About every square acre of Iowa land is farmed. The fields lie empty after harvested for about 2/3 they year. I was out road hunting (I was desperate), and didn't see anything after 3 hours. I then realized that I have never seen a road killed coyote. I am a pheasant hunter, so I am out alot. I just never see any coyotes. How is the coyote population in Iowa? I realize that coyotes arn't dumb and sit out in the open for too long. But there is very little but that in the area i'm in. But that is all there is is open land. Where are they all at?
Iowa coyotes
- Thread starter pack999
- Start date
bighornboy
New member
I lived in central KS for 23 years, it sounds like similar terrain. In farm country you can find yotes in small isolated pockets of cover, fence rows, waterway, CRP, creek bottoms, plum thickets, sloughs, and in any pasture ground. Also after the crops have been harvested, we found a lot of coyotes in the stubble ground, if it was not worked under right away. Obviously a lot of food left for birds/rodents after the harvest. Hope this helps some.
Rich Cronk
New member
pack999,
Mange has knocked the tar out of our coyote population here in western Iowa. Very sad deal
Mange has knocked the tar out of our coyote population here in western Iowa. Very sad deal
When I am out looking it is hard to find areas that arn't farmland. So I should just spend all my time looking in any pockets with any cover? I keep hopin to find one sleepin out in the middle of a field, but that would be too easy isn't it? Is summer a good time to coyote hunt?
Rich Cronk
New member
pack999,
I can still find a few healthy coyotes 20 miles north east of here, but population is down there also. Coyotes in this farm country are tough to call. You will find them in the open fields after dark, but they will be holed up in those pockets of cover during daytime. As you probably know, the crops will soon be too tall to see coyotes in farm country. My summer calling is done in pastured timber. Dang I miss the good old north texas coyotes.
I can still find a few healthy coyotes 20 miles north east of here, but population is down there also. Coyotes in this farm country are tough to call. You will find them in the open fields after dark, but they will be holed up in those pockets of cover during daytime. As you probably know, the crops will soon be too tall to see coyotes in farm country. My summer calling is done in pastured timber. Dang I miss the good old north texas coyotes.
J. Holly
New member
In oklahoma, this past year is the start of the rebound. I only shot one coyote that had mange, compared to EVERY one of them the year before. We had a large problem with it, and I think that it has just finally moved on. I know that the coyote population is extrememly prolific, and once that this problem has thinned some of them out, you are gonna see about an 85% female to male pup ratio. Remember, coyote bitches can determine what sex (to a degree) their pups are, and how big the litter sizes are (again, to a degree).
Pack999,
Some areas have a better coyote population than others. I hunt Marshall County, Iowa mostly. I hunt 16-18 days a month. Seen [48]est. canines the last 12 months.
During daylight, roughly 80% or more of the local coyotes are in or very close to cover[timber patch's, grassy/weeded creeks, CRP, ect]. Some coyotes will lay out in the open. Most coyotes hang around the 1/2 mile, on a 1-square mile section. Some will bed a little closer to the road. If their on the move, they can be seen anywhere.
Some areas have a better coyote population than others. I hunt Marshall County, Iowa mostly. I hunt 16-18 days a month. Seen [48]est. canines the last 12 months.
During daylight, roughly 80% or more of the local coyotes are in or very close to cover[timber patch's, grassy/weeded creeks, CRP, ect]. Some coyotes will lay out in the open. Most coyotes hang around the 1/2 mile, on a 1-square mile section. Some will bed a little closer to the road. If their on the move, they can be seen anywhere.
Double-clic the pic, to enlarge. Large balled-up Gray coyote.
http://www.hunt101.com/img/490792-big.jpg
http://www.hunt101.com/img/490792-big.jpg
Coyote walking a grassy creek bank.
http://www.hunt101.com/img/490791-big.jpg
http://www.hunt101.com/img/490791-big.jpg
Layoutman
New member
Quote:
When I am out looking it is hard to find areas that arn't farmland. So I should just spend all my time looking in any pockets with any cover? I keep hopin to find one sleepin out in the middle of a field, but that would be too easy isn't it? Is summer a good time to coyote hunt?
I prefer to leave the coyotes alone this time of year. It's hot and the ticks and skeeters are out in full force. The vegetation really limits your visability. I prefer to wait until late September or until we get a really hard frost that kills the grasshoppers and other insect that make up a significant portion of a coyotes diet.
