Originally from the great plains, coyotes are battling the feral hog in population increases across the South. These dog-sized carnivores are wreaking havoc on deer, wild turkey and small-game populations, and if hunters don’t take every opportunity to take control of these nuisance wildlife populations, the game that Carolinians love will continue to suffer.
Every winter, coyotes breed, producing as many as five to seven pups. At that rate, with few predators available to control these animals, the coyote population will continue to grow at epic proportions, and juvenile coyotes will be sexually mature for the next breeding season.
During the late summer and early fall, coyote pups become independent of maternal care. Often, the litter will travel together until the breeding season begins in February.
September is the perfect time to start hunting down the juveniles, because they’re on their own and their survival instincts are undeveloped. While it is still hot, look for juveniles to be traveling along waterways and on the edges of agriculture fields early in the day when it is still cool.
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