Hunting & Fishing Running into young animals

[TheNewRoman]

I wonder how you guys handle running into young animals do you take the shot if it's a pest or not a pest animal, or do you let it be and keep looking.
Also how would you handle a situation if you shot say a coyote near where it lives and once you get near it you find pups near bye, what would you do?

For me I would just leave anything that looks young alone because for some reason killing something that is young of age just doesn't sound or feel right to me. As for the second thing I have no idea, besides maybe feel like crap.

 

[threetrees]

Re: Running into young animals

we try to follow simple rules:
- don't hunt pubs
- don't hunt females with pubs (depending on animal and experience, you can see/investigate with a spotting scope)-> this means that certain (female) animals are not hunted for periods of time after their usual 'giving birth season'

last, and most important rule: if in doubt, keep the finger straight.

 

[bassani]

Re: Running into young animals

it all depends on how strongly you feel about ridding your property of "pests"

 

[beretta989]

Re: Running into young animals

Gunned down 2 young Raccoons last weekend there mother was hit on the road and they were just sitting there. Better than being torn apart from another animal.

 

[BIGBOY1975]

Re: Running into young animals

If there not overpopulated then no, lookout if they are first we shoot it then we ask if you can eat that!

 

[ewoaf]

Re: Running into young animals

If it's a "pest" then yeah, kill it. I guess it's what you define as a "pest". Here in this state we have a list of predators that are, for all intents and purposes, free reign. If you're trying to rid yourself of something, then why would you let some live and others not? Kill them all, especially when they're little, while they're still easy enough to kill, and before they can do any damage. As said above, you'll never really rid yourself of anything, no matter how hard you try. Why give anything a head start?

 

[Strykervet]

Re: Running into young animals

I leave 'em alone. I like to watch them. As a kid, I raised squirrels that fell from a tree. I also hunted them. I only kill to eat or survive.

Personally, I like to think I can outsmart most pests. We had moles that were tearing up the yard, but I simply removed their food source, the grubs, and they went away next year. The squirrels leave the bird feeders alone if they can't get in 'em (and it is damn funny watching them try).

The rabbits, squirrels, coons, possums, occasional deer... They have free reign around here.

Rats under the house are a different story. But the possum left when I let him out and locked him out. It was easier than shooting him and saved us both the trouble.

"You can tell the compassion of a society by how they treat their animals." --Somebody I forgot who.

 

[ric44]

Re: Running into young animals

Yotes ? Kill'em all. They will eat your dog and cat and cost farmers plenty by eating the young livestock. I have no remorse over killing any of them.

 

[Mod Adahy]

Re: Running into young animals

Kill em all. We loose chukar all the time to young animals. Killed 6 baby skunks two days ago that were trying to get in the flight pen. No hesitation.

 

[vferguson3006]

Re: Running into young animals

I live in Maine, there is no closed season on coyotes.
Anyone who hunts in the NEast knows why.
The deer kill by hunters is down every year, activists for animal rights groups has had snaring banned [which was the most effective way to help control coyote population]
There is a limited doe season based on a lottery because of a sharp decline in the deer population.
A young coyotes worst nightmare is running into me!

 

[Guerrilla Monsoon]

Re: Running into young animals

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: vferguson3006</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
A young coyotes worst nightmare is running into me! </div></div>

Oooohhh! Spoken like a real pud!

 

[vferguson3006]

Re: Running into young animals

Yeah, a pud, or whatever your definiton is of a varmint killer.
cause I kill them all if I get them in my crosshairs. Little ones, med. size ones, big ones.

 

[Night Hunter]

Re: Running into young animals

Those that don't shoot young animals don't have problem animals plain and simple...

I am a hunter first, wildlife damage control specialist second, my target is most often a mature buck or gobbler but let any coyote or hog step out and it is dead. We fight both species tooth and nail while managing our deer, turkey and quail. They cost me time and most importatly a LOT of $$$ so no matter how big, small or pregnant they are, they will die.

