St. Marys Sportsmen's Club
Coyote Hunt

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(See below for Rules & Regulations and Registration Form.)

Fifth Annual "Size Doesn't Matter" Coyote Hunt
February 22, 23 & 24, 2008

Results of 2008 Coyote Hunt:

Total Hunters - 325

Coyotes Harvested - 60 (new Club record)

Total Money - $2275.00

Each successful hunter received - $34.00 for each coyote entered.
[Prize money divided equally among all Coyotes entered.]

Dean Rogers - winner of the Lucky Dog Drawing (10% of purse) - $227.50

Heaviest coyotes harvested:
Ron Smith - 47 lb. female      Aaron Damcott - 47 lb. male

The coyotes were weighed for club records only.

A big thank you to all you coyote hunters who participated in our hunt.

2008 Winners

Name County Date Time Weight Sex Gun Method
Ivan Smith Elk 2/22 7:00am 40 M .243 Bait
  Elk 2/24 6:30am 32 M .243 Bait
Adam Schwabenbauer Elk 2/23 9:00am 39 M .308 Driving
Josh Doverspike Armstrong 2/22 6:00pm 38 M .22-250 Call
Rich Hoffman Elk 2/22 8:00pm 34 M .30-06 Call
Robert Brown Wyoming 2/22 D.T. 45 F Rifle Call
  Wyoming 2/22 D.T. 35 F Rifle Dogs
  Wyoming 2/22 D.T. 35 F Rifle Dogs
  Wyoming 2/23 D.T. 29 F Rifle Dogs
  Wyoming 2/23 D.T. 32 F Shotgun Dogs
Rod Fairman Clearfield 2/23 9:30am 36 M .30-06 Call
Tim Jeffcoat Potter 2/23 8:15am 34 M .22-250 Call
Steve Wendel Elk 2/23 2:00pm 28 F .30-06 Driving
Kris Reitz Clearfield 2/23 9:30am 36 M 12 ga. Dogs
Todd Reitz Clearfield 2/23 2:00pm 34 F 12 ga. Dogs
Aaron Damcott Warren 2/22 8:00am 47 M 12 ga. Dogs
  Warren 2/23 11:00am 31 F 12 ga. Dogs
John Dougherty Warren 2/23 3:30pm 30 F Shotgun Dogs
Matt White Warren 2/23 1:30pm 26 F .17 cal Dogs
Scott TeCulver Warren 2/22 7:30am 37 M 12 ga. Dogs
  Warren 2/23 11:00am 30 F 12 ga. Dogs
John Bordick Forest 2/23 5:30pm 34 F Shotgun Sitting
Guy Anderson Elk 2/23 8:00am 30 F .22 Dogs
Tim Schwabenbauer Elk 2/22 9:00am 31 F .204 Bait
Jeremy Frigo Center 2/23 7:00pm 31 F 12 ga. Calling
Russell Bauer Clarion 2/22 9:00am 40 M Shotgun Dogs
  Clarion 2/23 4:00pm 40 M .30-06 Dogs
Art Timco Forest 2/23 9:00am 33 M .30-06 Calling
  Allegheny 2/22 6:30pm 42 M Shotgun Calling
Dale Pushey Greene 2/22 2:30am 31 F 6 mm Calling
  Greene 2/22 2:30am 40 M 6 mm Calling
Randy Sepac Greene 2/22 4:30am 33 F .243 Calling
  Greene 2/22 4:30am 30 M .243 Calling
Rick Marinchek Westm. 2/23 8:20pm 35 F .243 Calling
Ron Minor Mercer 2/22 D.T. 33 M .22-250 Dogs
  Mercer 2/22 D.T. 41 M .22-250 Dogs
  Mercer 2/24 D.T. 34 F .22-250 Dogs
Mark Armstrong Mercer 2/23 7:30am 31 F .243 Dogs
Ron Smith Crawford 2/22 8:30am 47 F .243 Dogs
  Crawford 2/23 12:30pm 40 M .243 Dogs
Bob Eckberg Bradford 2/22 8:00am 44 F Shotgun Dogs
  Bradford 2/23 2:00pm 31 F Shotgun Dogs
  Bradford 2/23 3:00pm 40 M Rifle Dogs
Kevin Shaw Clearfield 2/24 1:00am 40 M 12 ga. Dogs
Gerold Sekoll Potter 2/22 7:30pm 39 M .25-06 Call
  Potter 2/22 11:00pm 36 M .25-06 Call
  Potter 2/22 10:30pm 33 M .25-06 Call
Joe Evanoff Erie 2/23 6:00pm 39 F Shotgun Dogs
Tom Mitchell Erie 2/23 D.T. 42 M Shotgun Dogs
Frank Cutshall Erie 2/22 9:00am 40 M .204 Dogs
Mark Magee Erie 2/22 4:00pm 31 F 12 ga. Dogs
Pete Evanoff Erie 2/22 2:00pm 40 M Shotgun Dogs
  Erie 2/23 4:00pm 34 F .30-30 Dogs
Nick Greer Erie 2/22 8:30am 26 F 12 ga. Dogs
Dean Rogers Erie 2/23 8:00am 40 M   Dogs
Scott Triscuit Erie 2/22 11:30am 39 M .22-250 Dogs
Steve Vanderhoff Erie 2/23 9:30am 35 M .204 Dogs
George Burns Mercer 2/22   35 F 12 ga. Call
  Mercer 2/23   38 M 12 ga. Call
  Mercer 2/23   33 M .243 Call

