Coyote on my lake

[Pinusbanksiana]

Sitting here at my desk working (home office) and i see a coyote trotting across the ice. He stops and bites the ice out from between his toes. Third time this week already that I have seen him. My sons 257 Roberts is 10 feet away. Can I legally shoot this thing? I have a small game license. Never shot a coyote before.

[picksbigwagon]

good question......not really sure about the legallity of shooting across a body of water with a rifle. If it was deer season, could you shoot across a lake to a deer walking across ice? can you shoot a deer as it is crossing a river or creek? I don't know, but the DNR would be able to answer that for you. The 257 would knock it down, dead right there, for sure. are you sure it is coyote and not a timberwolf?

[Pinusbanksiana]

Yea it is a coyote. I have seen plenty of wolves to know the difference. I may take a poke at it if it shows again. Unless someone here tells me it is illegal. It gets about 200 yards away, maybe a bit closer.

[varmithtr]

I would think that because of waterfowl hunting, that guns are not banned over water, as long as the area you ar around is legal shooting area. Just an opinion, not law! I also doubt that if you took a safe shot, a CO or anyone else would worry about dropping a yote.

[motley man]

Don't shoot across a lake if there are other homes around as you will be bouncing that bullet around. Be sure you have a good background with no houses, farms or anything else that may be hit by stray bullet.

[Pinusbanksiana]

Nothing but timber over there. I am not concerned with where the bullet goes as I am the legality of shooting a coyote. Do I need a predator license or will a small game license do?

[picksbigwagon]

no license is needed what so ever as long as you are a resident of MN. be sure of your back ground , shovel out a quiet spot where to can take up a spot to shoot from, move in quietly, bark at the coyote once or twice to get it to stop (if need be) or lip squeek like a mouse, pull the trigger and take a picture when you are done.....

[LightningBG]

or just slide the window open and fire away.

[picksbigwagon]

that too, but you are gonna want to get it to stop first......and wear head phones, your ears will thank you

[Pinusbanksiana]

He didn't show again. I will get him yet though. Good point on those ear plugs, will keep a set near the gun and sliding glass door.

[Stringerless!]

DNR Book page 19 and 20. Unprotected mammals : Residents and nonresidents are not required to have a license to hunt unprotected species including coyote.

Page 20. Weasels,coyotes,gophers,porcupines,stripedskunks and all other mammals for which here is no closed season may be taken in any manner,except with the aid of artificial lights or by using a motor vehicle to drive,chase or run over or kill the animal.Poisins may not be used except in accordance with all label regulations of the State Dept of Agriculture and the E.P.A..

As long as you are 500 ft from a neighbors house or corral blast away !

[cbrooks]

Looks like it won't be a good day for yote coyote the next time he shows up on that lake. 200 yards broadside standingstill vs 257 roberts. Let us know what happens.

[Pinusbanksiana]

Looks like it won't be a good day for yote coyote the next time he shows up on that lake. 200 yards broadside standingstill vs 257 roberts. Let us know what happens.

I will be on the lookout for him!

[Pinusbanksiana]

So it is day three and he has not shown that I have seen. I got quasi technical and used google earth to measure the distance to a know spot, (a point of land)where he has been going into. It is 334 yards from my home according to google earth. So my 117 grain 257 Roberts will drop about 10 inches at that distance. Gun is loaded and ready for him to show. Ear plugs not handy though, I may step out and use the deck supports as a rest.

[leech~~]

Oh leave him for the Wolves, maybe it will save a Deer!

[Buckslayer08]

I've never tried this or anything yet, but maybe you could up your chances of getting that coyote to come back to that spot if you tried one of those bait scents that trappers use? With the openess of the lake, that scent should carry for a long ways, and once he shows up, in theory he should stop to check it out for at least long enough for your shot.

I used to setup and call across a river backwater area once it was frozen as I could see and shoot darned near forever without any worries of hitting anything else as the backdrop was a dense forest. It was always a good spot, so maybe I'll have to hit it up this week.

[Pinusbanksiana]

He just showed up a few minutes ago, but 545 yards away, too far for a shot. If I shoot and miss, I may not get another chance so I will wait. He has a pronounced limp, looks like an injured front right foot or leg, possibly a trapper has caught him.

[cbrooks]

You must have a rangefinder. What kind of range would you feel comfortable at? If the coyotes injured you definatly have to take him. My guess is maybe he was shot by a smaller caliber gun. Good luck.

[Pinusbanksiana]

No range finder but google earth has really good measurement tool and i can pinpoint his location buy the points of land across the lake. No idea why he is limping but he wasn't several days ago. He may have just stepped in some slush and had ice on his foot too, my dogs limp for a while when that happens.

[Pinusbanksiana]

Got him. Just dropped him with one shot, held about 7 inches over him and he tipped right over. Pictures to follow soon as I go pick him up.

[monstermoose78]

good deal

[leech~~]

Got him. Just dropped him with one shot, held about 7 inches over him and he tipped right over. Pictures to follow soon as I go pick him up.

Great! Um, what was your back stop like on the other side of the lake? Any cabins over there? Sorry, standard Q's from a DNR Gun Safety instructor!

[fishfearme]

Nothing but timber over there. I am not concerned with where the bullet goes as I am the legality of shooting a coyote. Do I need a predator license or will a small game license do?

I think he explained his backstop. Geez, do you think he is stupid?

BTW nice shot!

[nonteepical]

2 weeks... now thats persistant! 500 yards at a coyote is good shooting at an animal that small, i've used google earth's yardage tool and always wondered how accurate it was.

[Pinusbanksiana]

[PoorWordUsage] batteries were dead in the camera. I will take picture of it in my garage as soon as I find some double A's. Hit her right in the left eye as she was looking at me, I had to whistle to stop her. I was correct on her paw too, it was severed at the wrist joint but she looked healthy still. Feel a little remorse now, but the shot was pretty fun and I had it measured at 350 yards. I was slightly shocked when she tipped over.

[pureinsanity]

Maybe something else busted out the eye and you just scared her to death

[Pinusbanksiana]

Ok, here are the hero shots. First one is the backdrop so everyone can stop worrying that I shot out your summer cabin windows. You can almost see the sled tracks where I turned around as I picked her up. A good 350 yards, plus the drop from my house to the lake is probably 40 feet.

Her she is, you can see the front paw is missing.

[monstermoose78]

thats a good poke! Nice work

[plannerman]

Nice shot at a great target...but...WTH are you going to watch for out the window now with 4 months of winter left?

[Pinusbanksiana]

Good point, there is always something going on out there, maybe I need to get some bird feed. Hmmm, and a pellet gun.