera coming into, peeing on, and rolling around in my mineral piles than probably all my years combined. I will shoot a coyote no matter what. Last year something spooked my uncles horse through a fence and it had to be put down. Almost had to be a yote or yotes. No stray dogs, wolves, or bears where I hunt that I know of, and that horse was scared by something.

[waligators]

I have more yotes on camera coming into, peeing on, and rolling around in my mineral piles than probably all my years combined. I will shoot a coyote no matter what. Last year something spooked my uncles horse through a fence and it had to be put down. Almost had to be a yote or yotes. No stray dogs, wolves, or bears where I hunt that I know of, and that horse was scared by something.

Ahh man that stinks! I wouldn't doubt if it was a coyote. With the cake walk winter we had last year i would guess that a lot of the coyotes made it through pretty easy. Lack of snow made it tough to track or spot them to hunt, and starvation probably wasn't a problem. Crazy how in the last 10 years or so the numbers of yoties sky rocketed and the number of fox went way down. Complete 180 in populations!

[mrklean]

Have seen a lot of coons the past month

[mainbutter]

In years past we haven't seen any roadkill raccoons on our land.

This year we've seen 'em on every trip up. We had them in our garden chowing on our corn for the first time (next year we're re-doing the fence top to deter them we hope), and I saw one in the early morning from my tree stand.

I still have not seen a coyote up there, but we hear them on occasion (or what we believe to be coyotes). I don't see many coyote tracks either, but plenty of other kinds of animals. I'd say we have a higher fox population than coyote population, which is not something I'm used to.

[slimngrizzly]

I was talking to a buddy about this yesterday!! 3 or 4 years ago if I got a picture of a coyote on camera I would save it! Lately I would say between 50-60% of ALL my pictures are COYOTES! I have several pictures where there are 5 or 6 in one frame! I started to really wonder about this because in my section, I have about 4-6 cameras out, and I only have ONE fawn on camera in the last month or so. Every night I hunt its just a big coyote and coon fest. The odd deer I will see walks out in the field, looks at the yotes, and runs the other way! I think they are a big deal this year!

Bring the snows! I have the snares locked and loaded!

[tencountff]

While agree the coyote population is rising (it seems there are less dog killers these days) the fact that 80% of the corn is already out is pushing all the critters to the woods instead of the cover of a cornfield.

[96trigger]

Quote:

Ahh man that stinks! I wouldn't doubt if it was a coyote. With the cake walk winter we had last year i would guess that a lot of the coyotes made it through pretty easy. Lack of snow made it tough to track or spot them to hunt, and starvation probably wasn't a problem. Crazy how in the last 10 years or so the numbers of yoties sky rocketed and the number of fox went way down. Complete 180 in populations!

Yeah, it was a crappy deal, he was pretty broken up about it, he had that horse for about 12 years. I bow hunt on the farm and that is where my cameras are. Last year I missed a yote in a ditch that runs by the pasture, wish I would have connected. They are thick out there right now, I will shoot one when I see it.

I don't have pics of multiple coyotes though, that would probably make the hair on my neck stand up, I just have numerous pics of singles desecrating my mineral piles.

[MUSKY18]

Was out on stand Saturday night. Had a nice big ol mature doe come walking by about 5:30 out of range. Watched he feed off to the west. 10 minutes later she comes busting back through the woods and stops. Another doe joined her, and they started coming towards me. However, the old doe busted me at about 40 yards before I could ever get a shot off. They bounded away and were gone. Not long after that, I hear a pack of yotes start howling and cutting up. To my surprise, another pack of yotes on the other end of the woods answered back. This track of woods is probably a shade over a quarter mide wide and little deeper than that. Two packs of yotes? Figured that was what spooked the doe in the first place. So....figuring there was no more deer to come by, I switched out my arrow and put the yote killing on my bow, waiting for one or more to come by and get waxed. Heard them come through on the ridge above me abut couldnt see em. I always carry an old arrow and broadhead in my quiver, just for my yote friends. Sounds like from the reports, I need to start using them as much as possible.

