Ethical distance for a coyote with a .223

No livestock efforts around Terlingua, so my only real argument with Ol' Wily is about the quail. Since I'm not a fanatic about it, I'm picky about my shots and try for a clean and quick kill. However, if I goof, I wouldn't have the same guilt as if I'd messed up a shot on a deer.

Possibly, but I've never witnessed it, and I've killed a number of them on my place. Most of them just lay there until they dry up and get disked under.

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Same here.

I have seen another coyote come by a day or two later, and sniff at the body, then set down beside it for a little while, as if paying respects.

I do not believe a live coyote would eat a dead one on a bet.
Unless he was starving to death in mid-winter and could find nothing else to survive on.

Possums, rats, and field mice are a whole another matter.

I have seen a dead, and very bloated cow with 5 possums inside it, eating it from the inside out.

But even they won't eat a dead coyote near as I ever saw.
I think they are as afraid of them dead, as alive.

rc

I guess I never really gave much thought to "ethics" when it comes to shooting coyotes.
I do prefer the 243 with 100 gr bullets as it will get the job done much more dependable than about anything that a 223 can lob.
During the winter months I carry the 243 in the pickup during feeding, use the 223 when calling, and carry the 41 mag with the ORH sight during calving, it's a dang good close range getter on the buggers in the corrals and barns, and doesn't get in the way like a rifle does.
Before the mange went thru here there was a fur buyer that paid pretty decent prices for coyotes whole.. Helps not to have to skin the slimy buggers,, but the last one I took down on his route thru I had shot with the 30-30ai as he was running off of a newborn calf and old cow had just stomped , trying to keep the bugger from eating the afterbirth while it was still attached to the cow..
Buyer said " I'll give you 25 for him, but if you get anymore like that I'ld give you 40 if you use a smaller gun"

Eagles do a good job cleaning up dead coyotes during the winter, and in the spring when the buzzards show up, they get fattened up quick on dead coyote.
Wolves will clean out a pack of coyotes in short order.

Coyotes will eat other dead coyotes. I have had my cameras on carcass piles and have seen it.
As for the OP the .223 is effective out to 800yds with the right bullets and the right guy behind the gun. My farthest coyote with the .223 is 675yds confirmed by rangefinder. I was using Hornady 75gr BTHP over Varget.

After losing chickens to yotes, i ain't really in to the ethics of killin' 'em, just kill 'em is my motto. Not much chance of a shot over 100 yards here, though, and the several times i've gone out in the evening to call, I've taken my .22 mag with a green light mounted on the scope.

I'm a fan of the 40 grain VMAX running out of my tender carbine at 3615 fps I also have a reload shotgun shell with 27 pellets of cast #4 buck shot. It patterns very well out to about 75 yards as for the 40 grain vMAX ballistically it's good to 300 yards. I hit crows and other birds out to 250 yards so a yote isn't a problem. Something about small bullets going really fast. I'm working with key 22-250 now I'm shooting 1" at 100 with the 40 grain running 4000fps.
As for ethics I don't have much for varmints and a yote is a varmint.
Flip

I don't think coyotes are cannibals, but here is what I witnessed. 2 years ago during deer season 5 coyotes came along the edge of field where my deer stand was located. I shot the first one and it went into a "spin cycle" the other 4 jumped on it snapping and snarling. I shot 2 more before the other 2 ran off. I have shot quite a few coyotes, all of them onesy- twoseys, but this was my first encounter with a pack of them.
I have shot coyotes with a 222 and 50 grain v-max out to 400 yards. They weren't DRT, but they either went into the spin cycle and died or only ran like another 25 yards and died. In my estimation, the 223 would be plenty adequate at 400 yards. From the videos I have seen prairie dog shooting and turning those guys inside out, terminal performance on a coyote should be adequate.