Question regarding coyotes

MidKnight

MidKnight

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I live in Weymouth MA. It's not at all rural (especially seeing as I grew up in the mountains of PA). However, right behind my apartment there is a few acres of wooded area that has some wildlife. My wife saw two deer early one morning, and there's plenty of hawks and whatnot. Anyways, for the past two mornings, at 6am, I've heard a pack of coyotes howling in the woods. As we don't have outdoor pets or kids, I'm not too concerned. However, I did tell my wife if she saw one as she was outside to get back inside or in her car, whichever was closer.

Here's my question: What kind of trouble would somebody get into if they shot a coyote that was approaching them? Not that I'm thinking of doing this at all, every time I've seen one, they just run away. I'm just talking hypothetical.

What legal ramifications would there be? What if it was rabid? What would you do if you encountered a coyote outside your house? (btw, when I lived in quincy I almost hit one with my car on the way to work at 5am).
 
My parents live in Weymouth and my mom sees them on her way to work sometimes.

I can't perceive of any area in Weymouth where you could shoot one and not be in violation of either the discharging a gun within 150 feet of a road, or within 500 feet of someone's home.

My guess is that even if you weren't in violation the Weymouth PD would come and "have a talk" with you.
 
Who here has actually hunted coyotes? Here in Maine you can hunt them all season long, I guess their numbers are a problem. You can even get a permit to spotlight them I think.

I wouldn't mind trying my hand at it, especially if it helps people out...
 
Unless it's actively attacking you which would fall under self defense, you can't shoot them. But single coyotes will never attack humans unless they are rabid or something, and even small packs tend to shy away from larger animals (us)
 
Thanks for all of the info and input guys. I have another question now that I've seen the hunting seasons in MA (I used to hunt in PA, but haven't hunted since I moved out 7 years ago and I was 18)... I know you can only use a shotgun (no rifles) to hunt deer in MA, but what about the other critters? I'm guessing you can use a rifle on coyote and bear?

Does anyone know the reason for the shotgun restriction on deer?

Thanks again.
 
Go here for lots of information about hunting, fishing, etc.

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/dfwrec.htm

MidKnight said:
Thanks for all of the info and input guys. I have another question now that I've seen the hunting seasons in MA (I used to hunt in PA, but haven't hunted since I moved out 7 years ago and I was 18)... I know you can only use a shotgun (no rifles) to hunt deer in MA, but what about the other critters? I'm guessing you can use a rifle on coyote and bear?

Does anyone know the reason for the shotgun restriction on deer?

Thanks again.
Click to expand...
 
C-pher said:
Pellet gun and your window...quiet and quick.
Click to expand...

A pellet gun for a coyote!?

It certainly isn't "quick" and I don't believe it would be lethal, absent a "magic bullet" shot through an eye into the brain.

In short, an absurd suggestion.[rolleyes]
 
Scrivener said:
A pellet gun for a coyote!?

It certainly isn't "quick" and I don't believe it would be lethal, absent a "magic bullet" shot through an eye into the brain.

In short, an absurd suggestion.[rolleyes]
Click to expand...

Unless C-Pher's idea of a pellet gun is a .45-70 pellet... [rofl]

Pellet gun, what a maroon... [smile]
 
Scrivener said:
A pellet gun for a coyote!?
Click to expand...
derek said:
Pellet gun, what a maroon...
Click to expand...

Perhaps he ment one of these ?


walnut_logo.jpeg

http://www.barnespneumatic.com/
 
Some pellet guns might have the velocity, but i still doubt that there would be anything approaching lethal results.
 
Scrivener said:
A pellet gun for a coyote!?

It certainly isn't "quick" and I don't believe it would be lethal, absent a "magic bullet" shot through an eye into the brain.

In short, an absurd suggestion.[rolleyes]
Click to expand...

Learn about your pellet guns... They have some that will kill people. I've known people that hunt with them. You can get some very good pellet guns for these applications.

Granted, it's not going to be your 60 dollar Daisy from Service Merchandise. But they have them for hunting coyote and groundhogs.

Hell, I was looking at a .308 pellet gun at the gun show that you charge with a SCUBA tank. He had one that was 9mm as well as .45.
 
C-pher said:
Hell, I was looking at a .308 pellet gun at the gun show that you charge with a SCUBA tank. He had one that was 9mm as well as .45.
Click to expand...

Those sound pretty common.... [thinking]

Maybe you should clarify your post before getting pissy.. [wink]
 
derek said:
Those sound pretty common.... [thinking]

Maybe you should clarify your post before getting pissy.. [wink]
Click to expand...

I never once said that it was going to be the Red Ryder you had as a kid.

You guys chose to call me obsurd and such, thinking that there's no such way that it could be.

I wasn't getting pissy...I was just making sure that you guys looked like petty little idiots. [smile]

Here's a .50 hunting air gun.

http://www.pyramydair.com/cgi-bin/model.pl?model_id=771
 
Shotgun only in Mass. due to area limitations. You'll find the same in lower NH.

