Predator Hunters

[BLACKJACK]

I think what TJM has been trying to say is that coyotes are darn smart and that lights are not going to help that much.

As for the argument 'other states allow lights', if you see your neighbor beating his kid, does that make it ok for you to do the same? MN has much higher population than the Dakotas, the use of lights at night have the potential to pi$$ a lot more people off and give all hunters a bad rap. Its a bad idea.

[MinnesotaMuskie]

Rookie question...When is the best time of year to hunt coyotes?

My in-laws want me to try to get rid of some around thier farm in the Hoffman area.

I have zero experience:(

My father-in-law called and told me bought and electronic caller...

Where do I start? There is a drainage ditch that seprates a couple sections that appears to be well traveled.

When does it end for the spring?

[cyberamish]

I'm not convinced that the yotes have that much of an effect on the deer population in our area, other than cleaning up the cripples and gut piles during season. What I do see is a huge effect on the grouse and rabbit population. They also have been causing much more property damage in recent years (garbage, chickens, young stock).

[tjm]

Hey lights

Where you from and how long you been yote hunting?

Think i hunt more then half the state plus 1/4 of Iowa as well.If the snow conditions not good here it's good some place else.If you hunted this area you would either give up or look for another area.Yote hunting here in this area is like going out on opener of deer season.Lots of hunters and lots of educated coyotes.

I'm not here to tell ya how long i been hunting nor telling you i know it all.I'm just letting you and others know how i feel about the use of lights in my mind like i said before it will probly do more harm then good.Dont think your looking at the overall picture here.Your just looking out for what you want to do is what i get outa it.

By the way,if you want to go out calling let me know i would drive to your location weather permiting.I'm always lookin to send a round or to at a yote

[pikehunter]

My vote is "NO" as well.

You may be right in that poachers will poach no matter what, but don't you think it's alot easier to catch them at night when they're the only ones around shining lights?

I also cringe a bit about anything that might increase the popularity of hunting at night. Those posting here I believe are good, safe hunters, but I can't say that for the two guys holding down a barstool on a Friday night, thinkin it might be a good time to hunt yotes. If it's easier, it will become more popular, and I just don't trust an increased number of night hunters.

Just my opinion ...

[BLACKJACK]

CYBER, you bring up a good point about what affect do coyotes have on the deer population? Articles I've read say they don't, that as you said, they're cleaning up the cripples. Yet it seems like I saw a lot of does last year with no fawns? And on the other hand there are no shortage of deer around.... I suppose a few fawns get taken by coytoes, but thats why nature invented the rut, get lots of does bred in a short time, lots of fawns dropped at once, not all of them will get eaten.

[cyberamish]

In our area (NE MN) I guarantee there are many more deer taken by trucks on Hwy 210 or even the growing Timber Wolf population than by coyotes (still not use to calling them that....we always referred to 'em as brushies) I have seen 6 Timbers up there over the last 4 or 5 years but they are VERY skittish. If you are within 400 yds of them and they see you, they're gone!

[carpshooterdeluxe]

personally, i am for this proposed law change, for a couple of reasons, mainly one. growing up in western minnesota i have had the chance to spend many nights tucked into a snow drift on a line fence somewhere only to have a smart yote hold up just out of shotgun range and bark at me. i dont know how many times i wish i had a firearm mounted light such as the night blaster setup, to allow me the oppertunity to use a rifle at night. i have tried using my .270 with open sights but it doenst pan out except for on the brightest nights with good snow cover. i have talked recently with a few sherriffs deputies from the county i grew up in recently and they (also being sportsmen) believe that having a few responsible hunters out at night would curb a growing problem of youths out with lights and .22s road hunting for cats, raccoons, etc. however from another standpoint, i can see the burden that passing this law would cause an allready understaffed dnr enforcement division. but i believe as the first few years pass, the public would become more educated about those "lit up shots in the night" that they hear and see. and to the comment that farmers would become angered...i guess whenever myself and my dad went out at night to call, other than when we hunted a large public tract of land, we would call our neighbors and inform them of our planned hunt for the evening and generally the comment was well i hope all we hear is a single shot at a time cuz that hopefully means you got one!

[Lights]

Guy's we already have coon hunters running around at night with lights. Are they poaching Or cousing headacks for the game wardens? I don't think so. Lets get with it. Just because or if a guy can use lights at night to hunt predators is not going to turn him into poacher or make him want to poach. Geez.

Lights

[RBuker]

Wow, what a bunch of misperceptions.

Lights is right on the money here and not only should every hunter on this board sign that petition but they should also write their legislators and ask them to support the legislation that comes before them on this issue during the next legislative session.

I've been working for a group called "Minnesotans for Light Law Reform" of which our friend Lights is a member.

We have legislators that will be introducing bills this next session. We have a commitment from the Environmental and natural resources committee chairman that this bill will be heard in his committee.

I've met with the DNR furbearer committee which is made up of biologists, policy makers, enforement officers, etc. We have their blessing.

The law will be written keeping poaching and landowner concerns in mind. We will be allowed to hunt with lights from Jan 1 to March 15th of each year. This is after all deer seasons are closed so as to not allow Bubba and his cousin to head "up north" the night before deer season opens and kill his buck on the way home from the muni and then just claim that he was hunting predators. It's too bad to have this limitation but because of jokers like Bubba and his clan, we will make concessions to make this work.

