What is the best way to target coyotes and wolves in populated areas? I live in a densely populated rural area with plenty of 5 and 20 acre lots, mixed with 40 to 80 acre pieces of agricultural land, plenty of wood lots, high deer populations, tons of coyotes and a rising wolf population (three timber wolves killed within 8 miles of my house this past year that I know of, 2 more spotted within a mile of where I live). I have a number of places I can trap or snare, undevelloped roads, waterways after they freeze and some private land.

The problem I face is peoples pets and public perception. We have lots of dogs in the area and city people living out here that commute. A local wildlife control officer says to snare them and not worry about peoples dogs. He says if you are trapping legally the dogs are not an issue because owners are not allowed to let them off of their property. We are required to use kill snares here.

Leg holds and we have to worry about humane dispatch in populated areas with certain firearms restrictions and because I do not own an ATV all of my traps have to be within walking distance of the road. Live traps have to be checked every 72 hrs. I prefer to do it dailly.

I am inclined to go with power snares but I have issues with not target animals like dogs. It does not matter what people say, we have to maintain a good public image and be humane as well?

What are my best options?

Footholds and even then you're going to catch three shades of hades when you catch a dog, legal or not you'll be the one to catch the blame. Sorry but that's how it works when folks are to stupid to keep their dogs up, stupid enough that they think the law does not apply to them.
I absolutely would not follow the wildlife officer's advise unless he was willing to put it in writing and ride shotgun for you when you end up killing a dog.
I know it sucks and ain't right but when public opinion is played out in the tabloids it is what it is.
If you can the only way I know to absolutely avoid non targets is to call them in and shoot them if that's safe to do so and legal.

That is kind of what I expected the answer to be. People around here want you to kill every last coyote, but don't want you to catch a single dog.

I went for a walk down the local creek in January with my son, we were carrying our .22 rifles looking for coyotes which is perfectly legal as long as it isn't on a Sunday.

Two weeks later I was back on my own and ran into one of the neighbors whose property backed onto the creek. He started to lecture me about shooting in the area and tried telling me it was illegal. When I cited the local regulations back to him, told him I lived down the road and that I had been shooting since I was 4 years old, he changed his tune completely and then went on to tell me how he had shot 6 beaver the previous summer with his .22 while they were swimming in the creek because they were cutting down all of his trees.

Beaver are fair game all year here, but it is completely illegal to shoot them unless they are on shore at anytime. Typical double standards we face every day.

Collarum works great for me.

Didn't consider the collarum as they're not legal here but yes the collarum will turn the trick.

Hey Ed, I've been to your fine province and loved it. Now everyone may not be quite as honest and forthright, but the truth is, if you keep the muzzle of the barrel inside of the framework of your house, you could fire a bazooka and no one would hear it. Well, actually, you would probably be deaf.

I live in a subdivision and ( provided I have a safe backdrop ) most everyone knows that any coyote or wolf in my backyard, will not be a threat to my neighbors.

Well modified traps will minimize foot damage as well as being well prepared to release a dog should you catch one . I have areas where people let dogs run that i don't target k9s but still can trap coon and fisher in leaning pole sets . Then theres beaver....sounds like you'll do the right thing . good luck .Hope to see the wolf photo.

I have three decent sized dogs, so wolves and coyotes don't come on my 5 acre lot. I have permission to take a crack at anything that steps foot in the neighbouring field across the road, so those aren't my concerns. I also have a couple of properties where I get to enjoy the thrill of calling them into rifle range too. Nothing quite as exciting as calling a timber wolf right in on top of your kid and watching him vibrate over not having enough time to get off a shot LOL.

I am just trying to explore the options of picking up some of the travelling night stalkers that are not brave enough to show their ugly hairy faces in the light of legal shooting hours.

We are probably only a couple years away from having a mounted air rifle with night vision that automatically adjusts itself to the target. All you will have to do is watch on your computer screen to make sure it has the right target; coyote, wolf, neighbor's cat, daughter's druggie boyfriend, you get the picture. Oh yeah, you'll probably have to press "enter" to make it fire.

Well Paul, I just sit in the living room cleaning my guns and sharpening my knives when he comes to pick the daughter up. Tell him I will still be there when he brings her back and then they've
always made it back by curfew.

A man after my own heart; thanks Ed.

I have to say, that despite being taller than me, my daughters chose husbands that could weld broken cages, do bat jobs, remove captured animals, fix minor computer problems, do vehicle repairs and a plethora of other things. Now if only my wife could have found someone that handy, I would still be single.

P.S. And about that taller thing; my eldest daughter has two sons that are 16 and 14 and are 6 foot 4 inches at least. Ha,Ha, she's going to have to stand on a stool for family pictures, just like I did.

maybe not a coupla years Va has laws so we cannot use something like this

lota good advice already been given ,trapping alongside the interstates here I very rarely run into pets the yotes run them here because of how much we are like NOLA with all the drainage ditches / canals lota prey/food in them ditches

I was reading an article last night that stated you are less likely to catch dogs snaring trails than in foot holds, because dogs will go out of their way to check out the bait or lure when they smell it, but they don't usually run the fox & coyote trails. Is there truth to that?

Never snared canines so can't really say. Bait and lure at a dirthole or flat set will draw anything with half a nose. Snares are usually hung without bait or lure so I see that as reducing risks. On the trail thing, like I said I can't snare so I'm hesitant to say whether wild and domestic use the same trails. I do know that in urban areas, especially heavily built up areas, land use patterns tend to create very tight pinch points and bottlenecks that give very little choice as to travel paths for canines.

Hay Paul they already have it. There was a hunting site that you could log in on your computer and aim the gun shoot hogs, deer etc. They would go get it and cut it up and send you the meat. I can’t say if the anti’s got it stopped or not, however. They start it for handicap people that could not go into the field to hunt.

Five- to twenty-acre lots and 40-80-acre woodlots is densely populated??!

It is out here when you are looking at rural life. A five acre lot is approx. 330 feet wide and 660 feet deep.

That puts the houses approx. 500 feet apart, an everyone owns a dog, many of which will have no problem running 2 or three miles at a time if they get off the chain or out of the kennel.

get into a 20 acre piece of bush here and you are likely to run into half a dozen deer, someones barn cat, a dog or 2, a coyote and a bear with cubs, all in the same week.