HIGH TIME FOR COYOTES

Two hours. A matter of time. I would sit this stand until a coyote showed. It was pronghorn country, and this was the only water hole for miles.

Then I heard ravens off to the east, downwind, croaking as if something had caught their attention. I thumbed the remote to a woodpecker distress call, and within 13 minutes a dirty brown coyote trotted into view.

Downwind, where the ravens said it was, the dog held up at 147 yards, partially screened behind a clump of rabbit brush.

We are in the midst of a rapid growth of predator populations across the West, as the number of trappers dwindle and less money is allocated to predator control, even in cattle and sheep country. The conservation imperative is to control coyotes, and the best tool in the wildlife manager’s box is a talented, committed sportsman with a rifle or