The concern about Farmers being up in arms and being all concerned about lights and gunshots is nonsense. First off, consider that we have trespass laws on the books. We also allow shining during certain hours and at all hours for most of the year. The main concern farmers have is when the pickup truck cruises slowly down the road past their house with spotlights lighting up their cattle and home and... They don't know who it is or what they are up to. But, because of the trespass law, we predator hunters will have permission to be on the land where we are shooting at night. When the farmer hears that shot or sees that light, he's going to smile and say "There goes another varmint." He's going to know it's me and he's going to be content with that thought.

Night hunting predators will not control the coyote population. But, it will be more effective than current methods of hunting. And, it is a legitimate method of hunting that all of us hunters should stand together on.

tjm, You have a lot of misperceptions and wrong-headed thoughts. I'd be happy to visit with you or anyone else who would like more information on this movement.

Please forgive me for bringing this old thread to the top but I just stumbled onto this forum. Feel free to email me at randybuker at hotmail.com and send me your phone number. I'll give you a call.

There's a bit more to this bill but all bases have been covered. There isn't much that we haven't thought of.

Thanks for listening to my ramblings.

Randy Buker

[BLACKJACK]

I still think shining lights around farm country at night, no matter what time of the year, is a bad idea because it increaces the potential of hunter/farmer conflict and makes it easier for scoflaws to poach. As hunters, we rely on the good graces of farmers for permission to hunt, and they are NOT going to like it when people/'hunters' are shining spot lights around their fields. And even in January, you have the possibility of Bubba and his drunk buddy drving around poaching deer. 'Need one more for the freezer'. You'd hope people would be more responsible but theres always a few outlaws out there that think nothing of throwing out their empty 12 pack and cans, mashing mailboxes, or dumping frigs/tires/garbage on country roads. Lets not make it easier for them to poach.

[RBuker]

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I still think shining lights around farm country at night, no matter what time of the year, is a bad idea <Snip> makes it easier for scoflaws to poach. As hunters, we rely on the good graces of farmers for permission to hunt, and they are NOT going to like it when people/'hunters' are shining spot lights around their fields. And even in January, you have the possibility of Bubba and his drunk buddy drving around poaching deer. 'Need one more for the freezer'. You'd hope people would be more responsible but theres always a few outlaws out there that think nothing of throwing out their empty 12 pack and cans, mashing mailboxes, or dumping frigs/tires/garbage on country roads. Lets not make it easier for them to poach.

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You have a number of points I want to respond to. First, you think it's a bad idea and that's your right. But, your opinion is based on nothing more than pre-conceived ideas that you conjured up on your own.

Secondly, the idea that farmers are NOT going to like this, if simply false. Our group has contacted literally hundreds on land owners and of those, over 90% either viewed it as favorable or at least not a problem. They all had a qualifier in there... "As long as who ever is hunting on my land has permission from me." So, your thought on what farmers might feel is simply wrong.

Lastly, as far as Bubba and his friends are concerned, anyone who is going to be doing the things you describe are not hunters. They are poachers, vandals, etc. They are people who have no regard for the law no matter what it reads. Do we really want to restrict law-abiding citizens because of Bubba? Come on....

[Lights]

Randy, Welcome to FM and thank's for the hard work you are doing on this subject.

Lights

[Dotch]

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I still think shining lights around farm country at night, no matter what time of the year, is a bad idea <Snip> makes it easier for scoflaws to poach. As hunters, we rely on the good graces of farmers for permission to hunt, and they are NOT going to like it when people/'hunters' are shining spot lights around their fields. And even in January, you have the possibility of Bubba and his drunk buddy drving around poaching deer. 'Need one more for the freezer'. You'd hope people would be more responsible but theres always a few outlaws out there that think nothing of throwing out their empty 12 pack and cans, mashing mailboxes, or dumping frigs/tires/garbage on country roads. Lets not make it easier for them to poach.

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You have a number of points I want to respond to. First, you think it's a bad idea and that's your right. But, your opinion is based on nothing more than pre-conceived ideas that you conjured up on your own.

Secondly, the idea that farmers are NOT going to like this, if simply false. Our group has contacted literally hundreds on land owners and of those, over 90% either viewed it as favorable or at least not a problem. They all had a qualifier in there... "As long as who ever is hunting on my land has permission from me." So, your thought on what farmers might feel is simply wrong.

Lastly, as far as Bubba and his friends are concerned, anyone who is going to be doing the things you describe are not hunters. They are poachers, vandals, etc. They are people who have no regard for the law no matter what it reads. Do we really want to restrict law-abiding citizens because of Bubba? Come on....

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I agree 100%. Strange how things work out sometimes but this morning about 3 AM I awoke to the sound of a coyote yipping in my pasture. Couldn't get outside fast enough to do much but I layed down enough withering fire to let the @%*# know that he was not welcome in my space. As a farmer and a livestock producer at that, I would much rather be awakened to the sound of gunshots & a coyote yelping his last as opposed to one still on the hoof. I work with a lot of farmers in my full time job as well and would venture to guess that the vast majority of them, especially the livestock folks would agree with that opinion. If it takes lights to help weed out more of the varmints out here, am all for it. We've had guys running dogs through the area during daylight hours and they have been nothing but cooperative and very grateful that they've been allowed to cross the property. A night shift wouldn't bother the majority of us in the least. Dead calves, sheep and lambs do.