# First Yote(s) of Year



## saskcoyote (Dec 30, 2006)

Hi Guys: Got back from Montana rooster hunt Thursday so now it's time to get serious about chasing coyotes. Here are the first and second yotes of the new season.

Both were males, taken with my .223 Tikka, from about 80 yards away, after they busted me and were hightailing it out of Dodge. Got lucky with these shots. Generally a running coyote is a safe coyote but I connected on both of them. Both yotes were running directly away from me so I didn't have to worry about leads.

The day before, I missed the only one I called in, and it was standing so I guess the Big Guy upstairs figured he'd balance it out.

I don't have time to go into a long story about the hunt so this will have to do for now.

Good luck and shoot straight. Saskcoyote

/Users/Editor/Desktop/IMG_9166.JPG


----------



## saskcoyote (Dec 30, 2006)

Whoops, got home from the office from where I posted "First Yote(s)..." and saw a picture malfunction. I'll try to straighten it away tomorrow. In the meantime, what kind of luck are you guys having?


----------



## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

Good job...

I rolled one with a couple loads of 3.5" BB's while pass shooting divers a week or so ago. It came down the shoreline of the slough looking for breakfast, and didn't know he was in trouble before it was too late...


----------



## saskcoyote (Dec 30, 2006)

Hi guys: Here's the pix of two unlucky dogs, the first of the year. I whacked the one on the left on the fourth stand of the day and the other one on the sixth and last stand of the day.

For the first set, I had a breeze from the west at my back. and I was looking east. I hoped to pull a yote out of a large stand of trees, to my left (north). My intent was to work the cross wind and get the shot before he got downwind of me.

Wouldn't you know, he slipped in from the northeast with only his head visible over the crown of a hill. I figured I could pull him a little closer and get a full-body view before he picked up my scent. Well, I hit the volume on the FX-3 and pulled him into full view but before I could bark him to a stop, he caught my scent, turned and took off east. I couldn't stop him so I shot. Got lucky and connected. Dog down.

Second dog. Breeze from west. I set up on the east side of a bush looking eastward. After about five minutes with the JR Distress I caught movement to my right, to the south. The coyote was loping in but he must have caught me moving (I had my Ghillie on so he wouldn't have been able to see me except for movement).

He headed south, directly away, so I squeezed off, he went down, got up and I let him have it again. He got up and slipped into a large willow run but I was able to find the blood trail and picked him up about 40 -50 yards in.

It's been a little slower with call-ins this year compared to the last few but there seems to be a lot of yotes around here based on what farmers are telling me so the action should pick up.

I notice Fallguy had some great luck. What about the rest of you.

Good luck and shoot straight. Saskcoyote


----------



## dynarider68 (Mar 18, 2007)

way to much corn here in south dakota to get real serious..but I am still going to try on saturday..


----------



## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

Saskcoyote

Nice job with the dogs and the shooting on the run. I still haven't gotten any good at that.

Dynarider68

Don't get discouraged with the crops. We called in 7 coyotes on one stand this last weekend, and about half of those came out of sunflowers. The others came from an adjacent pasture.

And I called another coyote this weekend on a stand and he came out of some standing corn.

If you can find a setup spot nearby, call them out.


----------



## YoteSlapper (Mar 12, 2007)

Good job Saskcoyote!

YoteSlapper


----------



## USAlx50 (Nov 30, 2004)

Sask Coyote- What do you have to do to shoot coyotes in Sask. I was just up there waterfowl hunting and saw amazing numbers of coyotes. Locals told us it was a big fine for us to shoot coyotes. We were told some local residents could get licenses but NR weren't able to shoot coyotes. I know if we'd seen that many in ND while scouting there would have been a pickup bed full 

Just curious what the deal is, Id love to bring a rifle with and call yotes if I make it up there again but they didn't seem to want a bunch of people hunting them.


----------



## dynarider68 (Mar 18, 2007)

thanks fallguy..PM sent..


----------



## saskcoyote (Dec 30, 2006)

Hi USA: Your info is correct, coyote hunting in Saskatchewan is open only to provincial residents.

