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Opening day spoiled!

Doewhacker

By Doewhacker,
in Turkey Hunting

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Doewhacker Newbie

Doewhacker

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So there we are all set up before dawn, I could actually see the birds acrossed the field on the roost faning out. Slowly daylight comes the gobbling started, the toms flew down and started strutting and working their way in. Four deer came out and were feeding near the turkeys and I thought "what a great morning", cue the Jaws sound track. I look along the back edge of the field and I spot a set of ears bobbing along, first one edge then another. I quickly realized it was going to be over soon, a coyote had come to investigate and was stalking in range. First the deer spooked out of the field, then returned to challenge the coyote, then spooked again. The coyote turned his attention to the 3 toms and hens next, stalking in, ears laid back, ready to pounce. He took off on a charge and the birds caught on and mayhem ensued. Some flew back to the far side of the field and one hen flew over and landed in the tree above our heads knocking bark down on us, which made me laugh and I asked her not to poo on me.

Mean while the coyote sat down as if in disgust of a busted hunt, (same as I did) after watching the birds disperse he went back to hunting in the field. He circled through the field towards us and once he got close spotted the decoys and quickly hit the field edge and went on the sneak again. I watched him close the distance to the decoys until he was nearly on them not less than 20 yards from me. I went nuts on the mouth call and he spoted us and away he went.

The turkeys decided they had enough and left silently in another direction after a half hour, it was really something to see first hand and I hope I can re-connect with the tom's this Friday. What an exciting opening day we had....

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catskillkid Enthusiast

catskillkid

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Great story, would have been nice to have on video.

The same has happened to me, many yotes have come to my hen putts and yelps. I'm a firm believer that the toms do not gobble as much when on the ground anymore because it will tip off the yotes as to thier location

I have seen a big reduction in the turkey population in the last 6 years in Delaware County and a large upswing in the coyote numbers.

Good Luck! persistence pays off.

Coyote season should be open all year!

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Doewhacker Newbie

Doewhacker

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Yes catskill it really answered alot of questions for us. My brother had scouted the birds and noted that they shut up when they hit the ground which is odd for early in the year. He had also heard the coyotes barking and howling just after the Turkeys flew down during scouting, when you put two and two together it makes sense.

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Doewhacker Newbie

Doewhacker

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Doewacker good story, I mean not so much for you but I know what you mean by good hunts spoiled. You know you want to go back there.  :P

I wasn't to upset, it was neat to see afterall, and yes guess where I will be Friday morning at about 500am...

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nyantler Apprentice

nyantler

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Always gets me how hunters have made coyotes out to be the bad guy... 1.,000,000 whitetails in NY... 20,000 coyotes.... not really sure why fellas think there is a problem... population problems with whitetails have way more to do with habitat and hunters than "yotes"... isolated problems in some areas... maybe... a threat to the NY deer herd.. Hardly!

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Dave Newbie

Dave

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Always gets me how hunters have made coyotes out to be the bad guy... 1.,000,000 whitetails in NY... 20,000 coyotes.... not really sure why fellas think there is a problem... population problems with whitetails have way more to do with habitat and hunters than "yotes"... isolated problems in some areas... maybe... a threat to the NY deer herd.. Hardly!

Antler, a lot of hunters don't hold the same opinion as you, in regard to coyotes. Some feel they are the reason for seeing less deer in their hunting area's. There are many articles and video's produced to show the predation caused by Yotes. Right or wrong they have a bad name in the deer hunting community. So I can see and this is MY opinion why hunters may shoot a coyote any chance they get. You don't have to bother telling me they are out of season and it's against the law , this i know. The coyote has a bad rap and that's not going to change. Hunters may feel they are protecting the deer every time a coyote is shot, especially the fawns.  Not to mention the small game, in many areas there are none. Just my opinion,not to start a controversy. Which had happened in the past.

Dave

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wooly Newbie

wooly

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Cool hunt! 8)

Guess I'm one of those that couldn't drop the hammer on a yote out of season either. I'm sure their growing numbers in my area are beginning to take their toll on many other species that used to be common but very rare to see anymore. Other wildlife has had to adapt or get eaten.

The little smallgame sign I've seen over the last few winters just leads me to believe these surviving prey species have found a way to do the latter which makes them much less visable to us.

I suppose it's cyclical and once they eat everything in site, most of the smaller critters will return in droves again once the yotes move on. Not to mention the replenishment of smallgame food sources and habitat that supports them.

I think our local hatred for the yote has come from them becoming our biggest natural competitor for game species so we tend to exagerate their impact. They really are some facinating creatures when you look at how they've expanded their range and and continue to thrive as far as we've put a stranglehold on their natural environment .....just not as tastey as others we like on our plates. :)

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Dave Newbie

Dave

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Cool hunt! 8)

Guess I'm one of those that couldn't drop the hammer on a yote out of season either. I'm sure their growing numbers in my area are beginning to take their toll on many other species that used to be common but very rare to see anymore. Other wildlife has had to adapt or get eaten.

The little smallgame sign I've seen over the last few winters just leads me to believe these surviving prey species have found a way to do the latter which makes them much less visable to us.

