Predator hunting is becoming more and more popular and it’s clearly visible via the social media channels that are available today on this very subject. Do a quick search on YouTube for “Coyote Hunting” and you will quickly see exactly how popular it is. Rather it is day-time calling tactics, the latest craze and amazing, or night-vision and thermal optic, predator hunting is buzzing.

So, lets dive in to what predator hunting is all about. Coyote hunting being one of the most popular due to where they can be found. Coyotes roam the plains, forests, mountains and deserts of the United States, Canada, Mexico and Central America. Some can even be found in tropical climates, and rarely do they have any native predators themselves. So, coyote hunting is especially important to keep their numbers in check, and balanced, but that also goes for other predators such as cougars/mountain lions, bobcats, badgers to name a few.

Historically, predator hunting was popular due to a thriving fur industry with companies such as the Hudson Bay Company (est. 1670) that turned furs into major fashion icons. The fur industry was a way-of-life for many for centuries and they made their lively-hood hunting/trapping to sell furs at a fair price. However, the stock market crash of 1987 was the beginning of the end for the fur industry. Not only were clothing companies no longer investing in real fur pelts, but a rise in cheaper “faux fur” (synthetic materials) started taking their place. Plus, the uprising of anti-hunters that found a loud voice in discriminating an industry that had been in existence for centuries. Man has been covering his body with fur pelts since they began walking the earth. So, it is these things that make us have to re-focus on what the target is.

In today’s predator hunting societies, it isn’t the fur industry that’s driving the modern hunter. Some may still have avenue’s in selling pelts, and I for one would love to see that industry return, but on the most part that isn’t necessarily the focus. Some may be hard-core Deer/Elk hunters, and just trying to keep those predator/prey numbers in balance. Others use their time to continue to be in the outdoors, filling a gap between other seasons, still seeking a pursuit rising to the challenge’s predator hunting brings. Or even providing support to local livestock farmers who are taking loses because of predators invading their livestock. 

Predator hunting is one of the few hunting options where going door-to-door asking for hunting permission on private property may still get you access. There are very few farmers/landowners out there that won’t encourage you to come hunt coyotes on their property. As I previously mentioned, with no natural predators themselves, coyotes can easily over-populate themselves and cause havoc on livestock (larger predators can be even worse). So, no matter what your reasoning is for seeking predator hunting, I would encourage everyone to give it a try. It’s challenging, can be a great source of exercise, or even be an avenue to introduce someone new to hunting. But whatever your target, don’t let anyone discourage you from trying it. It’s roots go back many centuries.