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hillrunner said:
I wonder how many deer are shot having been mistaken for coyotes through a thermal and left without saying a word? I don't know how often it happens, but I promise you it happens. I have mistaken a small deer for a coyote more than once looking through my thermal in long grass. Never to the point where I shot but enough that I know I need to really look them over well. It is surprising how often coyotes and deer will be intermingled in a field. I was watching deer out the house window through a thermal this fall, and a coyote walked right up to a group of bedded deer and none of them moved. I have also had deer walk right by with the caller screaming loudly. It's actually astounding how little concern some deer show for a caller screaming away in the darkness. I could easily see someone assume that would have to be a coyote and start firing.
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I did a couple nights last year. It may have been the quality of the thermals but I could instantly tell the difference between a bobcat & a coyote. Deer to coyote was incredibly easy. I only did it 2 times with really good stuff. Maybe lesser quality optics or other scenarios be different.
Thoughts from guys that have done this a lot?
 
Muskrat24 said:
As I’ve mentioned before…. I can’t even fathom this amount of coyotes. IMO the problem sounds like access to me. Not being a butthead but every Tom, Dick and Harry has a thermal these days and around me, right or wrong, there is A LOT of lead thrown at coyotes from the road with every fresh snow. How big of an area did the 250 coyotes come from?
Sounds like you have people hunting but are you in a tightly held area where most of the neighbors don’t allow access? I’ve hunted with thermals and calling and trapping, if the coyotes are at the level you are saying the thermals would be like Christmas lights. Not to mention, that population of coyotes would quickly fall under control of parvovirus and mange. Like how many coyotes are you thinking average per square mile?
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Probably 3500 acres. Fairly close area. 4 miles from one place to another area to set up.
Numbers are way higher in most pockets. Especially if NR or absentee land owners…. Not knocking them but here’s what happens: they are not around all winter. They don’t realize how many coyotes are around. & MOST I know won’t let guys go in there for trapping or thermals. There’s so many coyote sanctuaries by me it’s crazy.
Get into places like SE iowa where dog groups go wild- I’m sure it’s far less for coyotes.

By me- almost no dog groups. I’d GUESS 2/3rd of land doesn’t get trapped or hunted. Guys that do thermals have hard time finding access around me. I’ve tried to help them out by talking to the deer managers “u guys gotta allow trapping & coyote hunting!!! There’s plenty of trustworthy guys out there!”
I saw 9 tonight & I could see 300 yards. We’ve killed about 7-8 in last 2 weeks off same farm. KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL!!!!!!! One farm alone…. I’ll bet we kill 100+ off it coming up here. Lot of farms it’s 0. Needs to change.
 
Sligh1 said:
Probably 3500 acres. Fairly close area. 4 miles from one place to another area to set up.
Numbers are way higher in most pockets. Especially if NR or absentee land owners…. Not knocking them but here’s what happens: they are not around all winter. They don’t realize how many coyotes are around. & MOST I know won’t let guys go in there for trapping or thermals. There’s so many coyote sanctuaries by me it’s crazy.
Get into places like SE iowa where dog groups go wild- I’m sure it’s far less for coyotes.

By me- almost no dog groups. I’d GUESS 2/3rd of land doesn’t get trapped or hunted. Guys that do thermals have hard time finding access around me. I’ve tried to help them out by talking to the deer managers “u guys gotta allow trapping & coyote hunting!!! There’s plenty of trustworthy guys out there!”
I saw 9 tonight & I could see 300 yards. We’ve killed about 7-8 in last 2 weeks off same farm. KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL!!!!!!! One farm alone…. I’ll bet we kill 100+ off it coming up here. Lot of farms it’s 0. Needs to change.
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I wondered if that was not the case, you are getting the transient population that realizes Joe and Sally coyote are gone so the neighbors move in. I feel sorry for you but I hope the neighbors get every fawn killed in the spring!!!!
 
I was working at my farm last February and a group of guys running coyotes with hounds stopped and asked if I’d mind if they killed coyotes on my farm. They said they mainly shoot from the edge of the road as the coyotes cross. Seemed like nice enough guys. I had heard the hounds all morning and the gun shots. They had already killed 3 and crippled a 4th that got into a drain tile. I told them they could kill them on my place, just not in turkey or deer season. It appeared they had some good dogs so I’m sure they have killed a few on or near my farm. Every little bit helps as I am still over-run by coyotes. Saw one every day of 1st gun season this year and cameras show them almost daily too. Being a coonhunter myself for many years, I know how effective hunting with hounds can be.


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Never hunted them but gonna try now. Give me a crash course. Electronic call away from the shooter, wind in my face, 22-250 or 223 ? Etc. I’m clueless.
 