I suppose it's cyclical and once they eat everything in site, most of the smaller critters will return in droves again once the yotes move on. Not to mention the replenishment of smallgame food sources and habitat that supports them.

I think our local hatred for the yote has come from them becoming our biggest natural competitor for game species so we tend to exagerate their impact. They really are some facinating creatures when you look at how they've expanded their range and and continue to thrive as far as we've put a stranglehold on their natural environment .....just not as tastey as others we like on our plates. ;)

Wolly, I agree. I even had the chance a few times during deer season and didn't take the shot. But they are a very wily critter, always moving and hard to get a bead on. They have a bad rap that's makes them a target. Not saying that is right just the way it is.

Dave

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Four Season Whitetail's Newbie

Four Season Whitetail's

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Joe mabey in your part of the woods there are not alot of them.Down here in the black river valley we are loaded with the things.I have had them pin my little dalmation against our sliding back door.We have them runnin up and down our fence in daylight tryin to get in.I have them in the fields yippin and yappen every night.We go turkey hunting and see 2 or 3 yotes all the time.many times in the spring yotes are runnin around with fawns in their mouths.Around here its shoot on sight and to go one step further its a requirement if you want to hunt our land and i have many people knockin on my door to hunt!!!

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nyantler Apprentice

nyantler

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Always gets me how hunters have made coyotes out to be the bad guy... 1.,000,000 whitetails in NY... 20,000 coyotes.... not really sure why fellas think there is a problem... population problems with whitetails have way more to do with habitat and hunters than "yotes"... isolated problems in some areas... maybe... a threat to the NY deer herd.. Hardly!

Antler, a lot of hunters don't hold the same opinion as you, in regard to coyotes. Some feel they are the reason for seeing less deer in their hunting area's. There are many articles and video's produced to show the predation caused by Yotes. Right or wrong they have a bad name in the deer hunting community. So I can see and this is MY opinion why hunters may shoot a coyote any chance they get. You don't have to bother telling me they are out of season and it's against the law , this i know. The coyote has a bad rap and that's not going to change. Hunters may feel they are protecting the deer every time a coyote is shot, especially the fawns.  Not to mention the small game, in many areas there are none. Just my opinion,not to start a controversy. Which had happened in the past.

Dave

You're entitled to your opinion... and I agree coyotes have a bad name... the reason there are videos and articles written about their predation is because they are predators... they have just as much right to exist in nature as the whitetail... not sure why it is ok to have 1,000,000 whitetails in NY, but not 20,000 coyotes... and in my opinion it's wrong to condone illegal hunting of coyotes to satisfy your lust for deer... hunting them legally is a better option. Not like you can't take as many as you like during the regular season.. seems to me you are pretty quick to make up your own rules when it comes satisfying your own hunting interest... that to me is not much of a sportsman... not to stir up controversy.. thats just my opinion. And by the way I will always try to take a coyote during the regular season.. so I'm not against hunting coyotes.

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nyantler Apprentice

nyantler

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Cool hunt! 8)

Guess I'm one of those that couldn't drop the hammer on a yote out of season either. I'm sure their growing numbers in my area are beginning to take their toll on many other species that used to be common but very rare to see anymore. Other wildlife has had to adapt or get eaten.

The little smallgame sign I've seen over the last few winters just leads me to believe these surviving prey species have found a way to do the latter which makes them much less visable to us.

I suppose it's cyclical and once they eat everything in site, most of the smaller critters will return in droves again once the yotes move on. Not to mention the replenishment of smallgame food sources and habitat that supports them.

I think our local hatred for the yote has come from them becoming our biggest natural competitor for game species so we tend to exagerate their impact. They really are some facinating creatures when you look at how they've expanded their range and and continue to thrive as far as we've put a stranglehold on their natural environment .....just not as tastey as others we like on our plates. ;)

Amen.. totally agree

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catskillkid Enthusiast

catskillkid

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When you can hear 2 to 3 different packs of yotes yipping and howlerin after sundown every other evening on a 200 acre piece of land. Walk through the woods in late May and see fawn skins here and there. See a reduction in the wild turkey population from seeing flocks of 20 to 30 birds to almost none. I would surmise that the coyote numbers are too high in my area.

I agree that there should be a predator / prey balance, but in my area of Delaware County there is an imbalance

I wouldn't shoot one out of season either, but the DEC should look into opening it year round until things are under control.

My .02

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nyantler Apprentice

nyantler

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Joe mabey in your part of the woods there are not alot of them.Down here in the black river valley we are loaded with the things.I have had them pin my little dalmation against our sliding back door.We have them runnin up and down our fence in daylight tryin to get in.I have them in the fields yippin and yappen every night.We go turkey hunting and see 2 or 3 yotes all the time.many times in the spring yotes are runnin around with fawns in their mouths.Around here its shoot on sight and to go one step further its a requirement if you want to hunt our land and i have many people knockin on my door to hunt!!!

Note:

The Environmental Conservation Law allows 'problem coyotes' to be killed at other times of the year. Section 11-0523 says coyotes that are "injuring private property may be taken by the owner, occupant or lessee... at any time in any manner."

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