Georgia starts contest to help cut down coyote population

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has introduced what it calls the Georgia Coyote Challenge in an effort to thin the varmint population in the state, the DNR announced.

“Currently, scientific research suggests that removal of coyotes during the spring and summer is the most advantageous time to reduce the impact of predation on native wildlife,” says DNR Commissioner Mark Williams. “We want to encourage coyote removal efforts during this critical period.”

In order to encourage hunters to take coyotes from March to August, the DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division will accept up to five coyote carcasses per hunter/trapper per month and enter the person in a monthly drawing for a lifetime hunting license.

Rod Pinkston of Columbus owns a company called Jager Pro, which has as its almost sole purpose getting rid of feral hogs, which cause millions of dollars in damage to property every year. But, Pinkston said, if a client is having trouble with coyotes killing pets or livestock, he will take them out, too.

As seen in the accompanying video, Pinkston’s company does shoot coyotes, but only when they present a “target of opportunity.” Otherwise, as with the feral hogs, he prefers to trap the animals first.

“You can have 40 or 50 traps in a field in one night and catch 10 or 15 coyotes,” Pinkston said. “Nobody’s going to shoot 10 or 15 coyotes in one night.”

Pinkston is a former U.S. Army marksman and member of the Army’s Olympic shooting team. All of his employees are also former military and use .308 caliber rifles equipped with thermal imaging scopes.

The coyote is a non-native predator that can be found in every county in Georgia and has the unique ability to live in a variety of habitats, according to the DNR. Trapping and/or hunting are legal and recommended methods for managing coyotes. Because they did not historically live in Georgia, there is no closed season for their harvest.

This story was originally published February 22, 2017 at 12:28 PM with the headline "Georgia starts contest to help cut down coyote population."