Windlooker said:
Never hunted them but gonna try now. Give me a crash course. Electronic call away from the shooter, wind in my face, 22-250 or 223 ? Etc. I’m clueless.
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Sounds good to me. It is like all hunting. You can go days and see nothing but when you do man is it fun!
 
hillrunner said:
I wonder how many deer are shot having been mistaken for coyotes through a thermal and left without saying a word? I don't know how often it happens, but I promise you it happens. I have mistaken a small deer for a coyote more than once looking through my thermal in long grass. Never to the point where I shot but enough that I know I need to really look them over well. It is surprising how often coyotes and deer will be intermingled in a field. I was watching deer out the house window through a thermal this fall, and a coyote walked right up to a group of bedded deer and none of them moved. I have also had deer walk right by with the caller screaming loudly. It's actually astounding how little concern some deer show for a caller screaming away in the darkness. I could easily see someone assume that would have to be a coyote and start firing.
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I would say almost zero. Now there are idiots out there...daytime....or night time. We hunt at one of my daughters houses sometimes. We can see 1500 yards. There is a corner that sticks out in to the open field at 1000. We see deer and coyotes at that corner all the time. Even at 1000 yards a deer is a deer and a coyote is a coyote.
If all you can see is a head in tall grass, I could see maybe how that might be hard to tell at distance. But if you can't tell don't shoot.
 
Sligh1 said:
Probably 3500 acres. Fairly close area. 4 miles from one place to another area to set up.
Numbers are way higher in most pockets. Especially if NR or absentee land owners…. Not knocking them but here’s what happens: they are not around all winter. They don’t realize how many coyotes are around. & MOST I know won’t let guys go in there for trapping or thermals. There’s so many coyote sanctuaries by me it’s crazy.
Get into places like SE iowa where dog groups go wild- I’m sure it’s far less for coyotes.

By me- almost no dog groups. I’d GUESS 2/3rd of land doesn’t get trapped or hunted. Guys that do thermals have hard time finding access around me. I’ve tried to help them out by talking to the deer managers “u guys gotta allow trapping & coyote hunting!!! There’s plenty of trustworthy guys out there!”
I saw 9 tonight & I could see 300 yards. We’ve killed about 7-8 in last 2 weeks off same farm. KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL!!!!!!! One farm alone…. I’ll bet we kill 100+ off it coming up here. Lot of farms it’s 0. Needs to change.
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My boys and daughter have killed about 50 out of our yard in the last two years. I know several other guys that have hit 100+ several years in a row. It doesn't seem to be putting any kind of a dent in the population at all. There are just that many out there since the fur market has been non existent the last few years.
 
bluedog69 said:
I would say almost zero. Now there are idiots out there...daytime....or night time. We hunt at one of my daughters houses sometimes. We can see 1500 yards. There is a corner that sticks out in to the open field at 1000. We see deer and coyotes at that corner all the time. Even at 1000 yards a deer is a deer and a coyote is a coyote.
If all you can see is a head in tall grass, I could see maybe how that might be hard to tell at distance. But if you can't tell don't shoot.
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You must have a way better thermal than me. I called two in last night. they both hung up around 400 yards. Due to weather conditions things were a little more hazy than normal. There is no way I could have told you with 100 % certainty that those weren't deer. I'm pretty certain but I did not dare take any shots. I'm using a Pulsar but i don't remember the model.

I would bet my house that deer are getting shot by accident with these, likely mostly very small deer. How often I don't know but there's no way it's not happening some. Once a person's mind is convinced they know what a target is, that is all they will see. People get mistaken for game animals and shot in broad daylight for the very same reason. What the eyes see and the ears hear, the mind believes.
 
hillrunner said:
You must have a way better thermal than me. I called two in last night. they both hung up around 400 yards. Due to weather conditions things were a little more hazy than normal. There is no way I could have told you with 100 % certainty that those weren't deer. I'm pretty certain but I did not dare take any shots. I'm using a Pulsar but i don't remember the model.

I would bet my house that deer are getting shot by accident with these, likely mostly very small deer. How often I don't know but there's no way it's not happening some. Once a person's mind is convinced they know what a target is, that is all they will see. People get mistaken for game animals and shot in broad daylight for the very same reason. What the eyes see and the ears hear, the mind believes.
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Ours are 640 Pulsar Thermion XG50s with a base mag of 3X. My boys have really figured out how to adjust brightness and contrast to get great image quality. Conditions of temperature and humidity are different every night, and therefore to get the best the scope can offer you have to adjust it to the conditions at every set. Leave it to the kids to figure out the new technology. LOL

1280 resolution is hitting the market. It is unbelievable. Everytime you increase zoom you cut your resolution. 640 at 2X is 320 at 4X. 640 at 3x is 320 at 6X.
Base mag makes a huge difference along with what resolution you have.

I have no concerns about deer that are getting shot by accident. I imagine that is a very very low number. It is the ones that are getting shot on purpose that concern me.
 
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