I believe (but can't get it confirmed) that up until a few years ago, non-residents could hunt coyotes but were restricted to four per season. I called our regional Environment office and talked to a CO but he was unsure of the history-details as well as the rationale for restricting coyote hunting.

As the regulations stand today, Saskatchewan residents can hunt coyotes year round with no licence. However, to sell the fur, one needs a Trapper's Licence.

It's unfortunate there are restrictions because there are lots of coyotes around but not many hunters. I'd say we don't have near the pressure you guys south of the line have.

Hope this helps. Saskcoyote


----------



## kdog (Mar 13, 2007)

Hello sask,

Congrats on your first coyotes!
Good to see you back, and great to hear stories of the new season.

I did hunt in your province about 4 or 5 years ago - the last year that US residents were allowed to hunt. As you had stated, we were allowed 4 coyotes each, and were issued 4 tags with our license. We saw alot of coyotes and had no problem taking 4 each. It was great fun, and I would love to go back some day should they decide to lift the restriction.

Best of luck in this new season!


----------



## USAlx50 (Nov 30, 2004)

saskcoyote said:


> Hi USA: Your info is correct, coyote hunting in Saskatchewan is open only to provincial residents.
> 
> I believe (but can't get it confirmed) that up until a few years ago, non-residents could hunt coyotes but were restricted to four per season. I called our regional Environment office and talked to a CO but he was unsure of the history-details as well as the rationale for restricting coyote hunting.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info. It would be a blast to hunt dogs up in your province!

ND should do something simular with their waterfowl regs :lol:


----------



## 6162rk (Dec 5, 2004)

according to the head of saskatchewan fish & wildlife. the reason we can't hunt them anymore is some of our beloved comrades from the u.s.a. would buy a coyote license to go along with there deer license. then they would leave the forest zone where they are supposed to hunt and go into the farm zone and shoot their deer. using the coyote license to cover their butt if they got checked with a rifle in possesion. just got to love the people that screw it up for everyone else. they should of hung them and their guides.


----------



## saskcoyote (Dec 30, 2006)

6162rk: Yes, isn't that the case, a few screw it up for the many. Still, it seems our Environment (DNR) Department could have approached the problem differently. All the Department would have had to do is restrict licences to non-Saskatchewan residents until after the Big Game seasons are over, usually in December.

The season for non-residents could have begun, say, Jan. 1 and lasted to the end of February.

That way, non-residents could have enjoyed some fine hunting and those who abused the process would have been checkmated.

Maybe one day something like this will be put in place. Saskcoyote


----------



## 6162rk (Dec 5, 2004)

another option would be shotgun only until the big game season is over.


----------



## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

saskcoyote

Can a US resident still go up to Canada and just call them in, with a resident shooting? It seems thats what Randy Anderson does in his videos with Wooly. You will notice when they are up in Canada only Wooly is shooting or some other Canadian, while Randy is just the caller. That might be fun thing to do for some people.


----------



## saskcoyote (Dec 30, 2006)

Hi Fallguy: Interesting question about the calling-but-no-shooting scenario.

Thought you and others might be interested in the definition of 'hunting' as published in the 2008 Saskatchewan Hunters' and Trappers' Guide:

"Hunting includes taking, wounding, killing, chasing, pursuing, worrying, capturing, following after or on the trail of, searching for, shooting at, trapping, setting snares for, stalking, lying in wait for any wildlife, whether or not the wildlife is subsequently captured, wounded or killed."

To put a practical face to this, I'm on the executive of our local Wildlife Federation branch and a couple years ago, one of the other executive members showed up at our meeting to relay a story about his encounter with a conservative officer (game warden).

The fellow was out spotting geese one Sunday evening. As he sat in his truck watching the geese come in, the CO pulled up and during the subsequent conversation, the fellow told the CO he was trying to line up a shoot for the following day.

The CO's response was -- and I paraphrase -- "I could charge you right now because under the definition, you're hunting."

This, of course, was open to interpretation and maybe our Environment Department leaves the definition deliberately cloudy.

So, Fallguy, if a non-resident who only does the calling accompanies a Saskatchewan resident during a coyote hunt, is he 'hunting'?

Does calling a coyote fall within the definition of, say, "pursuing" or "on the trail of" or "worrying"?

