By Lydia Lohrer

Special to Detroit Free Press

While skiers long for powder, and ice anglers lament the fickle weather, coyote hunters are celebrating. Coyote hunting in Michigan has exploded to its highest level in years.

From Petoskey to Kalamazoo, hunters report seeing less small game and more coyotes than ever. So do suburbanites and farmers.

“The state has probably reached its saturation point for coyotes,” Michigan Department of Natural Resources wildlife chief Russ Mason said. “In areas where there are coyotes, virtually no fawns survive.”

Mostly, coyotes are harmless to humans. Many report friendly coyote encounters, photo opportunities and success dealing with them with nonlethal methods.

Others do not.

Mary Ann Bonamego of Kalamazoo grows sheep for wool and supplies restaurants with organic meat. Or she used to. She said she tried every method possible to protect her flock, but it’s at half the level it used to be.

“I tried having Pyrenees to scare them away,” Bonamego said. “They still ate an entire year’s crop of lambs. I’ve had coyotes chase sheep to the barn in broad daylight even though I was standing there screaming.”

She tried having someone hunt them.

“The problem is that you have no way to know when they are coming, day or night,” she said. “They’re very difficult to get.”

This is exactly what makes them so popular with hunters.

Randy VanDam of D&R Sports Center in Kalamazoo held a coyote hunting contest of three-man teams last weekend. “The previous year we had 40 team entries,” VanDam said. “This year we had to cut it off at 135.”

One team called in 16 the first night.

“They shot only one, and it’s not because they’re bad shots,” VanDam said. “It’s because coyotes are very challenging prey, and they don’t let you get close.”

Jonah Curtis of Olivet thrives on the challenge. He took his first coyote with a bow recently and ate it.

“It used to be a rare occurrence here in Eaton County to see a coyote,” Curtis said. “I teach community gardening and sustainable living. I was raised with ethic that I should eat what I kill. I’ve eaten more squirrels and chipmunks than you can imagine.

“I saw a segment on a TV show called ‘MeatEater’ with Steve Rinella. He said (coyotes) tasted like duck. I decided to give it a try.”

Most coyotes, he conceded, do have an unpleasant smell. But the one he took seemed healthy and fresh.

“I deboned one of the hindquarters and cut the meat into manageable portion sizes,” he said. “I coated it in a western style dry rub, put a beer in the bottom of a broiling pan and put the meat on the broiling pan. I then covered it in foil and roasted it, low and slow for a couple of hours. Once it was tender enough to pull apart easily, I tasted some to make sure that it was as palatable as I had hoped.”

It was. He then pulled it into shreds and lightly sautéed it with peppers and onions in a cast iron skillet.

“I added some Tony Chachere’s seasoning,” he said, “and it was ready to go for coyotacos with a little cheese, sour cream and salsa.”

Curtis said it wasn’t a large departure from venison.

“It had a little bit of dark turkey meat flavor, similar to wild duck,” he said. “My wife enjoyed it and took the leftovers for her lunch the next day.”

Coyote hunting has been a windfall for Todd Sullivan of Mattawan. Sullivan started Dogbreath Coyote Calls 12 years ago, and business has never been better.

“I had bought every call made,” Sullivan said. “Some were good. Most were cheap plastic made in China. They looked good but didn’t work well. Mine are made out of a very hard plastic with good acoustical qualities. I made a good-sounding call. Easy to make a good sound on with very little practice.”

Sullivan travels around Michigan giving a seminar called “Shoot More Coyotes.”

“Every year there are larger crowds,” he said. “Hunters have figured out that there’s more to calling them than making a sound. Coyotes are extremely unforgiving of mistakes. I don’t care if you layer up like the Michelin man, if a coyote is downwind of you, there’s nothing that will mask your scent. You have to become a student of the wind.

“All their senses are keener than you can possible imagine. They can hear a mouse squeak from three, four hundred yards easily. When you hunt coyotes, you have to bring your ‘A’ game every single time. I try to teach coyote hunters to understand the coyote’s instincts.”

Sullivan said coyotes are easier to hunt out west.

“Our coyotes are smart,” he said. “They won’t leave cover. They want to confirm with their nose whatever their ears are hearing.”

For Sullivan, the future of coyote hunting only looks brighter.

“The coyote population increases every single year,” he said. “We have plenty of habitat and turkey, rabbits, deer, and small pets for them to eat.”

Sullivan said it’s rare that they bother humans. Still, he cautioned: “It’s mating season, and they’re very territorial now and when they have pups, they’re more likely to attack.”

Some Royal Oak residents were challenged in their backyards by coyotes last year around this time. It turned out there was a den nearby.

This March, liberalized coyote hunting regulations will be proposed for approval by the Natural Resources Commission.

“We are bringing forward an order to liberalize coyote hunting year round,” Mason said.

Contact the author at lydiaoutdoors@gmail.com.

Know the outdoors: Coyote facts

■Coyotes in the west are generally smaller than those in the east.

■Coyotes can live in pairs or groups. When coyotes move in to a territory, they eat foxes.

■Coyotes are omnivores. They eat plants and pets.

■It would require removing 35-50% of the coyotes in Michigan to reduce the population, because there are so many and because of the rate at which they breed.

■Coyotes in Yellowstone have been observed taking down elk and deer. Two adult coyotes can successfully kill an adult elk when there is deep snow cover.

■With the exception of humans and wolves, coyotes have no predators.

■Coyotes are strong swimmers.

■Coyotes make a variety of vocalizations, including wailing, huffing, shrieking and howling.

■Statistics state that the odds of being attacked by a coyote are far less than that of a domestic dog.

■Notable coyote attacks and fatalities over the last several years include a Canadian folk singer and small children in California.

■The state doesn’t require a permit to remove or shoot a coyote that is threatening damage, but city and township regulations may prohibit management.

■Permitted coyote hunting season currently lasts nine months in Michigan.

■One of the most popular coyote calls is that of a cat meowing.

■Coyotes are notably clever, and in some Native American myths, they are on par with the Creator.

■Coyotes sometimes breed with dogs and wolves.

■Coyotes can run up to 40 m.p.h.

■Coyotes are expert climbers and can scale an 8-foot fence.