Just these two species though...

 

[vferguson3006]

Re: Running into young animals

Dfooking,
To put those critters on the wheeler into perspective, the coon weighed in at 30-1/2#, the dog, a feamale was 52#. No more free lunches for these 3.
All 3 were taken on the same bait in two evenings with a Savage 12 Heavy Varmint in .223 at 175yds. Don't tell anyone but it had a WoTac on it that still worked.

 

[rustydog32]

Re: Running into young animals

That is the biggest racoon I have ever seen! I had to kill a fawn a couple of weeks ago that had a broken back but we knew if we didnt she would cry for help until the yotes came and ate mom to

 

[Ghogs Nightmare]

Re: Running into young animals

Simple rule, if it eats what I hunt it won't last after an encounter.
.
Yote,Fox,Coon,Feral Cat

 

[InsidetheStorm]

Re: Running into young animals

I have an emotional problem killing juvenile animals, but only since I had children. I think I wrongly superimpose human attributes on them, and then I cry. Then I get over it, and bang, splat. Where I work, there is a GIANT groundsquirrel problem, and I do all I can to kill them, every last one... except the yungins. Not trying to work myself out of a job. But when it comes to my quail spots, or deer woods, all coyotes, possums, coons, and anything else competing with them for food will die.

Breathe, relax, aim, sight, squeeze...

 

[petesp]

Re: Running into young animals

Vermin usually get it regardless of age.

 

[pwc001]

Re: Running into young animals

I have no problem mowing down a whole group of piglets. And they taste great.

 

[boudin]

Re: Running into young animals

Depending on what your priorities are, taking young animals is not necessarily a bad thing. If you subscribe to Quality Deer Management practices, for instance, you may be better served to harvest the younger does when given the option. Reasons being, yearling does typically only give birth to a single fawn after being sired for the first time, whereas mature does frequently give birth to twins. Yearling does also aren't as adept at being good parents to the fawns they may give birth to in their young age. They haven't established any level of dominance within the herd which can limit their access to good bedding/cover areas, making them and their fawns more susceptible to predation. If I'm not mistaken, they also do a poor job of imparting valuable foraging skills and routines, in comparison to mature mothers.

For a long time now, I've made an effort to harvest as mature of deer as possible, so this concept was pretty foreign to me. When I was younger, one of the first things I would ask my dad after he saw my deer was "Is it old enough?". After spending the last two years hunting with a QDM perspective and seeing the results of this management style on other properties, I'm inclined to see the merit in following their advice pertaining to this issue. Granted, selective harvesting of younger does can increase your chances of accidentally taking a button head, so extra attention must be paid to identifying and confirming the subtle characteristics that differentiate doe from buck fawns/yearlings.

Regarding the killing of juvenile predators/pests, my view is pretty simple. If the animal presents a risk/threat to the ecosystem we are managing and our goals for that ecosystem, then there are no age limits.

 

[redirt78]

Re: Running into young animals

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: InsidetheStorm</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Where I work, there is a GIANT groundsquirrel problem, and <span style="font-weight: bold">I do all I can to kill them, every last one... <span style="text-decoration: underline">except the yungins</span></span>. <span style="font-weight: bold">Not trying to work myself out of a job</span>.

<span style="font-weight: bold">But when it comes to <span style="text-decoration: underline">my</span> quail spots, or deer woods, <span style="text-decoration: underline">all</span> coyotes, possums, coons, and anything else competing with them for food will die.</span>
</div></div>

"Huge problem, kill them all, well not all of them, have to leave some so I am still needed... unless of course it's in my zone".

Not trying to give you too much grief but if I was the landowner I wouldn't want to know one of my game/land managers saw it this way. If there is an overpopulation of anything, do what you can to control it, attempt to bring them down to a level that the resources can handle and move on to the next piece of the puzzle. There is always something to do.

 

[deersniper]

Re: Running into young animals

If its a pest, kill it. I don't care if its a spotted fawn or a giant ground hog, they get treated the same.