Here in Iowa, as a predator caller, our biggest competitors are experienced trappers and the guys that run hounds. The experienced trappers are going to take fur not much you can do about that. I try and call spots that get trapped before trapping season starts, if nothing else to clean up the easy pups before steel gets put in the ground.
The guys that run hounds are good at what they do. Heck I even enjoy a good chase and listening to the hounds sing. Coyotes that hang out in the typical square Iowa sections are in trouble from the hounds and the 'drive by truck shooters'.
What can we do to enhance our chances of calling coyotes in areas where we compete with trappers and houndsmen? Location, location, location.....hunt the buffer areas.
The only thing a houndsman loves more that chasing coyotes is his hounds. Concentrate on sections that have at least once hard surface road bordering the section. The more traffic on the hard surface road the better. I hunt mostly southern Iowa and some of my best calling spots butt up against highways 34 and 2. Use other boundarys to your advantage, for me that means hunting sections that butt up against the Missouri - Iowa line. Also look for sections that are abnormal (large sections - creek bottoms - no roads ect). These are all areas where most houndsmen won't cast hounds. Who wants to pick up a dead hound off the highway? Or walk 2 miles into a huge section to collect hounds?
I still subscribe to the theory of more stands = more coyotes. The exception is calling coyotes here in Iowa during the middle of the day. The buffer areas I target tend to require more time to hunt with longer walks from the truck and through thicker cover. The more effort required to get into an area the greater appeal it has to me as a predator caller.
When I am out looking it is hard to find areas that arn't farmland. So I should just spend all my time looking in any pockets with any cover? I keep hopin to find one sleepin out in the middle of a field, but that would be too easy isn't it? Is summer a good time to coyote hunt?
I prefer to leave the coyotes alone this time of year. It's hot and the ticks and skeeters are out in full force. The vegetation really limits your visability. I prefer to wait until late September or until we get a really hard frost that kills the grasshoppers and other insect that make up a significant portion of a coyotes diet.
Here in Iowa, as a predator caller, our biggest competitors are experienced trappers and the guys that run hounds. The experienced trappers are going to take fur not much you can do about that. I try and call spots that get trapped before trapping season starts, if nothing else to clean up the easy pups before steel gets put in the ground.
The guys that run hounds are good at what they do. Heck I even enjoy a good chase and listening to the hounds sing. Coyotes that hang out in the typical square Iowa sections are in trouble from the hounds and the 'drive by truck shooters'.
What can we do to enhance our chances of calling coyotes in areas where we compete with trappers and houndsmen? Location, location, location.....hunt the buffer areas.
The only thing a houndsman loves more that chasing coyotes is his hounds. Concentrate on sections that have at least once hard surface road bordering the section. The more traffic on the hard surface road the better. I hunt mostly southern Iowa and some of my best calling spots butt up against highways 34 and 2. Use other boundarys to your advantage, for me that means hunting sections that butt up against the Missouri - Iowa line. Also look for sections that are abnormal (large sections - creek bottoms - no roads ect). These are all areas where most houndsmen won't cast hounds. Who wants to pick up a dead hound off the highway? Or walk 2 miles into a huge section to collect hounds?
I still subscribe to the theory of more stands = more coyotes. The exception is calling coyotes here in Iowa during the middle of the day. The buffer areas I target tend to require more time to hunt with longer walks from the truck and through thicker cover. The more effort required to get into an area the greater appeal it has to me as a predator caller.
TonyTebbe
New member
The coyote population in Iowa is much lower than any other state that I've hunted, but there are definately coyotes in pockets. When I first moved here from Illinois, six years ago, I would have sworn there were no coyotes. I shot 13 red fox my first winter, but never spotted a single coyote. My second season, I found 3 coyotes. It took me a few seasons to figure out what was going on. After talking with the DNR and local trappers, I found that there has been and continues to be a magic line on Highway 30, in my area. I had been concentrating North of that line and finding mainly fox and barely any coyote sign. I've focussed my efforts and secured permission to land South of the line, in the past 3 seasons....and I'm calling alot more coyotes. Now, there is no "magic" about the "magic line". It really has to do with terrain change.
