Posted: 7/20/2005 5:39:55 AM EDT
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Alright I live in a semi rural area, personally own 5 acres(about the avg some have more). It is in what used to be a rice farming area and still is near here. Obviously a coyote's natural habitat. Recently (been here 90% of my short life) we have had problems with coyotes actually coming closer to our houses, used to you would just hear them and only see them when you actually went out into the fields to dove hunt or work them. Any of you guys that have used Ar's for coyotes what ammo did you find worked best? So far they are not doing anything at all except making for nice wildlife watching and are easily run off by just looking their direction or even walking out of the house. They are just wandering or chasing rabbits etc across my land or the others in the area. I just want to be prepared because I am sure eventually I will run across one that will not be so happy that I interupted his feast of a rabbit etc. No children on this end of the road so that also makes them "o.k. to hang around" and they do not get close enough to get my Labs worked up and cause a fight with them ( which I'm sure the coyote would tear my 90lb labs asses to pieces). Any help appreciated, I know some of you have run across this before at least once or twice. |
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sure an AR will work. so will any other center fire rifle. within 50 yds a 22 with stingers will work also. i here what your saying. they are not a problem today. if you like them around like you say keep and eye out and when you feel uncomfortable shoot a few and they eill back off to the point they run when they see you. |
| Exactly, they are not causing any problems right now. To me at this point no different that the dozens of rabbits and squirrels and every other kinda ground animal that hangs around. I was gonna pick up a box or corelokt or some other hunting specific type ammo for it. I don't wanna try to get close enough for a handgun or shotgun if I don't have to. But the 1911 will dispatch the bastards if need be if I walk up on one. |
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Coyotes are very thin skinned animals. I would not recommend using a FMJ as this will more than likely pass straight thru with minimal damage. Probably would kill him with a well placed shot but not as quickly as you would like. I would suggest something that will expand (or explode) quickly on impact. I currently have some Nosler 55grn varmint bullets loaded that have plans for coyotes. If you need help keeping the numbers down, I would be happy to come help! 
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never seen a coyote shot with 5.56/.223 that didn't die immediately. As long as you hit them someplace vital I wouldn't worry about it. Depending on the proximity/direction of your neighbors, though, you might consider something like .22LR or .22Mag if you feel they're a problem. Unless you're worried about rabies or other diseases, though, you have nothing to worry about except scattered trash. Coyotes tend to stay away from dogs and people. A lifetime of growing up in the country, and I have never heard of a coyote attacking any people or any dogs (except for dogs/people who messed with an obviously sick animal). Now if you have chickens... lock and load. EDIT: If you're on 5 acres, I definitely wouldn't use a centerfire rifle. If I had to kill coyotes, I'd trap 'em and kill with a .22 at VERY close range (shooting downward). With a big gun the chances of a riccochet or something is just too much IMO. |
Alright, thats what I was thinking. So far there really is not a problem yet, but I'll advise when the time comes for sure  . But, as long as I have lived here I have never seen one approach dwellings. I'm not real sure why, hell the rabbit and squirrel population has doubled in the past 15-20 yrs due to the changes in fertilizers and what not, and people still run cattle thru the field while they are rotating to the new fields so I do not think it is a food issue. Their habitat is unchanged also, noone has built any new houses or bought new land taking away from it. The property and house I live in/on was my grandparents that was built in 1957 and most are older than that.Anyone else in other parts of the states having a problem with this? Damn animals are staging an uprising I think  , the damn rabbits around here are bold. I was 3ft away from one about 10 mins ago when I was outside |
Riccochet was another problem I was contemplating myself. Neighbors aren't a huge issue, they are coming in from the still in use rice fields that butt up the rear of my property. Which is way at the back where I normally shoot anyway. I'll just leave it be, as said above, I have also never had an issue of them being aggressive in all the years living here and also in the even more rural Jasper County. But I still hate for some of these old folks to be at the wrong place/wrong time. Course the neighbor across from me is a 87 yo WWII Marine Vet who fought at Iwo, and manages to outwork me when it comes to yard stuff, he'd prolly strangle the damn thing with his bare hands. He's hardcore dude to be 87 I hope I am in half a good a shape as he is. |
| Talking to cattle people around the state, it appears hogs and coyotes have exploded over the last few years. I think some counties are going back to bounties on coyote ears. I may get to go up to my uncles place this fall is he loses anymore calves. I would also recomend a light BT(45-55gr). |
I may have to check into that. I know the state asked a friend of mine to get the folks on his lease to get some hog hunting done. They have been causing ten kinds of trouble in the area where the lease is. Which I plan to take full use of as soon as I get the opportunity. |
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I live in basically the same setting as you, except I have a few more acres. I have coyotes around my place, in my opinion, they do more good than harm. They eat dead stuff, and keep down the rabbit, possum, skunk and armadillo populations. One of the things you will find is when people move into a rural area, the coyotes leave, the skunkand possum population explodes. I know my dogs have run ins with coyotes. I have actually witnessed some of these. For the most part, I think the dogs interact with them as they would with other dogs. One other thing you will find with coyotes. They move around. If the food supply gets low in an area, they will move elsewhere. |
