Mr. HT308.....
I hope you will bear with me, long enough to take in all that I am about to say.
Like you, I live in the great state of Kansas, albiet in the north-central part.
I am a lifetime resident.
I'm also {and I'm sure those forum members who've been around for a while are sick of hearing}...I am a 3rd generation coyote hunter.
As such, I can see ALL sides of this type of argument.
My Grandpa, my Dad, and a couple of great-uncles hunted coyotes with greyhounds...for decades.
When I started going with my Dad (in the early-'70s), we still hunted with greyhounds.
By my teen years, my Dad/me, along with some of our friends, switched to using shotguns instead of the dogs.
Why? Because it was a lot cheaper than maintaining healthy dogs year-round.
......At this point, I want to point out that none of us break/broke laws; drove through fences; left gates open; hunted pastures that still had cattle in them; made unethical shots; nor trespassed on land we didn't have permission to hunt........
Quote from HT308: "I don't mind using dogs for chase, [beeep] I'd even go with them and see how its done. But to build a vehicle to chase and just shoot them from the vehicles is really starting to piss me off."...unquote
This quote makes me want to ask....Why do you have an issue with the gun hunters, but NOT the greyhound hunters?
With the exceptions of using dogs instead of shotguns; and having a large dogbox on the truck...EVERYTHING else is EXACTLY the same between these 2 ways of hunting coyotes.
Also, when using sighthounds, you have absolutely ZERO control of where they go, once they leave the truck.
At least with a shotgun, you know the pellets are only going to go a set amount of distance. And, unless the truck trespasses onto properties it shouldn't be on, the shotgun won't either.
For nearly 2 decades, I shot coyotes from a truck w/shotgun while Dad drove.
Is it something I recommend people start doing?...Probably not.
Both driver & shooter have to not only be ethical, but also VERY concise & logical with their actions.
Obviously, if even one of them slips up, it could be disasterous.
And each must have complete trust in the other's abilities.
To be successful, the driver has to know the terrain very intimately, or chance wrecking every few seconds.
The shooter must be extremely safe with his gun handling, or risk shooting the truck, or worse, his partner.
And being safe with a firearm, while chasing coyotes isn't easy, by any means. There is much more to it than just shooting the gun.
It's not easy...to be from the waist up, outside the window...and keep your balance...while traveling at speeds up to 60mph, bouncing across a rough, rocky pasture...WITHOUT a gun in your hands.
Try to do all of that...while holding a shotgun, and trying to hold a steady "aim" on a running, dodging coyote......well, to be good at it, takes a ton of practice.
So, as I previously stated, I would not advise anyone to start doing this.
However, the method is nothing new....at least in Kansas. Using trucks and shotguns has been going on since the early-'70s.
And hunting coyotes from vehicles, hauling sighthounds has been going on in Kansas since before World War 2.
So, should it be banned or prohibited? My OPINION, is no. I realize that my OPINION may differ from many people's. However, my OPINION is based on factual, 1st-hand experiences. Most other people's opinions are based on their LACK of those experiences, and just general intolerance of a way of hunting that differs from what they may know.
That being said....Do I think that every guy out there hunting coyotes from trucks, is doing it legally & ethically (getting permission to hunt each piece of land, ect)?
No, I'm not an idiot. I have very little doubt, that there ARE those doing things that are illegal & unethical.
My advice would be...if you think someone is doing something wrong, let the authorities know about it.
Are the truck/shotgun hunters you know, "messing up" your deer hunting, or coyote calling efforts?
Either learn to deal with the situation as an adult...Example: Like maybe asking these guys where they intend to hunt on the same day that you want to hunt. Then, either ask them to hunt somewhere else that day, or YOU hunt a different day, when they are hunting somewhere else.
If both parties act respectfully with the other, surely compromises can be made by all parties.
Another option (if your job allows it), would be to hunt sometime during the week, instead of the weekends.
Yes, I know that for most people that isn't possible. But, it might be an option.
This is something I have been dealing with in my area, since I first picked up a call nearly 20 years ago.
In the area I have hunted for 40+ years, I have to plan my hunting around 2 groups of greyhound hunters....as well as a group of truck/shotgun hunters. Not to mention who-knows-how-many other guys who are out there using calls.
I wish you the best success, in all your endevours, sir.
Hunting predators should be fun. Not confrontational.
I totally understand that it can be very frustrating. But, I've learned to deal with it.