If you’re looking to tack a coyote pelt or two on the barn, you better do it soon. Coyotes and furbearers start losing their hair about this time of year, and if you’re thinking of selling the furs, they’re probably already losing value.
I’m not a real big coyote hunter, though I’ve known a lot of guys who say once you start getting into it, you get hooked in a hurry. The same has been said for prairie dog hunting, but I haven’t been snared by that pastime, either. I don’t really see anything wrong with either activity, but I’ve never done much predator or nongame hunting.
I tried to change that, at least for coyotes, this winter. I had a guy lined up to take me and a friend coyote hunting, but things always got in the way. My buddy had a pretty rough year, and I’m sure he would have rather gone hunting than do the things he had to do. Maybe next year.
I might give it a shot yet this spring, though the pelts won’t be worth much. I really don’t care about selling them, though. I’d just like to have a couple of nice coyote pelts of my own. But even if I’m not going to sell ‘em, I probably need to go hunting pretty soon. Once the dogs start losing their hair in earnest, the pelts won’t be good for much at all. They’ll keep losing fur, even after they’re treated.
Besides, after a full winter, they’ll probably be pretty wary. Like I said, I’m not an avid predator hunter, so my calling needs a lot of work. If I’m going to have any hope of luring coyotes in to the call at this late date, I’ll need to go where nobody’s been trying to call coyotes yet this year. Or maybe for the last few years. They’re smart critters, and it doesn’t take ‘em long to figure out that it could be a person, rather than an injured rabbit, over there where the sound’s coming from.
So I might have to wait until next year. That’ll be OK, because the pelts’ll be better, and I’ll have plenty of time to work on my calling.