| Very true, as of now it's pretty neat to watch them stalk an unsuspecting rabbit. Think watching National Geographic live from a deck while drinking a beer, better than any tv show in the world. Makes my ex-kalifornian wife hate kalifornia more and love Texas even more(she cusses her birthplace worse than any ARFCOMMER), along with several thousand other reasons. |
+1. Spoken like a true expert. I actually like the coyotes for above reasons. The only time in 10 years I have had a problem with them getting to close to the hose (and getting near hen house), I just jacked a burst off 5.56 in their vicinity (did not hit any), and they backed off and never came that close again. |
FWIW, .22LR will richochet much worse than most other rounds. The solid lead round, at marginal supersonic speeds will deflect and go whining in to the sky on a regular basis. The only round I would recommend, that would have little or no chance of a ricochet is the .22-250. Fast, light skinned round that is known to detonate on impact with simple grass. I have not used anything other than a FMJ 5.56 on coyotes, and it worked just fine in an AR. I tried FMJ 9mms a few times, and the rounds did not stop the coyotes. .22-250 would be my choice. No chance of a ricochet, devastating damage to thin skinned coyotes. TRG |
Oddly enough I have the opposite opinion. I don't mind skunks, possums, coons, field mice. Owls take care of the mice and otehr medium/small varmints (possums, young coons, skunks). Coyotes can stay the hell away from my rabbits in my fields. I like fried rabbit better than I like coyotes. I shoot coyotes on sight. Everything else gets a free pass. Except feral cats. TRG |
| For a "semi rural" area I'd go with a twelve gauge and some 0-0. You'd have to get to within 40 yards or so. That would eliminate the chance of richocet and in my experience, even if you didn't hit one, they wouldn't come back around your area for quite a long time. |
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Winchester White Box 46 grain hollowpoint. It is very accurate in my rifles, for factory ammo and performs great on 'yotes. The problem with 'yotes is the natural control measures have been reduced. Rabies used to limit the populations greatly but since the introduction of the oral rabies vaccine (airdropped ), populations have exploded. Their fear of man has suddenly vanished. Since they are omnivores, they will do serious damage if not controlled. |
Heartworms now do the job rabies and distemper used to do. They only live about 4 years on average. I wouldn't actually call them omnivores. They are more like opportunistic feeders. They eat carrion as well as live prey. I have never seen one eating the lettuce out of my garden. |
I have seen coyote scat with persimmon and plum seeds in it. TRG |
Don't know about that. 147FMJ at 150 yards with open sights . It did the trick. I got the teeth sitting up here on the desk. |
By scat, you mean shit. Right? Are you sure it was coyote, and not Raccoon? Did you see him drop it? Did you taste it to make absolutely sure?  Inquiring minds need to know.
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Yes. Yes. Yes. No. LOL TRG |
PLEASE READ WHAT I WROTE --- NO FMJ.. - - Though it will do it - just if not well placed - might injure it , not kill it I have blasted everything from racoons to coyotes to rabbits to sqirrels to armadillos - etc.. but if you gut shoot it - IT IS NOT ALWAYS AN AUTOMATIC DEATH .. That is why well placed shots are important --- NUFF SAID... |
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My question is although you have around 5 acres, how close is any other habitation? The coyotes here will watch, and ignore you until you; 1. Stop the truck, or stop walking and look back at them. 2. Pull out a rifle. We take out coyotes here on sight simply cause they take down calves and on one occassion a new foal. Yankee spread has limited our open shots here, so around the immediate area we are down to 22's. I use the Federal lead hp and they tear them up pretty good. Out at the lease and open range, I have had excellent results with any of the military hardballs- they have always dropped them in their tracks, and usually the exit wounds are massive. My second choice is the 22mag hp, or the 7.62 X39 HP. We are getting hog problems here and they are the most destructive pest we have. IMHO- 22 for around the house, your choice out in the open. |
Across the road, house is about 75 yds from road, same with others. Most of the property is behind the house to the back fence then its ricefields/pasture all the back for several miles. No houses on either sidejust over grown lots where houses are but noone has lived there as long as I have been alive, I think they moved in the mid 60s sometime. Speaking of calves and foals, I may be headed to my mom's place for that very problem, apparently they have been seen nosing around my moms paddocks and pastures recently. Same as their neighbors grazing pastures for his cattle, so me and a friend may do some seek and destroy "missions"  against the local coyote population around there. Thanks for the tips, and experiences. I'll wait and see how it plays out, the area farmers(know most of them and grew up with their kids) have been handling the problem on their property on their own so far. They seem to be just wandering and sometimes even appear lost, sometimes just taking a rabbit so as long as it remains the status quo I am ok with it. But I do appreciate the input, I was a little bothered by it at first due to the elderly folks, rabies, pissing one off thats having his daily chow etc. |
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Your first decision is whether or not you consider the predators/scavengers a threat or benefit in your particular eco-system. I have used Nosler Partitions [mostly handloads] exclusively for thin skinned animals for over 15 years with excellent success in terms of terminal ballistics. I picked up a couple boxes of 60 gr. NP .223 Federal Premium not too long ago, although I have not used them in the field just yet....hunting season is around the corner. The whitetails will get 140 gr. 7mm-08, the "varmints" 60 gr. 223. |