 

2008 Prize Give-a-way's

Bird Hunts / Benzinger Bird Farm

James P. Bell #2100
Jeff S. Walter #2159

Russ Hanes Tires donated gift

Jordan Wagorak #2059 - Cordless drill 

Dave Dunbar www.critterbuster.com donated products

Thomas D. Mitchell #2340 Dog Talker
Randy L. Hubler #2314 Dog Talker
Marcus T. Mellish #2313 Dog Talker
Frank Dinsmore #2228 Shirt
Paul Donachy #1651 Distress Call
Ken Baumgardner #0138 Distress Call
Joe Hoffman #0011 Distress Call

Smith Sport Store - $25.00 Gift Certificates

Richard L. Hoffman #2062
Matt S. Rankin #2093
Brandon M. Sheeley #2095

St. Marys Home and Hardware donated gifts

Bill E. Williams #2318 - Case knife
A. John Leslie #2072 - Knife sharpener
Andy Mosier #1065 - Hat

 

Click Here for a printable Membership Application
and Coyote Hunt Registration Form

Coyote Hunt T-shirts are available:

Coyote Hunt T-shirt 

Order on the registration form.

Rules and Regulations

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The Coyote Hunt begins at 12:01 AM Friday, February 22, 2008 and ends at 3:00 PM Sunday, February 24, 2008.

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Registrations are available at Elk County Ammo & Arms (246 Brusselles Street, St. Marys, PA) and Smith's Sports Store (10 Erie Ave., St. Marys, PA) or from an officer of the club.  You may also register via the website by mailing an application along with payment.  Proof of membership will be required or a membership application must be submitted along with the Coyote Hunt registration form. An additional $1.00 administration fee must be remitted with mailed applications.

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The registration fee is $8.00 (includes administrative fee).  Each participant must be registered for the Coyote Hunt.  The participant must also be a paid 2008 member of the club. 

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Registrations must be received and processed before 5:00 PM, Thursday, February 14, 2008. Mailed registrations must be received by February 8, 2008.

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When hunting in groups, each member of the group must be registered or the entire group will be disqualified.

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Coyotes may be bagged anywhere in Pennsylvania and they must be bagged during the hours of the hunt. 

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No trapped, snared or penned Coyotes will be accepted.  Road kills also do not qualify.

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Participants must have a valid Pennsylvania hunting license or furtaker’s license.  Any violation of the rules of the hunt or Pennsylvania Game Laws will disqualify the participant and all members of his hunting party.

