Best places to hunt coyote

[Christopher Paddock]

We all know 'em and hate 'em. They're an invasive alien species that rains hell on the native wildlife, and I REALLY want to do my part to stop them.

So, that being said, does anyone know where the best places to go hunt coyote are (especially around the Avalon)? And does anyone have any tips and tricks to lure the cagey, wiley pests in?

[Fred Woodman]

check out the locations. Wildlife will be hosting several classes to teach people how to hunt Coyote may be worth checking out

[Christopher Paddock]

Found a good deal on a .243 Winchester rifle the other day, only to discover that this is not a legal coyote caliber in NL for some reason. I was curious as to why, so I sent the following email to Charlene Johnson (Minister of Environment and Conservation):
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Ms. Johnson,

I am a resident of Newfoundland, and am interested in hunting coyote. In the provincial hunting regulations for coyote, it does not mention .243 Winchester as a legal caliber for use. I was wondering why this would be the case, as this caliber is commonly used for coyote hunting in other jurisdictions. The energy and velocity of the .243 are not significantly greater than that of the .22-250 Remington (a legal cartridge) in similarly weighted bullets.

For example (taken from the ballistics tables at www.shootingtimes.com):

- Ballistics for the .243 Winchester (Federal 55-grain PowerPoint bullet) - muzzle velocity is 3850 feet per second (fps), muzzle energy is 1810 foot lbs.
- Ballistics for the .22-250 Remington (Sierra 60-grain soft point bullet) - muzzle velocity is 3600 feet per second (fps), muzzle energy is 1727 foot lbs.

Any information you could give me in this regard would be greatly appreciated. As you are aware, coyote are an alien species in this province, and a serious threat to our native wildlife (which are ill-equipped to cope with the predatory pressure coyote put on them). Any decision by the provincial government to further ease restrictions on the harvesting of coyote (even seemingly small ones such as widening the range of legal calibers) would go a long way toward dealing with this very real threat.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Who knows, maybe they'll take it under consideration.

[Edward Smith]

Hey Christopher,

I had a similar ordeal happen to me. My nephew is an avid Bow hunter and was wondering if he could use his compound bow to take down a coyote. I made an inquiry to the Wildlife Division in Corner Brook, and the response I received was dumb-founding! They said no, a bow couldn't be used. (not that strange) But, when I inquired as to the rationale to this decision, the answer I received was ridiculous. The fellow stated "that the arrow would damage the fur, and hunters are mandated to retain the pelt." I was stunned at such a stupid answer, like double 00 buck shot would do less! Really!

Now, in your situation, my thoughts are that the response you will receive will be something like this. After looking at the various calibers out there, the ones chosen where less likely to be used as a tool for poachers. thus, the calibers outlined are the only ones hunters could use outside of big & small game seasons. Or, something along those lines. I am interested in the response you get, keep us posted. Cheers, Ed

[Gerard Grace]

Not sure if you have seen what a 22-250 does to a Coyote, but I can tell you now that there is a big hole left in that pelt..
Not sure if anyone out there knows of a better 22-250 bullet that will do little damage to a coyote. If you do please let me know?
Thanks
G

[Christopher Paddock]

No reply from the Minister's office yet, but hope springs eternal.

[Christopher Paddock]

Finally got a response from one of the Conservation Services Managers (withholding his name, as I'm not sure I'm permitted to post it here):
_____________________________________________________

Dear Mr. Paddock:

This is in reply to your question concerning legal firearm calibers permitted on a Coyote Shooting License. Minister Johnson has asked that our Division respond directly to you on her behalf.

Firearms and ammunition permitted on a Coyote Shooting License are considered adequate in terms of the ballistic capacity to harvest coyotes and during the seasons which are currently in place for this license type. Wild Life Regulations referring to the Coyote Shooting License allow the use of a shotgun using #2 shot or larger and/or centerfire rifles not greater than .225, these rifle calibers are commonly referred to as varmint rifles. This license type acknowledges the unique techniques employed during specific coyote hunting opportunities where centerfire rifles are viewed to be most effective. Limiting the coyote shooting license to calibers not greater than .225 reflects the input of enforcement staff that involves concerns over possessing larger calibers in areas frequented by wildlife during closed big game seasons. Presently the .243 is listed a minimum caliber under the big game regulations for the Island. While there are some bullet types that make the .243 caliber similar in ballistics to larger varmint calibers like the 22-250, enforcing bullet type rather than caliber designation is much more onerous.

Coyotes may be harvested using larger calibers permitted under the authority of a big game license during the period and in the management area where the license is valid; this tends to be very incidental as evidenced by the data derived from the coyote collection program. Coyotes may also be harvested on a small game license using a shotgun (using #2 shot or larger) or .22 rim-fire rifle. Coyotes may also be harvested by licensed trappers and remains the highest portion of the annual harvest.

I trust this is helpful. Please feel free to contact directly if you require any additional information.

Regards,
Manager
Conservation Services - Stewardship and Education Section
Wildlife Division
Department of Environment and Conservation
PO Box 2007
Corner Brook, NL
A2H 7S1
_____________________________________________________

While I agree with him that trying to regulate individual bullet types within a caliber would be an impossible task, I can't believe they actually have the .243 listed as a low-end big game caliber in NL. While I realize the .243 is just a necked-down .308, the ballistics between these 2 rounds are markedly different. That, plus the fact that the heaviest commercially-available bullet I've been able to find for the .243 is 100 grain, make me think that this round is a bit too light for caribou or bear, and FAR too light for a responsible shot on a moose. But maybe I'm wrong; the .243 is certainly a popular deer cartridge on the mainland. Has anyone on this board ever taken big game on this island with a .243?

[Scott Hudson]

is the comment about the rimfire rifle true? I thought you had to have a centerfire no matter what to hunt the coyotes. unless you use the #2 shot or >, Can I shoot yotes with my 22win mag?

[Christopher Paddock]

That one threw me as well, so I had to re-read the annual guide again to check. It clearly states that "holders of a coyote shooting license are not permitted to use rimfire rifles to hunt coyote".

[Richard Bishop]

yes that part of the letter seemed strange to me to.

[Mike Quinton]

Page 11 of the Hunting and Trapping guide, "Small game hunters may also use a .22 rimfire rifle to harvest coyotes during the small game season."

[Christopher Paddock]

I believe that was a change for the 2011 season, although it also clearly states on the Dept of Environment and Conservation website (http://www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/wildlife/season_dates/coyote.html): "Holders of a coyote shooting licence are not permitted to use rimfire rifles to hunt coyotes." Wish they'd get their stories straight.

[Mike Quinton]

Yeah, I noticed that as well. I'm guessing whomever handles the Website is different than the person taking care of the print media. You wouldn't mind if the inaccuracy didn't have any kind of impact on the reader but when you consider the possibility of fines and potential confiscation of property it's unacceptable.