Summer is most definitely here. Many species of wildlife are thriving, and that includes predators. With the economy, shortage of eggs and so on, many people have explored the idea of raising their own chickens, turkeys, quail, and other small animals in backyards for food. It is a great way to live. I can attest to that, as my entire life has been spent raising or hunting my own food.
I find it interesting how many people I have conversed with that started raising small animals who seem very surprised that they are not the only ones that like eating the very animals they are raising for themselves!
After years of raising chickens and other poultry, I have taken multiple hits from coyotes and foxes pretty much each year. I like to free range my birds, and that means I end up sharing some of them with predators from time to time. Of course, being a hunter, I own firearms and take care of my own issues when they arise, but there are a lot of people out there who either do not own firearms, don’t want to shoot a predator, or simply do not know how to go about taking out a fox or coyote that is constantly thieving their poultry.
This scenario plays out time and again, particularly in semi-rural areas where more and more people are setting up backyard chicken coops. This an opportunity, and a good one at that. Hunters needing a place to hunt can help that backyard chicken owner and possibly secure a small parcel to hunt in the fall.
Here are the steps to capitalizing on this opportunity. First, network with friends and acquaintances and put the word out that you are interested in speaking with people who are having issues with coyotes or foxes snatching chickens or other poultry. This can be done at work, church, the kids’ ball games and, if you are comfortable with it, you can send the word out via social media to your trusted list of friends as well.
Once you get an inquiry, set up a meeting with the landowner and visit them to surveil the situation and determine if there is any way you can help them. Be sure to know where the property boundaries are, and figure out where the predators are coming from if at all possible. I like to put out trail cameras and narrow down when the poultry snatchings are occurring. A cellular trail camera will let you know quickly at what time this happens.
If at night, check local laws regarding shooting coyotes and foxes. In many areas it is legal to shoot coyotes year-round; in almost as many areas, it is legal to shoot foxes that are taking livestock. Be sure you check local wildlife regulations. If in doubt, check in with the local conservation police officer.
Many areas allow lights and electronic calls to be used. Even if they do not, when a predator gets a taste of easy meat, they will often come during daylight hours. My chickens get picked off from time to time in the middle of the day ... the flock goes crazy, and I run out to find a pile of feathers where a rooster or old hen made their last stand!
Examine the property to determine a good place to set up and make a decision about what firearm to use. For properties that are small and neighbors are close by, a stand and a rimfire rifle may be the best tools. If the property is larger and using a high powered rifle or shotgun loaded with #4s or even small buckshot is a better option and safe, then do so.
Good places to set up include outbuildings, barn lofts, or in treestands looking into the poultry yard, so shots go into the dirt. I have even hunted from a gazebo in a backyard. It felt odd, but that location allowed for a very safe and easy shot on the approach of the fox plaguing the landowner and her chickens. I have an acquaintance who was urged by the landowner to simply sit on their large back porch. They did so and aimed right off the porch railing to get the fox.
A good time to hunt during the day, and even the night hours, is after a rain. I am not sure why, but I see far more foxes and coyotes after a rain during the spring and summer and early fall.
Please take the time to explain in detail all shooting options with the landowner. Make a point to express your desire to be safe and at the same time take care of the predator problem. If your landowner seems a bit conflicted about having an animal shot, be sure to remove the animal quickly and get it out of sight out of respect for them.
Sometimes people like the idea of living off the land, but are not yet able to really stomach or even understand that there are some choices to be made about defending your stock and taking a life of a predator. Until they can comfortably do that themselves, you have a job to do, and doing it respectfully will return that favor to you down the road.
I text my landowners before I arrive and then again when I leave, so a shot ringing out is not a cause for alarm. I update them on what I saw or did not see. I also make sure all gates are shut as I found them. I tell the landowner anything odd I observe, such as a hole being dug near a poultry pen, a groundhog entering or exiting a garden, and so on. These things are appreciated by landowners.
After you have done your job and taken care of the problem, you can get around to asking about permission to hunt their land in the fall. Even small parcels that are 10 acres can be a gold nugget for archery deer hunters. A lot of deer find backyards to be great places to feed. While many people enjoy seeing deer feed in their backyard, some grow weary of their bushes and gardens getting eaten up. Deer do not know boundaries, and they can grow very accustomed to people and their activities.
I lease a parcel from a family that loves to shoot, but they do not hunt at all. Deer eat all their fruit and flowers. They tell me regularly how the deer come out five minutes after they stop target shooting and are within archery range of their back door! My point is, help a backyard poultry owner, even if their parcel is small, and you might gain a new place to hunt and put some venison up this fall.
