nightime pest removal-- the law?

[seez52]

So, I've got these pests that keep bothering me. Mostly they seem to bother me at night. Usually it's skunks and yotes, mainly yotes.

If'n I had a night vision rig could I eliminate these pests?

Spotlighting game I know is a no no if done for sport. And while it might be a little fun to bag a yote at night, it would be mainly for elimination due to peskiness.

[Guest pws_smokeyjones]

If there are coyotes in the area, they will come around in the day time if they are baited and called right. Skunks on the other hand are a whole different animal (no pun intended). Best recommendation I have ever heard was to trap them and have them removed by an exterminator.

[Guest jackdm3]

If there are coyotes in the area, they will come around in the day time if they are baited and called right. Skunks on the other hand are a whole different animal (no pun intended). Best recommendation I have ever heard was to trap them and have them removed by an exterminator.

Not to derail, but the first thing that came to mind was the similarity of the authoritative catch and release of human animals, unless the exterminators you suggest actually exterminate. Back on topic, do exterminators kill all captured?

[Guest pws_smokeyjones]

jackdm3 - i am not sure. I have two friends that are exterminators and one of them I know for a fact does "pest removal" of things like skunks etc... he will show up and set out trap(s) as necessary and then he has some method of getting rid of them legally. Perhaps he just relocates them - I don't know.

[seez52]

Oh yeah, beavers, my father inlaw has a beaver problem. They are pesky little devils, flood his property. Have been asked to eliminate some of those too.

[seez52]

when I see them in the daytime around here I relocate them...... to the hereafter for skunks!!

[Guest jackdm3]

I suppose yotes eat freshly-killed skunks?

[ShaunM]

Taken form the TWRA website.

Weapons may be equipped with sighting devices except those devices utilizing an artificial light capable of locating wildlife. Night vision scopes are illegal.

Hunting is prohibited over a site where bait has been placed to feed or attract wildlife unless the bait has been removed at least ten (10) days prior to hunting.

Since it is bow season the only legal equipment to hunt coyotes with are shotguns with #4 shot or smaller, muzzleloader, rimfire and archery equipment. Hunting coyotes at night is illegal.

Edited October 5, 2010 by Hunting101

[Guest 10mm4me]

Nightvision and hunting @ night is illegal.

[DaveS]

Well said Hunting 101....you beat me to it!

[seez52]

I don't think I ever said anything about hunting anything at night.

[Jonsaiga]

Best bet for the skunks is to get a skunk tube trap. Once trapped, dunk the the whole trap with skunk inside in a 55 gallon drum or large trash can full of water to drown them. Please don't relocate them, you'll just be turning your problem into some one else's problem. Aside from that, you might just want to call twra and your local animal control and ask them what you can legally do about the coyotes. I would think coyotes would fall under pest control and not hunting restrictions but would double check with TWRA to find out for sure.

[DaveS]

If'n I had a night vision rig could I eliminate these pests?

Spotlighting game I know is a no no if done for sport. And while it might be a little fun to bag a yote at night, it would be mainly for elimination due to peskiness.

Here's how I read your post. Hunting 101 was merily quoting what the law says as to your idea. As crazy as it is....

Edited October 7, 2010 by wd-40

[kb4ns]

...they seem to bother me at night...

If'n I had a night vision rig...

...it might be a little fun to bag a yote at night...

I don't think I ever said anything about hunting anything at night.

[seez52]

Ok, so here's what prompted me to start this thread in the first place.

I had another run in with coyotes Monday night.

Dogs were having a fit near the fence in the back yard. Both of them. Usually when they are both barking it really is something. I turn on the eve lights and walk out on the porch, but can't see anything. Dogs still at the fence barking. I can now hear growling, lots of growling, more than what my two dogs could do. Come in and get the flashlight. Shine it in their direction and just across the fence I can see 3 sets of eyeballs. Come in get the closest loaded thing I can pick up, a .30 carbine. Go back out and they are still there, but can't make out who the eyeballs belong to. I'm pretty sure it's yotes, but could be neighbor dogs. I shine the light on one while walking toward the fence. I continue to keep his eyes lit up and walk the 30 yards or so to the fence. He and his buddies are still there, about 50 ft. the other side of the fence!

I could not believe they didn't scram. It's dark as everything even with the eve lights at my back, and I can't get the sights to show up on the carbine. I put the front sight on one of them and guess at the back sight. With the flashlight and at this range I can see him turn to the side, a good size yote for sure. I pull the trigger but it's a miss. Just couldn't tell where I was aiming with that little peep sight. I climbed the fence to see if I had drawn any blood or if they had retreated back a little ways, but they were gone altogether and no signs of a hit.

