[marine71]

I live in Michigan and have this dream of someday sitting on a ranch and expending boxes of .223 ammo at prairie dogs or some other varmint (terrorists??) . But I don't know any ranch owners and never travel to the south.

So,... any ranch owners out there want to offer me some free 'acre-sweeping'?

[SoCalShooter]

haha nice acre-sweeping I love it, you dont have any BLM areas that you can go to and use?

[marine71]

Sorry, BLM?

basic land management? big long monster? :o

[C96]

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) controls a large amount of the 'open' space in the West.

allan

[Zero_DgZ]

Big field + a lot of soda cans = ???

[gunsmith]

drive to Nevada or Idaho when you see a big desert with nothing but Jack Rabbits and Coyote .....shoot them...:evil:

[shmavistime]

Im too, another Michagander, have this dream. My brothers wouldnt let me bring my rifles when we went out west and man do I wish I did. I saw soooo many jackrabbits and coyote, even a 10+ Mule deer. That thing was huge. :what: My goal in life to buy soem land in colorado, buid a log cabin, own a few old volkswagens and willy's jeeps, and hunt/ski/hike/canoe/Mtn Bike my ass off.

[marine71]

Schmavistime-

sounds like nirvana to me! Can you rig a .22 to mount to the willy's and drive around and pepper varmints?

[gunsmith]

Schmavistime
I saw soooo many jackrabbits and coyote, even a 10+ Mule deer

I go camping out in the desert all the time, if you are not armed they are all over...as soon as you pick up a gun....gone!

[redneck2]

I'm going to be going on my first dog hunt this Spring. Have a "friend of a friend" that has 18k acres (owns 1/3rd of the county). His quote was "there isn't enough ammo in the world to kill all these prarie dogs"

:D

I talked to a couple of guys that go to SD. They just found an area that had lots of dog towns and stayed at a local motel, then went to breakfast at the favorite local diner in the morning. Started talking to ranchers and ended up getting a "kinda" invitation. Ranchers wanted to check them out to make sure they weren't yahoos that were going to blast everything.

Once they proved themselves, they had all the hunting they wanted,

[VietVet 67-68]

What Gunsmith said, If you go armed the little suckers are never around, but go out unarmed are everywhere,

A good reason for a CCL in Nevada!!

Keith http://smilies.sofrayt.com/^/aiw/yahoo.gif

[B.D. Turner]

I discovered this morning that we truly do have coyotes in eastern north carolina. This may be an excuse to buy a couple of calls and a new rifle.

[Selfdfenz]

Western NC too. One weekend ago I saw one squashed beside a major highway intersection in, of all places, Hickory. A very urban part of Hickory at that.

I'm sure most people driving by thought it was a dog.

S-

[B.D. Turner]

Three years ago we had some full size peking ducks we started missing one or two a week. They would go missing without leaving a feather or a sign. I thought a bear was getting them or perhaps a fox or bobcat. I talked to the county animal control and they suspected coyotes were getting them. I didn't believe them as I had been hunting this area for 30 years and had never seen a coyote or anyone talking about seeing one. I don't know the range of these coyotes but for sure we got em. My back yard is a large 2000+ acre tract of timberland so they have plenty of land to grow unharmed.

[Selfdfenz]

I haven't tried hunting them here yet but if the amount of scat I see on logging roads is any indication there should be plenty to go after.

I don't find your story a bit surprising. There was a pack HQ'd near a stock tank I used to hunt in TX that would yodel their heads off every moring about shooting time. I never saw one directly in all the years I was on that land. They are masters of stealth.

Best

S-

[marine71]

Michigan is scurvy with coyotes. Alas, I live in a populated township and they don't get in here and if they did,... shooting in a subdivision might cause some alarm.

So, what do you crack them with? .223? 88 mm mortar? Now that would take skill.

[B.D. Turner]

This morning the yote in the yard met a Marlin 1894 in .44 magnum. I believe they could be hunted here with a 30-30 with no problem.

[Selfdfenz]

marine71

Coyotes are very cleaver. You might be amazed how comfortable they are in an urban setting especially if there are at least a few small patches of uncontrolled growth they can hide in/move between. They are just fine conducting business in and around peoples homes after hours. I bet many coyotes are killed with 22 lr and it may be fine a close range but shotguns and centerfires are probaby better choices.

I'm thinking an 88 mm mortar would do nicely. It dispatches the animal and leaves a convenient hole to bury it in. Also great for nutria. :)

S-

[obxned]

.22LR is not IMHO a very good choice for coyotes - they are a lot bigger and tougher than you think - it will kill them, but slowly = they suffer and you don't get a nice hide.

Many varmints are also good to eat. I have eaten both woodchuck and rockchuck. Good, but seems a bit greasy. Prairie dogs, and their smaller cousins, the ground squirrels, are all good eating – like red or grey squirrel, only much more meat and tender too. Jackrabbits are really good – like dark meat of a turkey. Try any of these and you will see that I am not crazy!

[jeepmor]

I'd say .223 minimum for a yote and it's what I'm hunting with this weekend. I suppose a .222 REM would work too, but I prefer cheaper FMJ ammo for minimal hide damage and 223 nails this one. My BIL used the 17HMR and he said too many got hit, but got away. He switched to a .223. Not sure I'd use any rimfire on a yote. Rockchucks, rabbits and the like, rimfire is fine.

Hope to try some jackrabbit this weekend, any good recipes anyone.

[torpid]

You don't need to shoot coyotes.

I find that if you just leave a package of ACME doo-dads out, the coyotes seem to take care of themselves eventually.

[MCgunner]

I don't know if I've ever seen more coyotes than on BLM land in New Mexico. They own the state. Lots of big, nasty jack rabbits out there, too. Too bad their flesh has the consistency of boot leather. Been wondering if ground rabbit patties might be any good? There's no shortage of cottontails in spots out there, too, though. :D