Running coyotes with hounds

[bigfoot]

This is something I have a growing intrest in but can't seem to find enough information on. I would like to find someone to show me the ropes. I hope to have the room next year to add a couple of hounds. I would like to do my part to thin them out. I have tried calling and had some success but I would much rather get them in a race than sitting and calling for them. Hopefully this can be a place where everyone can find some contacts on coyote hunting. I live in SE Lower Michigan but I have a pretty flexible schedule and a motorhome I would be able to travel just about anywhere in the Lower of Michigan.

[high ridge joe]

i have seen it done......alot of running....dogs i saw run were specially trained and cost some good money...the runs are very long....some stretched a few miles......it is a sight to see......alot of fun...and the use of some good tracking equipment... is a necessity.....good luck on your search...

[Stone Cold Beagles]

We run coyotes with hounds down here in southern Indidana. Most of the hounds we use are walker fox hounds that have been cross breed with Grey Hounds for build and speed and diluted back down with the fox hounds to regain nose while still maintaining the build. The reason for this is we let the dogs run down the coyote and kill it, we very seldom shoot the coyote. It can become very expensive, because of all of the miles you will drive trying to keep up with your hounds. A Good quality tracking system is a must, There is absolutely no way you can keep track of your hounds with out it. The races can last as short as half an hour or up to 8 hours or more and can easily cover 10 miles, depending on the type of terrain. Don't even consider trying this by yourself, instead find 4 or 5 buddy's that are interested, get yourselves some CB's, and then get a couple of hounds each. IF you can imagine a section of land layed out in a square, then 4 trucks surrounding that section of land 1 truck on each side with thier hounds in the back, The 5th truck dumps his hounds in the section to jump the coyote. Everyone else is watching for a coyote and hounds to cross out of that section into another, and when they do the truck that sees the coyote can dump his hounds in on the race to help. As the day goes on tired hounds can be picked up while still dumping fresh hounds on the coyote. If all your interested in is shooting the coyote then the same system can be applied, you just don't need as many hounds. Good luck

[ACOMEAU]

The last post about sums it up. Pieces of woods that are surrounded by woods or can be cut up with snowmobile or four wheeler. Tracking collars a must. If you can't catch em, you will learn thier escape routes and you can post hunters, 12ga. 00buck does the trick. Pete Richardson can tell you about running coyotes he's on here once and a while.

[steve w.]

Take a look at http://www.houndmangsk.com, I hunted snowshoe's with him and had a great time. Would be a good way to learn a little something, I think he likes runnin' his big hounds best anyways.

[DG TX]

Looks like Stone Cold has been there. You might get a copy of the Hunter's Horn magazine for help. Would note though that not all hounds will "put thier mouth on a coyote" for the kill. Once a great Texas tradition, running of coyotes in the open nearly non-existant here in Texas nowadays. Do gooders and game wardens put a stop to it! If you were to cast a good pack of wolf hounds these days, you would probably get most of them shot and end up in court. Meanwhile, the coyotes are eating thier poodles off thier patios! GOOD LUCK!

[Stone Cold Beagles]

DG TX is right, It very difficult to find a good kill dog, especilly one that can kill a coyote by it's self. Usually they wait until the rest of the pack gets there to finish the job.

[cooper]

Chris is right. We have two different groups of guys that coyote hunt around here. I got off work this morning and one of the groups were already on the loose. They drive around with tracking antenna's on top of their trucks. They surround the country blocks and talk on CB's. Now one group of hunters shoot the coyote and like chris said the other let the dogs do the killing. I would say it can't be a cheap sport to get into. Tom Gross

[Stone Cold Beagles]

Copper

That guy with antena on top of his truck is my dad. He loves that antena, he doesn't have to get out in the cold to track the dogs just sticks his hand out the window to turn the antena. That is the group that lets the dogs catch the coyote.

[cooper]

Chris I see your dad around the back side of freeman field and on highway 11. My father in law told me that your dad's group let the dogs do the killing. The other group meets just down the road from me at Big'ums house. Tom Gross

[stanimals2]

I have seen several shows and read several articles from out west and they dont run yotes with dogs but rather bait yotes with dogs. Have any of you seen this? The ones Ive seen they used labs and they sent the dogs out to coax the yotes back to there position. As you know they are very territorial and they pack up on the dog to drive them out of their area or kill them. The dog works its way back to the hunters position bringing the yotes with em. It seems to work but I wouldnt want to get to attached to my dog , Stan

[Guest]

The dogs are yellow Kemmer Curs.

[DG TX]

Most coyote hunters here always tried to keep a hound or two that would go to a howling coyote. Then the rest of the pack would hark to 'em. Seen some that used a siren to get the coyotes barking also. Then would cast to 'em.

[snowshoehareguide]

there are lots of ways to hunt coyotes with hounds. its better to have two hounds. only the bravest will fight a coyote alone. if you hunt an area that they havent been hunted hard its possible to hunt them like you would hare. a slower steady barking dog and they will circle like a hare. helps if you have plenty of snow. i know some guys near me that kill a dozen or more coyotes in one block of woods. they use an older short legged plott female, she barks every breath, they are getting modern now with tracking equipment and radios but last year just hunted like any body would hunt hare . well almost . they have kind of a unigue piece of woods to hunt its surrounded by big fields and they post a few guys with snowmobiles in case coyote tries to leave the area. i went with them once this year and shot a coyote with a shotgun and dogs seconds behind. im not putting down hunting with catch and kill dogs but i like to hunt them with slower dogs that are steady barkers and hunt them in the woods. coyotes dont run any faster than dogs chase them. a slow dog that doesnt lose will catch them in snow. when im talking about slow dogs its a relative term because coyote dogs are fast. i think you still better have tracking equipment but a dog like ive described will really cut down on the driving around. pete

[Jake]

Around here everything is laid out in square miles so it makes it easy. We run the yotes with wlkers julys are walker july crosses. the dogs run them till they get them bayed usally in a ditch. Then I have a big ol' mastiff plott cross that I send in for the kill. He lays around the yard all week playing with the kids and the pups. But when he gets in the truck and we put the collor on him he is all business and he will fight anything I put him on he just can't keep up with the chase. So when we get the yote bayed or when he is starting to slow down we put jughead on him. thats not to say we don't shoot em cuz if we get a chance we do. Last week a guy we hunt with killed a fox with a 243 at right at 600 yards! I know i did not believe it either and i saw it. He said he was going to shoot it between the eyes. When he brought it back he said his shooting was off he had shot it in the nose! In my book missing by 2 inches at 600 yard is not any off.
Jake