New Born Coyote Pups!

One of my Canadian friends Steve Tardif was turkey hunting a couple of days ago in Ontario when he happened on a coyote den with some new born pups. I have spent a many an hour in the woods and have never found a predator den with some newborns like this my self. I don't even know anyone that has found something like this,  pretty incredible.

To bad their going to grow up to be a major turkey predator!

Thanks for sharing Steve.
Larry S.

Osceola Turkey Faces off with Coyote on Trail Cam!

. If you hunt turkeys and know anything about coyotes you will find this to be one interesting picture.


You don't see a turkey and a coyote in the same picture very often. Actually, I would bet you have probably never seen it your self and probably not even seen a picture like this before.

(click on photo to enlarge)

This photo was caught on a trail camera by my friend Rick Edwards and was taken in central Florida. Everything had to be exactly right to catch them at the same time in the same frame, pretty much a miracle! Here in Florida it is legal to feed game and I believe Rick was using a feeder in combination with the trail camera. This is a great way to get some really good pictures and a lot of them. I have literally thousands of photos and will be posting them as I have time.

One of the things that make it such a miracle that Rick's camera caught both animals at the same time is that the camera would have been taking pictures of the turkey as it milled around feeding and would time out in between shots for typically one minute. Turkeys are constantly moving and seldom stand still so the camera would immediately take another photo as soon as the time out period was up. At that instant the coyote would have had to come into the frame. It is possible the turkey had seen the coyote coming and had been standing still watching it and possibly the coyote tripped the camera but it would still be unbelievable timing regardless. If you have ever been fortunate enough to see a coyote in the woods you know they seldom stand still either. They are almost always on a trot or lope. Many cameras do not have a fast enough trigger time to even catch a coyote in the frame before he's gone.

Many thanks to Rick for sharing the photo. I know he has more and I’ll be prying them loose from him to post here!

Turkey season opens Saturday,

Good luck, send me a picture!

Larry S.

Trophy Black Coyote, That's One Big Dog!

It was the next to the last day of the Florida Deer season and with only a couple hunts left before the season would be just a memory, coyote’s were the last thing on my mind. That was all about to change. My deer hunt was just about to become a Coyote Hunt!

Coyote Hunting Without a Call!

That afternoon I had planned to hunt a buck I had seen during archery season on a marsh pasture. He’s one of the best Florida bucks I have seen and I was really hoping for a crack at him before it was all over. On the way into the stand I stopped by one of my camera traps to swap cards and see what had been going on in my absence. The Bushnell Trophy Cam revealed no big bucks but I was still hopeful. The moon was at ¼ phase and the feed time just about right for a late afternoon sighting.

This particular spot is one of my all time favorite hunting spots. It’s virtually un-hunted and one of my personal best Florida bucks was taken from this same stand. It has everything you could ask for. On one side is a hardwood hammock. A small creek flows thru the middle of the marsh and it is surrounded by high grass which blends into a cypress and gum swamp. Its literally a game magnet. All manor of animal call this special place home and it is a rare occasion that a hunt here does not produce a handful of deer and hogs sightings.

I scaled my way up the isolated cypress in the open grass and settled into my lock-on for the wait. Actually, things were going a little slow and I was really surprised at the lack of deer movement.

I was well heeled, carrying my Browning A-bolt chambered in .30-06. It’s short bolt throw is a joy to shoot and chambers a hot round quickly without banging your hand into the scope. I like to shoot 180 gr. Remington Core-lokts. They are extremely dependable, reasonably priced and have never let me down.

A Pair of Solid Black Coyotes Appear From the Waste High Grass!

Dark was closing in and I had just finished glassing the area with my Nikon Monarks when some movement thru the cypress limbs caught my attention about 70 yds to the right. Instantly, I recognized two black forms coming out of the high grass onto the mow. Both were black and I was thinking hog as they came into view in my binoculars. I could hardly believe my eyes, not one but two solid black coyotes! Before I knew it I was on my knees in the stand searching for a hole thru the limbs. The scope settled on the larger dog’s shoulder and I squeezed off a shot. The coyote hit the ground at the report of the shot. I immediately chambered a fresh round but the second coyote charged into the high grass before I could even ready for a second shot.

