Yote/Hog Hunting Private Land (Permission) Troup County or within 2 Hours Drive

[KVW040]

Hi,

I am looking for anyone that would allow me to hunt on their property day/night for hogs/yotes. Hunting on private land allows me to use electronic calls, and I use Thermal night vision and night vision so I basically own the night going after those pests. I live N. of Troup county and would be willing to drive up to two hours away.

You can contact me at 706-505-5761 or kvw040@gmail.com

Thanks
Kurt

 

[KVW040]

bump

 

[antharper]

Good luck

 

[KVW040]

Thanks...so far I’ve had a good response. Wish DNR would change the rules to allow us to hunt coyotes at WMA year round. Wishful thinking though.

K

 

[Doug B.]

How many have you killed this year?

 

[KVW040]

I've been hunting West Point WMA solid for the past 20 days and have called up several with mouth calls, but none close enough for a good shot. That WMA gets hunting quite a bit so those yotes are well educated and don't come running when you call them. Every night is a learning experience so I'm bound to get one soon

 

[McCringleberry]

Are you hunting West Point WMA for coyotes at night? And were those coyotes or another animal you called in with mouth calls?, and was this also at night?

 

[KVW040]

Technically It’s furbearer season so technically I’m hunting fox/bobcat but mainly interested in coyotes (incidental take). I’ve seen a couple fox and bobcat but let them pass. I’m hunting day and night, all using mouth calls which is the regulations and why I’m always looking for pvt land to hunt on.

 

[McCringleberry]

Ya I understand all the regulations regarding Furbearers, night hunting, and the use of only manual calls for foxes and bobcats. From your posts you said, "... have called several up, but none close enough to take a shot."(I'm assuming here that these are coyotes you have called in, but if they are not and they are foxes or bobcats then you should be fine to take the shot); "Every night is a learning experience..."; "...I'm hunting fox/bobcat but mainly interested in coyotes(incidental take)."; "I'm hunting day and night...". It sounds to me (but I could be wrong) that you if you were hunting at night on a WMA technically hunting for fox/bobcats using manual calls only and rather than a fox/bobcat responding to the call a coyote responds to the call and gets within shooting range, you would take the shot at the coyote?

Because if you did take the shot at the coyote at night while on a WMA I am pretty sure you are not allowed to do that. It says on pg. 42 of the regulations under Restrictions a section refers to Hunting Feral Hogs and Coyotes it says "No night hunting or baiting allowed."(2nd to last sentence in that section). I just wanted to give you a heads up to avoid any problems. Also there is nothing under the West Point WMA regulations on pg. 68 that says or indicates that night hunting for coyotes is allowed.

 

[oldguy]

Ya I understand all the regulations regarding Furbearers, night hunting, and the use of only manual calls for foxes and bobcats. From your posts you said, "... have called several up, but none close enough to take a shot."(I'm assuming here that these are coyotes you have called in, but if they are not and they are foxes or bobcats then you should be fine to take the shot); "Every night is a learning experience..."; "...I'm hunting fox/bobcat but mainly interested in coyotes(incidental take)."; "I'm hunting day and night...". It sounds to me (but I could be wrong) that you if you were hunting at night on a WMA technically hunting for fox/bobcats using manual calls only and rather than a fox/bobcat responding to the call a coyote responds to the call and gets within shooting range, you would take the shot at the coyote?

Because if you did take the shot at the coyote at night while on a WMA I am pretty sure you are not allowed to do that. It says on pg. 42 of the regulations under Restrictions a section refers to Hunting Feral Hogs and Coyotes it says "No night hunting or baiting allowed."(2nd to last sentence in that section). I just wanted to give you a heads up to avoid any problems. Also there is nothing under the West Point WMA regulations on pg. 68 that says or indicates that night hunting for coyotes is allowed.

Yeah Buddy, it's VERY important to not allow night hunting of two of the most destructive non-native species of wildlife! GOT to protect those pests at all costs. Makes absolutely NO sense at all!