Be carefull discharging a firearm in Weymouth, They have a "law" banning the outdoor discharge of a firearm within the Weymouth borders.

Hmm..you must be over on Middle street or Pleasant st? If so, that neck of woods is alot larger than you think. I grew up playing in those woods. I've seen many Deer, Turkey, Muskrat, Fox and Coyote along with the usual hawks, skunks and stuff in there. There is an old quarry in there too......Thats where I found out about the no shooting outdoor law in Weymouth. Just a 17 year old kid shooting cans with a 10/22. A very nice Weymouth Officer came walking through the woods, waited about 2o ft behind me until I was empty and politely told me I couldnt shoot there. Checked my FID card and sent me on my way. Somebody had complained about the gunfire, he walked about 3/4 of a mile in the woods to find me and was super cool about it. Years later when I applied for my LTC, he was the issuing officer and I had no problem getting my concealed carry permit.....just a cool story.

Sorry for the drift..........
 
derek said:
Is it as quiet as a regular "airgun"?
Click to expand...


It made a pretty good air pop. A little like when you take the air pump off your tires at the gas station. It wasn't stelth, but it wasn't a loud crack like a firearm.

I think that you could get away with it in a residential area... I don't think that anyone would think that you're shooting.

But, I was also in a full show, so it's wasn't quiet...so I can't tell you what it would sound like at 3 am in an apartment complex.

I took the guys card. He's in Harford, doesn't have a website yet, but said that he's wanting to get on one. Guess he sells a lot on ebay. Or so he said...

I just was talking to him becuase I want to get one for the kids to practice in the back yard. Not one of those, one of the Daisy's.
 
C-pher said:
Pellet gun and your window...quiet and quick.
Click to expand...

Go to THIS FORUM and try asking/suggesting that. They will tell you a .22lr is out, and a .22 Magnum is also out, though some might suggest the magnum is OK out to maybe 50 yards with a solid head shot, but they are in the minority and frowned upon.

The preferred caliber there is the 17 Remington. Don't confuse that with the .17HMR, which is also frowned upon as too little for coyote, but maybe just maybe OK for fox.

If I hit the lottery, I'd prefer a .19 Calhoon or .19 Badger.

You can also use the newish .204 Ruger, though that could be a little strong if you intend to keep the pelt (and SHOULDN'T you, if you shoot a coyote?).

Shotgun is also OK.


Hamar said:
Shotgun only in Mass. due to area limitations. .....
Click to expand...

Not true. Maybe in parts of Mass., due to area limitations, but not statewide. I don't know exactly where Weymouth is, but have a pretty strong sneaking feeling that it is over towards Plymouth and the Cape. You need to know the law for your area. In any event, this is not true for the entire state.
 
Last edited:
JellyFish said:
You can't hunt squirrels with a rifle. At least in eastern MA. It's shotgun only.
Click to expand...

Let me edit this for you to read easier for those stumbling onto this:

"You can't hunt squirrels in certain areas of Eastern MA with a rifle. It is shotgun only. Check the regulations to see how they apply where you live."
Click to expand...

;-)
 
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Thats right.. I was talking about Weymouth in general. Shotgun for deer only. I was targeting that area only.

Didnt mean to add to the confusion.
 
Sorry, I have a RWS 52, .177 pellet gun that zings at 1100fps. However it will NOT do a clean kill on anything larger than a rabbit!

For a humane kill, pellet guns are NOT a tool to use on coyotes!
 
/Rant On

I wrote a letter a while back petitioning Mas Wildlife to
allow pistols and pistol-caliber carbines for deer hunting in MA.
A modern Sabot will FAR out perform these guys.

12G Hornady SST 300 Gr.:
Muzzle: 2000 fps 100 yds:1641 fps

Speer 300 gr. 44 mag from ruger carbine:
Muzzle:1393 fps

It's all politics, because the science does not hold up. A modern muzzleloader
or Shotgun will blow these pistol rounds out of the water, yet a slim
44 mag carbine would be just about perfect for our heavy woods and
swamps, and would be much better for a slighter built man, woman, or teen
than a 12 ga.

/Rant Off
F
 
firtree said:
/Rant On

I wrote a letter a while back petitioning Mas Wildlife to
allow pistols and pistol-caliber carbines for deer hunting in MA.
A modern Sabot will FAR out perform these guys.

12G Hornady SST 300 Gr.:
Muzzle: 2000 fps 100 yds:1641 fps

Speer 300 gr. 44 mag from ruger carbine:
Muzzle:1393 fps

It's all politics, because the science does not hold up. A modern muzzleloader or Shotgun will blow these pistol rounds out of the water
Click to expand...

Your point is contradicted by your own evidence! The 12 gauge sabot starts out with almost half-again the muzzle velocity for the same weight projectile; ergo, it has 50% more power.

That's not "politics;" it's physics. In what way does that possibly support your argument for handgun / handgun caliber hunting? [rolleyes]

And how does that relate to shooting coyote with pellet guns?
 

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