An Airplane Stole My Coyotes!

[CoryTDF]

Ok first let me start by saying that I’m not trying to start a huge internet battle I just want some answers. Yesterday I was out coyote hunting in an area that I go to quite often. In the past few months I have noticed that calling has been less than productive. Well, on this day I stopped into talk with one of the farmers whose land I hunt and as we are talking a small yellow Super Cub plane lands in the field across the road. The pilot gets out and comes over to us. Not wanting to keep him from business I bid the farmer farewell and commented as I walked away that we were going to go get some coyotes. Well the pilot says “hey that’s what we are out doing” I laughed and said man I wish. He walked over to me and said “no seriously, we shoot them with shotguns” I was like  “What? Are you government guys? Is that even legal?” he told me that as long as you have land owner permission and that you are doing pest control for the farmer it was. Now I’m not a hundred percent on this but I thought that you could not hunt anything within 24 hours of flying??? I have heard of government guys doing this from helicopters but not just your average Joe from an airplane. Anyway, he was nice enough and said he would stay away from where I wanted to go but then proceeded to tell me that he got 13 coyotes over the weekend! No freaking wonder the hunting has been slow. Don’t get me wrong if it is legal I think it would be a blast to go up in a plane and shotgun coyotes but it does kinda suck that now my hunting is going in the pooper because of this type of hunting. What are all your thoughts?

[bobcat]

My thought is I would add him to your Coyote Madness team!   

[denali]

USDA preditor control would be my guess.  -   sorry you still have to sit on the frozen ground and call them one at a time 

[Caseyd]

I think the flying rule only applies to big game

[CoryTDF]

USDA preditor control would be my guess.  -   sorry you still have to sit on the frozen ground and call them one at a time 

Guy told me he is not on governemnt contract nor does he work for them. He is just a guy who likes to shoot dogs.

[bearpaw]

I'm very sorry to hear your honey hole is getting arial pressure, that's a bummer for you. 

If it was me I would try to find another good area, there are plenty of yotes in WA.

I can't imagine the guy would openly tell you about it if it was illegal. If legal I think it's great they are thinning them out, send them up to Stevens County. 

Almost forgot, I agree, get him on your team....

[bobcat]

I really don't believe it's legal but I wish there were more people out there doing it! There is a law that you can't hunt on the same day you were airborne, except for a commercial flight, but that only applies to big game.

But there is also a law (look at #5, page 70) that says "using aircraft, boats, or motor driven vehicles to pursue, concentrate, or harass wildlife is prohibited."

Maybe this doesn't apply, because coyotes are not a protected species? I'm not sure. But they are still "wildlife".

I think you need to read the actual RCW or WAC that applies to answer this question.

[CoryTDF]

I'm very sorry to hear your honey hole is getting arial pressure, that's a bummer for you. 

If it was me I would try to find another good area, there are plenty of yotes in WA.

I can't imagine the guy would openly tell you about it if it was illegal. If legal I think it's great they are thinning them out, send them up to Stevens County. 

Almost forgot, I agree, get him on your team....

Thinning them out is right i just want to get my ish. He was a nice guy and like you said i dont think he ould just come out and tell me if he was not on the up and up. I sure would like to get up there and try that some day.

[C-Money]

They fly our farm in Oregon and blast coyotes, but it is Fish & Wildlife that does it. They even let us know how many they kill most of the time. As far as civilians blasting preditors from an aircraft,  .

[bearpaw]

maybe bigtex can weigh in, i bet he knows the answer.... 

[GoldTip]

It's a coyote, personally I don't care how they get killed, as long as they do it legally.  My bet is that he is with USDA wildlife control, he just wasn't telling you that.

[JohnVH]

if your curious, contact the game dept. I thought it was a no no also, Im a pilot and have had people ask me to do this and I turned them down.

[LittleJohn]

The land I hunt in Yakima gets flown every late winter before the calves drop. Perfectly legal!! I call the land owner before I make the drive from the west side. Been going on for years. Its pretty cool to watch, It totally screws the hunting, but the farmers save allot of calves.

[CoryTDF]

if your curious, contact the game dept. I thought it was a no no also, Im a pilot and have had people ask me to do this and I turned them down.

Tought about that but i dont want to get anybody in trouble. It's coyotes they need to die! if it was anyting else... i just dont want to get this guy into trouble he was nice enough and i really could care less if he shoots the crap out of those nasty little critters. The only thing that i'm bummed about is that there are less for me to shoot.

[bearpaw]

The land I hunt in Yakima gets flown every late winter before the calves drop. Perfectly legal!! I call the land owner before I make the drive from the west side. Been going on for years. Its pretty cool to watch, It totally screws the hunting, but the farmers save allot of calves.

    just wished I was doing it...