Bare in mind, I was born and raised in Illinois, which had the exact same 1 mile gridlock and flat field terrain. I used to kill over 100 coyotes per season, but mostly because I was a dog hunter and raised greyhounds for catching, and called on the side. I still spot 8-10 coyotes per morning, when I go back home to visit. So moving to a similar terrain, with totally different results and population was frustrating. I still haven't figured that part out, when it comes to the flat field areas of much of Iowa. Two seasons ago, I drove to South Dakota to speak at a calling seminar. There was 6" of snow and 10 degree weather, for the entire drive. I stuck to the major interstates for the 7 hour drive there, and drove a cross country route on smaller roads (including country roads) for the way home, with gun in tote. In 14 hours of driving....I spotted ZERO coyotes. I'm still trying to figure out the flat land areas.
For the past few years, I've focussed near the Cedar and Iowa river bottoms and the hilly country around them. I've found the coyote concentration to much, much larger than the areas I was calling in my first few years in Iowa. I also focus on odd sized sections of land. The 2x3 mile sections or such. If you can find sections that have chunks of timber or thick draws, drive the sections and look for sign on likely crossing areas.
Tony
Bare in mind, I was born and raised in Illinois, which had the exact same 1 mile gridlock and flat field terrain. I used to kill over 100 coyotes per season, but mostly because I was a dog hunter and raised greyhounds for catching, and called on the side. I still spot 8-10 coyotes per morning, when I go back home to visit. So moving to a similar terrain, with totally different results and population was frustrating. I still haven't figured that part out, when it comes to the flat field areas of much of Iowa. Two seasons ago, I drove to South Dakota to speak at a calling seminar. There was 6" of snow and 10 degree weather, for the entire drive. I stuck to the major interstates for the 7 hour drive there, and drove a cross country route on smaller roads (including country roads) for the way home, with gun in tote. In 14 hours of driving....I spotted ZERO coyotes. I'm still trying to figure out the flat land areas.
For the past few years, I've focussed near the Cedar and Iowa river bottoms and the hilly country around them. I've found the coyote concentration to much, much larger than the areas I was calling in my first few years in Iowa. I also focus on odd sized sections of land. The 2x3 mile sections or such. If you can find sections that have chunks of timber or thick draws, drive the sections and look for sign on likely crossing areas.
Tony
i've only seen one coyote so far this spring. Seen 2 in the winter. I see the odd piles of scat when i go walking and i just figured there wasnt many coyotes around, Until last weekend....I was outside about 3am walking with my girlfriend and i heard a coyote. I did a mouth howl the best i could and got like 5 responses, from differnet areas too. I was so happy, probably heard 3-8 coyotes all together. I'll let the pups grow then i'll be out this fall!! cant wait
deaddogwalkin
Active member
I don't know what part of Iowa you live in but there seems to be pockets that have more yotes in them thatn other areas. One thing to remember is that when hunting season rolls around the yotes are very skiddish. They get shot at by everyone out driving around. Need to keep looking. I try to put my efforts to deep timber patches and river bottoms where the truck hunters and houndsman don't like to go.
J. Holly
New member
Greenside....when the female breeding coyote notices a decline in the species, they can determine the sex of the pups that they are going to produce. This is apprently done by body heat, during the gestation. Several other species of critters can do this also, so it is not an anomaly. Since they can not determine all the pups sex in a litter, a general rule is 85%.
Now these facts were presented by every college professor that I had while studying higher education at Oklahoma State University. Where you are, I guess your milage may vary.
Now these facts were presented by every college professor that I had while studying higher education at Oklahoma State University. Where you are, I guess your milage may vary.
coyote_roede
New member
My family and friends who are in the extreme NW corner of Iowa, could hardly find a coyote without mange. These people are callers and the pickup boys covering a pretty big chunk of the NW corner.
We have it here too, and if I had to give any advice on how to get rid of it is to" KILL" it.Mangey coyotes produce mangey coyotes. Your not doing them or you a favor by letting them live. If you have it around you huntem, trapem whatever them hard. Once you start seeing more healthy coyotes to mangey ones then begin a selective harvest if you choose.
The mange is not the real killer, the effects from having a weakened immune system and exposure issues whether it be winter or summer are the killers not to mention that all canine diseases will be easier for them to contract. That being said some will survive it and keep it going, living close to humans for food and cover.
