An Inside Look at Coyote Hunting with Hounds

On February 21, 2023 in upstate New York, this coyote was chased for miles, dragged out of the river by its head by hounds then killed and dumped.

From a February 22, 2023 Facebook post on the page: Northeast Hunting with Hounds

Hunted yesterday with brother Scott and Steve. Steve got there a little late. Conditions were horrible. Zues and Clyde were the hounds we ran. They jumped coyote fairly quickly and pounded in circles on a 450 acre piece that is surrounded by river on 1 side and tributary other. Big peninsula. Hounds did great for the first 3 hours. Scott shot at it 2 different times. Didn’t kill it or slow it down. The conditions got worse as it started raining and temp warming up. Had a huge miss. I was able to rejump coyote but Zues couldn’t keep it going. We pulled pin but hounds get an A for conditions and brother should have finished it off. He gets a D-.

The view screen monitoring the trail of GPS-collared coyote hounds. Often hounds will kill the pursued coyote before the hound hunter can reach the location.

Today Steve was out and dropped 2 hounds early. I got there they were pounding. Steve said circling 250 yards in. I couldn’t track because of collars he was using. I found track where went by on a circle and waited . I stopped waited as hounds pounded toward me. Coyote circled in front at 90 yards. Wind in my face. Never made me. Headed out and away, so I moved up. Circled back at me and again crossed in front at 80 yards. Could have taken shot but yote didn’t know I was there and I knew I could get closer. I snuck up on this track and they were headed back at me again. Nice running yote except his circles were always 80 to 90 yards different.

Make no mistake, coyote hunting with hounds is legalized dog-fighting.

Hounds took yote a mile and half to some thick cedars and circled 3 or 4 times by Steve. He never got a shot. Yote then headed back toward me. I had moved up on a stream. It had running water and shelf ice. I fell through ice last year in this spot, waste deep and I had 976 yards of to walk after I dumped the water out of my boots. I was a frozen popsicle when I made it to truck. Clothes froze stiff from waist down.

On January 27, 2023 the New York hound hunter telling these stories, shared this picture of a coyote whose head was torn off by hounds. From the private Facebook page: Northeast Hunting with Hounds.

Well anyway, coyote crossed 200 yards below me. I moved to spot yotes crossed last time I was in this woods a couple weeks ago. Hounds circled in cedars a Mile away. Circled a couple more times then hounds run it by me at 196 yards in side of woods across stream from me. I really thought this would be it! Coyote went by and did huge loop and turned coming back opposite way right at me. Hounds were pounding getting close. Most of day coyote was only 30 seconds ahead of hounds. Brother had cut Pebbles earlier so now I could track hounds (last couple loops) Coyote came directly in front across creek from me at approx 60 yards and stopped. He was looking back. He made a step to parallel stream.

Like other fighting dogs, coyote hounds are taught and praised for their bloodlust.

I had bead on him and squeezed off 2 shots of #4 3inch buck shot. First shot saw the huge flinch. Coyote headed away flying. I radioed Scott and Steve that I had definite hit but not sure how far it would go. Made it 200 yards and bayed up. Had Scott come in from other side of creek with 22.

By time he got there he saw the hounds pull coyote out of stream by its head. They were now on my bank and I was only about a minute behind Scotts visual. When I got there coyote was dead and hounds chewing on it.

Yote was a nice Grey colored but had mange so had to leave in woods. Leashed up 2 hounds and headed for truck 700 yards away! All 3 hounds did great! Some of the best hound music of the year!!