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The club reserves the right to have all Coyotes inspected by a certified professional.  An autopsy may be performed if any suspicious conditions exist.

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Coyotes may be checked at the Sportsmen’s Club during the following hours:
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Friday, 9 AM – 5 PM, Saturday, 9 AM – 5 PM, Sunday 9 AM – 3 PM

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Each successful participant must dispose of his/her coyote carcass.

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The St. Marys Sportsmen’s Club Coyote Hunt is being run concurrent with and in cooperation with The Mosquito Creek Sportsmen’s Club hunt and the Sigel Sportsmen's  Wylie Coyote hunt.  Coyotes may be entered at all clubs provided the participant is registered with and a member of the clubs.

 

The Coyote

     The coyote, or "little wolf" as the Native Americans call it, is a member of the dog family. It is the topic of many Native American folklore tales.  Its name comes from the Aztec word "coyotl."  Its scientific name is "canis latrans" which means "barking dog."
     The coyote, usually associated with the open lands of the west, is now found throughout the United States.  Not native to Ohio, its presence here shows the animal's ability to adapt to new environments.  Coyotes' good sense of smell, hearing and vision, along with being sly, enable them to even live in some urban areas.  For example, a pair was found in New York City in the Spring of 1995.  Presently coyotes can be found in all of the 88 counties of Ohio.
     The coyote has the appearance of a medium-sized dog or a small German Shepherd.  Coyotes are about one and a half to two feet tall and between forty-one and fifty-three inches long. Weight ranges from twenty to fifty pounds.  They have a bushy tail that is tipped with black.  Most are grey, but some show rust or brown coloration.  Coyote tracks are more elongated than dog tracks.
     This nocturnal animal is most active at night, but if not threatened by man they will hunt during the day.  The coyote is omnivorous.  They will eat fruits, grasses, and vegetables along with small mammals.  The coyote has a bad reputation for killing sheep and other livestock, but studies show that livestock accounts for only 14 percent of the coyotes' diet.
     Coyotes mate for life.  Between January and March is the breeding period.  Most do not breed until they are two years old. The female selects and maintains the den.  They usually dig their own dens but sometimes they use an old badger hole or fix up a natural hole.  Dens are usually hidden from view.
     Females carry their young for over two months.  One to twelve pups are born in either April or May.  Pups are born blind and helpless.
     Both parents hunt and feed the young.  At three weeks old the pups leave the den under close watch of their parents.  Once the pups are eight to twelve weeks old they are taught to hunt.  Families stay together through the summer but the young break apart to find their own territories by fall.  They usually relocate within ten miles.  Between 50 and 70 percent of the young coyotes die before adulthood.  Of the young that die, 80 percent is the result of human trapping, shooting, poisons, or other control methods.
     The coyote is capable of producing fertile offspring with many other animals from the dog family.  It occasionally breeds with the domestic dog, wild dogs, and wolves.  This mixed offspring has created great confusion about whether a real coyote has been seen.  The only way to tell the difference is by examination of the skull.  The coyotes' skull is narrower and more elongated than the domestic dog.  In Ohio 98 percent of the animals sighted, captured, or killed are real coyotes.
     More often you will hear a coyote rather than see one.  Its howl can be very deceiving.  Due to the way the sound carries, it seems as though it is in one place, where the coyote is really some place else.  Coyotes have two howling seasons.  The first is in January and February.  During this time they are trying to find a mate by howling.  The second season is in September and October.  During this period the female is calling to her offspring.  The young then call back in unison.
     After the move westward by settlers, coyotes thrived on ranchers' cattle and sheep.  In response, the ranchers aggressively tried to eliminate the coyote, and almost succeeded.  However, due to its intelligence and ability to adapt to changes in its environment, it has not only survives but flourished.

Links to other Coyote pages:

Ohio Division of Wildlife; Life History Note; Coyote

The Coyote

Coyote

Dog Owner's Guide; Electronic Edition; The Coyote

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