 

[KVW040]

HAHAH...NO KIDDING!! Let's make it as difficult as possible to take out a non game / invasive predators.

 

[KVW040]

Great point/topic so I reached out to my neighbor who is a game warden. Even he stated that there's a "grey area" where it really doesn't specify conditions of "incidental take". He is looking into this topic for us because it seems to come up a lot.
My theory is that they make the regs so convoluted on purpose..heck, even DNR has issues understanding them sometimes

 

[KVW040]

Ok....so, the feedback I received is that if you are hunting Fox/Bobcat at night on WMA during furbearer season with the proper firearm, then coyote would be allowed as incidental take. However, he advised that if you were questioned by DNR the correct response to the question "what are you hunting" should be "furbearer" This will ensure there's NO confusion on their end as to what your true intentions are.

After doing my own research, I have yet to read where anyone was ticketed or arrested for shooting a coyote during any season day or night.

My theory is that during furbearer season when you use a rabbit call, you are bound to call in one of the three (Bobcat/Fox/Yote). My choice would be to shoot yote first, fox second, bobcat last..but that's my personal preference.

The issue with the WMA regulations is that they were/are written by people who don't have a clue about the impact of yotes/hogs. If they did, they would loosen the restrictions.

Thankfully...we do have a lot of Game Warden's with intelligence and common sense to know not to bust someone who shoots a coyote during fox/bocat season

 

[KVW040]

So I read page 42 and I think you misinterpreted the regulation for that it states no Night Hunting or Baiting is allowed during Coyote hunting season. Hogs/Coyotes may be taken during any small or big game season with lawful weapon. I can see where that would seem confusing at first, but if you read it ten times..it makes sense. Which is how the lawyers wrote it! haha

HUNTING FERAL HOGS AND COYOTES
Feral hogs and coyotes may be taken during any small or big game
season with the appropriate lawful weapons. In addition, a coyote season
will be held from May 16-31 on all WMAs, unless otherwise specified
in the WMA listings on pages 48-69. On some WMAs during the May
16-31 season, feral hogs may be taken as specified by individual WMA
listing. Daylight florescent orange is required, for both coyote and feral
hogs. Electronic calls may be used. No night hunting or baiting allowed.
Dogs are NOT allowed unless otherwise specified.

 

[McCringleberry]

I called DNR(Region 1 Office the 706-265 number, I'll try the Law Enforcement Office later today) this morning and asked them this specific question and they said even if a coyote came then you still couldn't take the shot. Haha I love how we get two different answers. So it looks like we're back to where we started lol.

I agree with yall, I would love to be able to hunt at night. A majority of coyote hunting tips and articles say night hunting is usually more productive because of more activity at night and with hogs once they get a little pressure on public land they generally go nocturnal. But I would assume it would have to do with safety because the number of hunters hunting at night, I would assume, would increase if night hunting for hogs and coyotes was allowed on WMAs. I could further explain why I think it's safety but I do not feel like typing it all out.

 

[KVW040]

HAHA...That's just great...keep us wondering!! I call it.."Security through obscurity"....we won't tell you ya broke the law until we determine you have!!

I'm sticking with my local Game Warden, he's the guy that has the arresting powers!! Also, he's a real good guy and I trust his professional feedback

 

[KVW040]

I've argued with the DNR so many times. I'm like....with night vision technology being affordable, and the problems we have with the yotes/hogs.... create some sort of special season. They can make $$ by issuing special licenses, make us take a special night hunting training course...and charge nominal fee (more $$ for them). It's common sense they choose not to use...

 

[KVW040]

BTW...my dock is just across the lake from West Point WMA. I can literally hear 4-5 packs howling and carrying on at one time right at sundown. I know it's different packs because I can identify where the sounds are coming from. West Point WMA is overrun with yotes and they've got a real problem now.

 

[McCringleberry]

I would definitely pay for something like that. Night vision and thermal being affordable now. I actually like that idea of issuing special licenses.

 

[KVW040]

I wonder sometimes of those hunting guides pay them to not implement such regs. We would be taking $$ out of their pockets