The state of Nevada with its high, arid desert country is prime calling grounds for coyotes … a state where you need no license to hunt them, as the author is doing here.
eons ago. This description may sound desolate to some, but it is literally a para- dise to coyotes, bobcats, fox, and other, bigger predators including mountains lions and bears. To make matters even more in-
teresting, the state’s hunting laws per- taining to varmints read like they were written by you and me. Coyotes can be hunted by both residents and non- residents alike, without a license of any kind, twelve months of the year, without a daily limit to boot. In most counties they can also be hunted either day or night, except for a handful that harbor
large towns. There is one caveat to this: you must leave the animal lay where it falls. If you want to remove the pelt or take the coyote for any other reason, then you must buy a trappers license which costs $192.00. Both kit fox and red fox are controlled by season that opens October 1 and runs to February 20. A trapper’s license is required to take either of these animals, and bobcats can be taken only by resident varmint hunters, but because coyotes are the number one target of most varmint hunters, hunting for them is wide open. All this is the result of a state where livestock interests are pow- erful and are not ignored by legislators who enjoy being returned to offi ce. CANYON COUNTRY
You certainly could make the case
that coyote hunting can be successfully carried out just about anyplace outside of the few small, scattered towns in the Silver State, but after my four decades of varmint hunting there I would choose something a bit more productive. What I look for is country with a geographical mix of different areas like the buttes I set up on at the beginning of this story. I especially keep an eye out for canyon country that twists through fl atlands where their bottoms can contain a small trickle of water or pools where water has bubbled up from deep below. Small prey animals like rabbits, mice, rockchucks, and marmots gravitate to these places, along with small birds and game birds
When cover thickens it’s easy to switch to smaller decoys like these rabbit shakers driven by batteries in their base. You even can get different colored bodies to match the season you’re hunting in.
as well. So the coyotes that feed on them also gravitate to such areas. Water, re- gardless of how little, is the key to desert life and all creatures know where it is and use it constantly. In canyon country I like to set up
on rims overlooking lower slopes and bottoms where I have a big view of ev- erything downhill. I can spot a coyote coming up long before he has the chance to see me, and the rising air of desert heat always carries your scent up and away while a coyote is below you, unable to use his nose to warn of an ambush. All this is a big advantage in your favor. You also can make your calls carry well out, ringing them off canyon walls like an echo chamber and in both directions while you remain in one spot, another plus for top end setups. Long stands here of at least 25 minutes should be the rule and not the exception. Coyotes can come a long way to a caller in such a position. Give them that chance. BUTTES
The high desert also is covered in
Creeks and washes, wet or dry, are always used by coyotes to hunt along and travel easily from place to place. The author is checking these wet spots for tracks, their number, and direction. Never pass one up. They can tell you a great deal about varmint activity in your neck of the woods.
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stony buttes, mesas, and plateau lands surrounded by undulating fl at lands. These elevated spots make excellent stands because they give you just that, a bit of elevation for a longer view of what lies around you in surrounding country, and also because they offer the unique advantage of shade over an otherwise sun-drenched landscape. I always try to set up in shade, then call out onto lighted areas. Anything moving
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