22wmr legal for coyote hunting?

[Recurve-Elk]

Hey guys, I was talking to a local farmer the other day who uses a scoped 22mag for coyote hunting.  He swears by it being a great round with vital shots under 100 yards.  I believe him, that cartridge actually packs a punch, but I am curious if it is legal to hunt coyote in washington with a rimfire?

[270Shooter]

Yep, I don't think anything is illegal to shoot coyotes with. The .22 mag is good though, I shot a coyote with one before, knocked him down well.

[Bob33]

Yes it is legal.  Big game has a minimum caliber of .24, but coyotes are not considered big game.

[Recurve-Elk]

Cool, good to know.  Aim small miss small and the little WMR does the job!  I read that .24 was for big game, but I couldn't find anything for small game.  Thanks!

[Heredoggydoggy]

In some states, it's illegal to shoot a coyote with anything BUT a rimfire.  Michigan, for one.  Personally, I prefer a centerfire cartridge for coyotes.

[bhylton]

in WA you can shoot them with an air rifle if you want. and with air rifles these days im sure you could kill one. my pops has killed probibly a dozen with an old marlin 22lr.

[CAMPMEAT]

I use one all the time.

[Bob33]

in WA you can shoot them with an air rifle if you want. and with air rifles these days im sure you could kill one. my pops has killed probibly a dozen with an old marlin 22lr.

Air rifles are not legal for hunting.  Sorry.

[carpsniperg2]

Blast away!

[Kain]

in WA you can shoot them with an air rifle if you want. and with air rifles these days im sure you could kill one. my pops has killed probibly a dozen with an old marlin 22lr.

Air rifles are not legal for hunting.  Sorry.

Are you sure about that?  The reason I ask is that in the regs it states:

Hunt game birds or game animals with
anything other than a firearm, a bow and
arrow, or by falconry. Bullfrogs may only
be taken by angling, hand dip netting,
gigging, and bow and arrow.

But if you look up what animals are considered "game" animals, coyote is not on the list.

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=232-12-007

(1) Game animals include:

eastern cottontail
Nuttall's cottontail
snowshoe hare
white-tailed jackrabbit
black-tailed jackrabbit
fox    
black bear    
raccoon
cougar
bobcat
Roosevelt and Rocky Mountain elk    
mule deer and black-tailed deer
white-tailed deer
moose
pronghorn
mountain goat
California and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep
bullfrog

(2) Furbearing animals are game animals and include:

beaver
muskrat
fox
raccoon
marten
short-tailed weasel or ermine
long-tailed weasel
mink
badger
river otter
bobcat

I have not seen anywhere else where is states that air rifles are illegal for hunting non game animals.  Like Eastern gray squirrels, starlings, house sparrows, coyote, skunk, opossums, nutria, porcupines, mountain beavers and and all other unclassified wildlife and invasive species.

[Bob33]

Kain, reference RCW 77.08.010: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=77.08.010

(23) "Game animals" means wild animals that shall not be hunted except as authorized by the commission.

Coyotes may not be hunted without a license, therefore they are considered game animals.

I believe you are correct about the other non-game species such as sparrows, although some of them (such as beavers) cannot be hunted at all.

[Kain]

Kain, reference RCW 77.08.010: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=77.08.010

(23) "Game animals" means wild animals that shall not be hunted except as authorized by the commission.

Coyotes may not be hunted without a license, therefore they are considered game animals.

I believe you are correct about the other non-game species such as sparrows, although some of them (such as beavers) cannot be hunted at all.

Beavers are on the list of "fur bearers".  There are many classifications of animals and birds like sea birds and threatened or protected animals but there are a group that are considered "unclassified".  This would include the ones I mentioned above and also animals like moles, rats, some ground squirrels and others.

[Bob33]

Kain, it sounds like you've made up your mind.

Be my guest and shoot coyotes with an air rifle.

[Kain]

Kain, it sounds like you've made up your mind.

Be my guest and shoot coyotes with an air rifle.

What are you talking about?  All I did was ask a question and provide why I was asking it.  I didnt say you were wrong or tell anyone that it was OK to hunt them with an air rifle.  When you said that some animals cant be hunted "like beaver" I simply let you know they are under a different classification.  Fur bearers are under the game animals classification section that I provided above. 

If you go to the the WDFW site under living with wildlife.  It states:

Legal Status

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife does not classify coyotes as game animals, but a state license is required to hunt or trap them (RCW 77.32.010). The owner, the owner's immediate family, employee, or a tenant of real property may kill or trap a coyote on that property if it is damaging crops or domestic animals (RCW 77.36.030). A license is not required in such cases. Check with your county and/or local jurisdiction for local restrictions. Except for bona fide public or private zoological parks, persons and entities are prohibited from importing a coyote into Washington State without a permit from the Department of Agriculture and written permission from the Department of Health. Persons and entities are also prohibited from acquiring, selling, bartering, exchanging, giving, purchasing, or trapping a coyote for a pet or export (WAC 246-100-191).

And they are not on the list of "game" animals listed under http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=232-12-007  So at the very least there is a conflicting set of rules.  I have not made up my mind on anything and was just trying to clear it up for myself and others.

[Special T]

I say a good Coyote is a dead one, and anyone who gives a  how they get there has too much time on their hands... Including a game warden!