coming across dogs chasing a coyote during hunt,

[bscherer91]

this weekend i entered a hunt in north west pa was walking down some gas lease roads and turn the corner to a yote running straight at us my cousin pulls up then pulls off says theres 2 look back down the sights and notice dog number 2 is domestic after we realized and stated to each other he looked back down and yote took off up hill. 15 mins later we run into 2 hunters in truck looking for his 4 dogs all tri color so guaranteed dog 1 was coyote ( all brown) would you say this was a fair game kill on our part? we didnt shoot but def could have? any opinons?

[FinsnFur]

I think you woulda been alright to cut down the coyote. You would have had a tough time convincing him that you thought his dogs were coyotes though.
Guys that run dogs usually got almost as much money in their dogs as they do their trucks. There's getting to be more and more dog runners too. We got several groups here. Trucks parked all along the main roads, and turn offs, for a 5 mile radius as they listen and watch the tracking collars.
Putting down one of their dogs would be a pretty expensive identification lesson.

[bscherer91]

ya i wasnt so much questioning be able to take the yote down as would the yote been there if not for the dog chasing him?  so im almost questioning the honor in taking. And if i do take it and the guys dogs run up and the owner comes will he be pissed or is this fair for me to do. its highly unlikley it will happen again but i just keep running in my head was it luck or coincidence since we were heading into the the hollow?

[FinsnFur]

Well, there's a lot of scenarios up in the air here. If it was me and I ran into a group of dogs chasing a coyote where I was hunting, depending on where I was would dictate whether or not I shot at the coyote. Now I say that because I know who runs dogs up here, and I know where they hunt. So I wouldnt have a problem dropping the coyote, cause I'd yuck it up with them later.

But on the same hand, there is pretty much no chance I'd be hunting a piece of timber that was already being run by dogs, it'd be useless anyway, besides a risk for getting accidentally shot.

If I was on public land  (which would never happen) I would let the coyote go and I would beat feet for the truck as fast as I could. To remove myself from where the dog owners are going to be shooting real soon.

[Coulter]

There are more freakin' hound hunters around here this time of year due to all of the contests and they run all over the stinkin' place - public and private. Its extremely tough to make any stands on public land and not encounter hounds either by sight or sound. I'm not knocking the guys with hounds per se, but its extremely frustrating trying to do any calling around here with hounds running all over the damn place.

Now for the topic at hand...shoot the coyote next time. The hound hunters don't give a crap where they go or whose stand they screw up, why should somebody calling care if they screw up there hunt? Just don't shoot their dogs.

Steve

[HaMeR]

If it was on private land there's a good chance the dog runners don't even have permission to be there anyhow. At least around here anyhow. Shoot the coyote & let the guys have their dogs back. The Farmers I hunt on want everything I said I will be hunting shot on sight. I do hunt public land & there are coyotes there to be called & shot. Around here everybody I talk to calls it different than me so I don't mind calling those lands.

[bscherer91]

thanks guys just trying to figure out ethics and prevent kicking myself in the ass over it. seems to me the dogs are controvesial here in pa about electronic callers and locating game with an electronic device. I can read the law 6 times and can find 6 loop holes in it in favor of or against. as far letting the dogs run i know they were 3 air miles from us but 18 miles by road. seems like a loose cannon approach but i spoke with 2 others guys who say they shoot right as the dog jumps the yote. i guess its different training and when there is a pay out of 8000$ you just figure out how to get these preds.

[Bullydog]

I would have shot the coyote too