I am a farmer also with livestock and I lose about 1 calf a year. I also am all for rifles at night or any way you can kill one.
So for the guys that all agree on this.... what the heck do we do next? each of of call our local game warden? Start placing calls to Frankfort? I imagine if we sit around wait for KY to pass this we might be waiting for a while! Anyone have any idea's?
I personally don't think the deer herd would be hurt by this,people will poach regardless.Only thing I would be concerned with ,would be the safety of some idiot not watching where he hunts and shoots.Most hunters would be safe,but there's a few ,that would mix a few drinks in with what they would call hunting.I also know the only way to keep these coyotoes in check ,is hunting and trapping.I can't blame no one ,especially livestock owners ,for wanting them controlled by any means possible.
All of the concerns listed above apply equally during daylight hours. Idiots with guns shooting in bad directions, drunk/stupid hunters, poachers, etc. It is true that coyotes will breed faster or more often when the populations are impacted. Why would that be a reason to restrict their being hunted? WTF? That is like saying don't hunt Isis cause your gonna PI$$ them off. The coyote is a threat to native game. We should be using all means available to eradicate them. Any means, any time on private land. OK to restrict on public land if you want, but I would not. If cattle farmers are concerned about anything, you are still free to restrict the hunters on your property. As for poachers? In my opinion, having legal coyote hunters in the woods after dark means that the poachers are more likely to be found out and reported. Poachers, like any illegal activity, do not want to be seen, found, observed. They scatter like roaches when good people show up. As for poachers claiming they are hunting coyotes? That is hard to do when a deer carcass is in the back of your truck. Ask for their coyote calls. Ask to see the coyotes, etc. Unless caught in the act they are hard to prosecute now. Traffic in the woods by legal hunters is a deterrence to any illegal activity. There is NO downside to night hunting coyotes with rifles. What to do next? Call/Write your legislators and local state senators. They need support to lead change. Call State Fish & Wildlife and engage in an open dialogue about how to eradicate coyotes. Coyotes are a non-native species. They are decimating the ground dwelling small game and ground nesting birds as well as impacting the deer, sheep, & cattle herds. When I asked KY Fish & Wildlife about legal means available to kill or capture a Mountain Lion found on my Sister's farm in Eastern, KY, I was told I could hunt it with any weapon, any time, day or night, with or without baits, lights, night vision, use dogs, etc, and that I did not even need to possess a valid hunting license. This from the Dir. in Frankfort. Coyotes should be the same. There are just lots more of them and they are a far bigger problem. Hunt them, trap them, poison them, shoot them out of choppers. Put a state bounty on their pelts. Any means whatsoever. Irish
For what it's worth, you can use an IR scope and centerfire on your farm at night. You just can't shoot living animals with them.
In Hunter Education, we teach our kids to identify your target and what is behind your target. You can not accomplish that at night, PERIOD! There is no exception to the rule. It is a safety issue, not a poaching issue.
I see where you're coming from and that's precisely why I believe that it should be allowed only on private property. I can see where it would be a bad idea on public land. But if I'm a landowner, I'd say I know exactly where I can and can't shoot towards. No different than daytime hunting. I know LOTS of predator hunters in states that allow night hunting with rifles. They don't mention any problems with safety.
Bgkyarcher I was speaking about the poacher not you. You have a opinion and you should free to post it on here. Did not mean to insult anyone.