[Meat-Run]

Interesting post, I was sitting Sunday evening within city limits property that's a given for many deer and at prime time two big coyotes came out. This is the first time I've ever seen yotes on city property, not good.

MR

[Eric Wettschreck]

A couple of easy winters, fewer predator hunters, and fewer trappers means more yotes, coons, skunks, and possums.

Carry a couple of older arrows and shoot every yote you can.

[MUSKY18]

Interesting post, I was sitting Sunday evening within city limits property that's a given for many deer and at prime time two big coyotes came out. This is the first time I've ever seen yotes on city property, not good.

MR

Did you drop the hammer on them Meat?

[Meat-Run]

One of the yotes got within 38 yards, a chip shot for a deer maybe but these yotes were on high alert and was facing me. There vitals aren't bigger then a mouse pad and didn't want to loose a $25 arrow on a potential marginal shot....so long story short, nope didn't shoot. BUT I am now fully loaded with a banana clip of arrows if you know what I mean...

What really is surprising that I never did see a deer going in or coming out of the woods they're just not there and I'm thinking about hunting coyotes on this next full moon. I heard two packs barking to each other on the last full moon and not far behind house I think its time to pull out the 22 or buck shot.

mr

[sticknstring]

Coons and skunk numbers are way up in my neck of the woods this year too!

Right at last light Sun I hear something coming through the cornflakes - get ready and out pops a monster skunk! Third one I've seen from stand already. I've never seen one on this property before. Crazy.

[Meat-Run]

"Right at last light Sun I hear something coming through the cornflakes - get ready and out pops a monster skunk! "

That there is some funny $hit, yeah the skunks have literally dug up my whole front yard looking for grubs and the woods do sound like corn flakes, surely nothing can sneak up on you right now!

P.S. what do you think that skunk will score....)

mr

[MUSKY18]

"Right at last light Sun I hear something coming through the cornflakes - get ready and out pops a monster skunk! "

That there is some funny $hit, yeah the skunks have literally dug up my whole front yard looking for grubs and the woods do sound like corn flakes, surely nothing can sneak up on you right now!

P.S. what do you think that skunk will score....)

mr

Bet a monster skunk skull will score somewhere in the 2.5-3" range. I think 1.75" is required for P&Y books. Let us know when you get it scored Stick!!!!

[bigbucks]

I've not seen yotes yet this year, but plenty of skunks, coons, & a couple of fox. Shot one skunk on my lawn with the shotgun, tickle another one's hiney out in the tree plantings. Seems like anybody I talked to with corn still in their cribs or sweet corn in their gardens this year had killed anywhere from 10-20 coon by shooting or trapping in combination.

[Meat-Run]

Yeah SNS let us know what it scores maybe we should start a skunk score post...ha, ha.

mr

[Musky Buck]

Yotes are heavy yes, was reading a deer book and in certain areas the yotes can really thin down the fawn crop, I hope this winter is perfect for yote hunting, they are everywhere in my area, t-cam is packed with them and I'm not getting deer on the cam this year.

[gopher_nation]

I am seeing a lot of dead coyotes on the side of Interstates or Highways this year and I haven't noticed this in past years. Coons I always see taking dirt naps on the side of the road and this year is no different.

[BLACKJACK]

Mild winter is the answer. We like it cool in our bedroom and we hear coyotes just about every night. I've shot two in the last three years with my bow, I won't hesitate to shoot a good arrow at them, thats why I buy arrows and broadheads - to use.

[mainbutter]

So for those of you who choose to shoot yotes when you see 'em, what do you do with the carcass?

[96trigger]

Leave it lay unless the pelt is nice, I will skin it and sell it. They are not the easiest to skin, and they really, stink.

[GFNER]

96Trigger, sorry to hear about your horse, don't rule out bears in your area. I hunt near the Weaver area and in the last 3 years we have seen 1 bear and found scat from another on the farm I hunt. Also don't even want to get into weather or not their around but I know of one fella that swears he heard a cougar and is afraid to be caught in the woods after dark now. Yotes are as thick as I've ever seen in our area too!