The Core-lokt had gone thru the upper, forward shoulder and exploded thru the spinal column producing an instant kill.

My first thought was to sit tight and wait out the last few minutes of light in hopes of seeing some deer but I could not stand it! I had to get a look at this thing.

This is One Big Dog and a Unique Trophy!

He was incredible! Upwards of 45 lbs. , solid black with a perfect hide. I rarely go to the woods without my camera and it was time to record the harvest so I could share this unique trophy with everyone.

A “Black Coyote” is a very rare sight. Hyper-melanistic, black, is even more rare than albinism. With all the thousands of hours I have spent afield, this was the first I had ever seen. He was truly a sight to behold and one I will never forget! I’m thinking my next hunt just might be a “coyote hunt“, for the one that got away.

Interestingly, ”Black Coyote” was the name of a Lakota Sioux who reportedly refused to give up his weapon at Wounded Knee and is believed to have unintentionally triggered the terrible massacre know as the “Battle at Wounded Knee.”

Good luck hunting!
Larry Stephens

Photo's by Larry Stephens

Coyote Hunting, A Target of Opportunity!

The Coyote is despised by many but can make for some great hunting sport while controlling the "Predator Population" at the same time. "Calling Coyotes" is the standard method of hunting but they can be a target of opportunity anytime you are in the woods hunting!

Some reasons you should consider hunting coyotes;

-Coyotes can increase your available target opportunities!
-Hunting coyotes can increase your time afield!
-Hunting coyotes will improve your hunting skills!
-Predator population control!
-A Coyotes makes a unique and beautiful trophy!

Take em when you see em!

Coyotes are one of, if not the most sought after predator in the field. Many hunters target these secretive animals exclusively, but for most, the Coyote is a target of opportunity. Every year Hunters take thousands of coyotes while hunting other species of game such as Turkeys & Deer. It‘s a lucky hunter who has been sitting in a deer stand on a slow morning and has a Coyote come loping by! Rarely do you see one of these speed demons standing still and it is extremely difficult to get a shot off at one with a bow.

A great way to get more hunting time in!

In many States Coyotes can he hunted year round. If you decide to hunt coyotes outside of the hunting season of other game animals you hunt it can greatly increase your time in the woods hunting.

Time spent chasing these cagey critters will only add
To your woodsman and hunting skills!

Every time you step in the woods you should be learning something new. If you don’t your not paying attention! Coyotes are super shy and unbelievably sharp! If you can harvest them consistently at close range you can consider yourself at the top of your game and the coyote a good tune up. If your skills are not this advanced, hunting the coyote will really increase them. If you can get your bow drawn on a coyote a deer will be a piece of cake. The coyote can teach you volumes about hunting, like how and when to move on an approaching animal, stand placement and many other things that hunters can use when hunting other species.

Predator populations require control like any
Other game species!

Like any other species, predator populations need to be kept in balance. If their numbers are left unchecked they can quickly get out of hand. Coyotes prey on all manors of game species including turkeys, quail, small game, small hogs and deer. They are particularly hard on deer fawns. When they begin to compete with you for the same game its time lower the population.

A trophy not every Hunter has!

Coyotes come in many color phases and can make both a beautiful and unique addition to your trophy room. The most common mount is a full body mount. There are a wide variety of manikins to choose from that include; full body, half body and shoulder mounts. The cost of a full body mount varies among taxidermist and also depends on how elaborate a base and habitat you desire if any, but the average is about $450. There are other options for remembering and honoring your trophy and include skull mounts, rugs and soft tanned hides. Be sure to choose a taxidermist wisely, check references and take a close look at their work.

A solid black dog is pretty uncommon and quite a prize!

Next time your out hunting deer or sitting in a turkey blind don’t overlook an opportunity at a Coyote if you should be so fortunate. They will probably be few and far between but if your lucky you might just end up with a unique trophy and another special hunt to remember.

Good Luck Hunting!
Larry Stephens

Photo's by Larry Stephens