I hear them all the time and you never know how close they are, but these were basically in the back yard! If it hadn't been for the fence I imagine they would have already tangled with my dogs. If I had known they would let me get that close I would have taken the shotgun, would have had one then. Still can't believe I was able to get that close.

That's the second close encounter in as many months. So far yotes 2 me 0.

I'm needing a plan to even the odds and protect my animals. I never see or hear any of these guys in the daylight, seems like they are pretty bold at night though. Now every time one of the dogs barks I"m up looking out the window.

[mikegideon]

Defending is not hunting. I don't know the finer points of the law, but I know what I would do in your shoes.

[ShaunM]

If another dog or coyote is attacking your dogs or causing property damage and you catch them in the act you shouldn't have any problems justifying your actions.

[ShaunM]

Here's how I read your post. Hunting 101 was merily quoting what the law says as to your idea. As crazy as it is....

Thats exactly what I was doing.

[StPatrick]

Defending is not hunting. I don't know the finer points of the law, but I know what I would do in your shoes.

Those weren't Coyote, at least in the biological sense. The purebred adult Coyote is very shy, solitary, and subsists on rodents and carrion. When Coyote interbreed with domesticated dogs, the offspring inherit the dogs' pack instinct, and will attack larger prey as part of a group. Feral dogs and feral semi-yotes are a threat to anyone raising animals...farmers with young cows, goats, chickens, etc.. The hybrids need to be put down on sight, and the state should allow it with no restrictions. Dogyotes are not indigenous species, after all.

The day they allow that will be the day they allow feral hogs to be taken with no restrictions, which is coincedentally the day I'll be named king of whereveristan.

[ShaunM]

Those weren't Coyote, at least in the biological sense. The purebred adult Coyote is very shy, solitary, and subsists on rodents and carrion. When Coyote interbreed with domesticated dogs, the offspring inherit the dogs' pack instinct, and will attack larger prey as part of a group. Feral dogs and feral semi-yotes are a threat to anyone raising animals...farmers with young cows, goats, chickens, etc.. The hybrids need to be put down on sight, and the state should allow it with no restrictions. Dogyotes are not indigenous species, after all.

The day they allow that will be the day they allow feral hogs to be taken with no restrictions, which is coincedentally the day I'll be named king of whereveristan.

Uh pure breed coyotes are not always solitary animals. Coyotes usually pair up and do travel in packs. Coyotes also do pack up and will kill baby calf's and even full grown cows. Heck a full grown coyote is more than capable of killing a baby calf on it's own. When a coyote mates with a domestic dog it's called a coy dog (offspring from a male coyote and female domestic dog) not a dogyote. A dogote is a cross between a male domestic dog and a female coyote and you can tell the difference between both species compared to a pure breed coyote. I have been hunting coyotes for a very very very long time and have seen all 3 types so I know the difference. I have also called in and killed many and I mean many coyotes. Coyotes are not indigenous to TN either. Not sure where you got your info but coy dogs or dogots are not common and the coyotes I see are pure breed coyotes. 99.99% of coyotes that I have called in are true coyotes not cross breed coyotes. Again not sure where you got your info but I am basing it off my hunting experiences and from reading books on coyotes. Also coyotes eat a lot of grass and berries not just meat it keeps them from being stopped up if you know what I mean.

Edited October 9, 2010 by Hunting101

[seez52]

I never thought a coyote would would attack large animals like a deer. Last fall when doing my year end bushoging I found lying on a big flat rock the lower end of a deer leg, severed at the knee. It was just lying there. Pretty decent sized, certainly not off a fawn. Couldn't think of anything other than a yote doing it, but surprised they would go after such a large animal. Next day I drove by the big flat rock and it was gone. Guess they came back for it.

[ShaunM]

Coyotes will pair up and hunt and are more than capable of taking down a full grown deer.

[Guest BEARMAN]

Coyotes will pair up and hunt and are more than capable of taking down a full grown deer.

+1...I too, have also witnessed this while deer hunting. I have had a pack of 3 large coyote's come thru my hunting area. I fired upon the nearest one, which was about 100 yards away, but missed the darn thing.

I've also found chewed off deer legs, however this was during deer season, so it could have been off a hunter killed carcass...but I doubt it.

[gregintenn]

I know what I do with pests in the nighttime. I don't know how the law reads regarding it.

[seez52]

Solution to the problem arrived this week. Made final adjustments last night. Waiting.