Mangey coyotes typically are not as easy to call in the winter as they do head for cover during the frigid cold, their energy levels are low, for them to risk expending a large amount of energy to come any distance to a call could be life threatening. They luv bonepiles and cover, stackyards if ya got em.
If you have reservations about hunting in the off season and the majority of the coyotes in your hunting area have it your doing them a severe injustice by not stepping up the harvest. Anytime you can take a diseased animal out of the population you are raising the health of the overall population.
Now is when these manged up things will respond to your calls and if your still having second thoughts let the healthy looking ones walk, take a camera along with your rifle.
Sounds like it is statewide and a severe reduction in numbers statewide.Thats not good!
J Holly- I am curious where that 85% female pup data came from, and litter size, we have collected data for 20 plus years and see the same numbers 4-5 pups and no great female jumps in our harvest numbers. Could be different there thou.I believe the numbers makers are the litter sizes of the first year females and overall number of breed pairs in an area that will cause the noticeable number jumps in a year. That 4-5 average never changed even in our boom years or our low number years like now.But like I said sometimes different areas have different things.
We have it here too, and if I had to give any advice on how to get rid of it is to" KILL" it.Mangey coyotes produce mangey coyotes. Your not doing them or you a favor by letting them live. If you have it around you huntem, trapem whatever them hard. Once you start seeing more healthy coyotes to mangey ones then begin a selective harvest if you choose.
The mange is not the real killer, the effects from having a weakened immune system and exposure issues whether it be winter or summer are the killers not to mention that all canine diseases will be easier for them to contract. That being said some will survive it and keep it going, living close to humans for food and cover.
Mangey coyotes typically are not as easy to call in the winter as they do head for cover during the frigid cold, their energy levels are low, for them to risk expending a large amount of energy to come any distance to a call could be life threatening. They luv bonepiles and cover, stackyards if ya got em.
If you have reservations about hunting in the off season and the majority of the coyotes in your hunting area have it your doing them a severe injustice by not stepping up the harvest. Anytime you can take a diseased animal out of the population you are raising the health of the overall population.
Now is when these manged up things will respond to your calls and if your still having second thoughts let the healthy looking ones walk, take a camera along with your rifle.
Sounds like it is statewide and a severe reduction in numbers statewide.Thats not good!
J Holly- I am curious where that 85% female pup data came from, and litter size, we have collected data for 20 plus years and see the same numbers 4-5 pups and no great female jumps in our harvest numbers. Could be different there thou.I believe the numbers makers are the litter sizes of the first year females and overall number of breed pairs in an area that will cause the noticeable number jumps in a year. That 4-5 average never changed even in our boom years or our low number years like now.But like I said sometimes different areas have different things.
J. Holly
New member
I have seen litters from 2 to 12....and I have heard of a 14 pup litter once, but never saw it. Again, depends upon the amount of coyotes already in the area.
The state of Nebraska has stated "we have seen coyotes compensate for that heavy harvest by breeding at younger ages and having larger litters. More one-year-old females breed during periods of heavy harvest and the litter sizes can rise to as many as 17 pups."
Here is some info from a study done in Texas:
In exploited populations, coyotes have adopted a more solitary lifestyle. When they feel a decline in their numbers, a much higher percentage of females begin to breed. (In one Texas study, only 32% of the female coyotes were breeding and they were producing 4-5 pups per litter. Then a coyote control operation started and the numbers jumped to 90% and 8-9, respectively. The population actually INCREASED.) Almost all available females will be breeding, not helping their parent's pups. Territory size may get smaller to fit everyone in.
Edit to add Texas Study
The state of Nebraska has stated "we have seen coyotes compensate for that heavy harvest by breeding at younger ages and having larger litters. More one-year-old females breed during periods of heavy harvest and the litter sizes can rise to as many as 17 pups."
Here is some info from a study done in Texas:
In exploited populations, coyotes have adopted a more solitary lifestyle. When they feel a decline in their numbers, a much higher percentage of females begin to breed. (In one Texas study, only 32% of the female coyotes were breeding and they were producing 4-5 pups per litter. Then a coyote control operation started and the numbers jumped to 90% and 8-9, respectively. The population actually INCREASED.) Almost all available females will be breeding, not helping their parent's pups. Territory size may get smaller to fit everyone in.
Edit to add Texas Study
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