I'd say it does and if a CO wants to bust your chops, the "Hunting..." as per the Guide's definition, probably gives him a good chance of succeeding.

If, by chance, anyone plans come to Saskatchewan to call coyotes, I'd suggest a couple things to consider. First, call the Environment Department to get their stance on the legality of calling.

And second, get ahold of Wooly. Any CO who knows how well Wooly can shoot sure ain't gonna wanna mess with him. :lol:

Good luck and shoot straight. And if those Environment boys ever get it together, give me a shout (you too, kdog) and we'll go out and whack a bunch. :beer: Saskcoyote


----------



## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

Would the "laying in wait" or "following after" parts of that law apply to someone photographing animals, even if they are not killed in the process?

Maybe I am just jumping to quick judgement here, but that law seems to be written in a way that allows the CO's to write some tickets and make some extra money.

I will be on the forums later in the weekend, and I will have reflected upon your post a little more. Perhpas the law will make more sense later, but I am not sure it will. :lol:

Thanks for the post saskcoyote!


----------



## kdog (Mar 13, 2007)

Hello Sask,

Thanks for the interesting post(s) - as per usual. I would truly enjoy "whackin" a bunch of coyotes with you some day if the rules change.

I often wonder how that Critter Call works for you, if you use it to KiYi etc. Hopefully it will/has put more fur on the stretcher for you. I know I wouldn't be without mine - even using an electronic call.

Hope you continue to have a great season (looks like you've got the shoot straight part down). :beer:


----------



## saskcoyote (Dec 30, 2006)

Hi kdog: Yup, used the 'kiyi' just last Wednesday for the first time although it wasn't the Critter Call, it was the FX-3 variety.

Here's the scenario (and with it a long story). With a slight breeze from the south, I set up on the north side of a huge wooded area, about a mile long and half a mile wide.

I faced north and before me lay a combined canola field. Out about 100 yards was a long, narrow slough running east-west. After a couple minutes of JR distress, I noticed a yote coming from the east but lost him when he got into bullrushes by the slough.

A moment later, I see a coyote coming in from the west headed directly east. He was about 200 yards away on the far side of the slough. When it became obvious I wasn't going to coax him in and because I had a solid rest, I decided to squeeze off.

Bingo, he did the twirl and then, much to my amazement, he took off due north and disappeared over a hill. 

Just before the shot, however, the first yote that had disappeared in the bullrushes appeared and was trotting north and with the shot, he put it into a higher gear. He was probably close to 200 yards when I hit the Bill Austin Kiyi on the FX-3 and the yote stopped and turned to give me a broadside.

Whack! I could hear the HP hit but because the shot was between 220 and 250 yards (much farther than I feel comfortable in shooting) I wasn't sure where I hit him. He disappeared over a hill.

I walked out to where the first coyote was and expected to find him laying out in the stubble 50 yards max from where I hit him. But there were three small sloughs and I couldn't pick up a blood trail so the half-hour search was fruitless. 

I turned my attention to the second coyote, the one I thought I had less chance of getting, and there he was. The shot through the lungs dropped him less than 50 yards from where I shot him. 

So, the 'kiyi' worked. I got a second yote that evening, a spot and stalk on one I saw during a drive looking for honkers.

Last week was a decent week, I picked up four in three hunts but the coyotes up here are really working tough. At this point last year, I had 12 compared to six this year, and had more than twice as many call-ins.

And the ones I do call in are much more wary than last year. Other than the hard charger that knocked over my FX-3 and vamoosed as I hopelessly let loose a few rounds and the one that did exactly what he was supposed to do during yesterday morning's hunt, I've had only running shots or longer hang-ups.

Our annual week-long mule deer hunt to the west side of the province had to be put on hold this year so it'll give me a chance to get an extra week of prime-time coyote hunting, at least before the white-tail hunters hit the field, scaring the dickens out of every yote around.

Yes, we have plenty of coyotes but sometimes, they just don't want to co-operate and from what I've seen so far, that's the case this season.

How is your season so far? And what about the rest of you guys? Having any luck? I'd like to read a good story or two about how those American yotes are behaving.

Saskcoyote


----------

