Hunting Invasive Coyotes in Nevada and Its Rules for Hunting Them

Hunting enthusiasts planning a trip to hunt in Nevada may find that they can hunt invasive or nuisance species that are causing problems in the state's varied and vast terrain.

As in most states as well as Canadian provinces, Nevada suffers from the introduction of invasive species within its borders. Invasive species are animals, aquatic wildlife, plants, or other organisms brought into a region from the outside that harm to their new territory, according to the Defenders of Wildlife website.

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Without natural enemies to slow or control their growth, invasive species reproduce quickly, posing a threat to local ecosystems and generating burdensome costs to farmers, ranchers, fisheries, forestry, and other businesses and organizations while even threatening the health of people, animals and indigenous vegetation. Defenders of Wildlife estimates that $137 billion is spent each year to control these species and repair damages sustained from them.

Nevada deals with a variety of nonnative invasive plants and aquatic species, such as non-native trout species introduced in state and federal lakes and cheatgrass and yellow starthistle plants found primarily in Sierra Nevada counties, the Sierra Forest Legacy website reported.

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While invasive plants and fish may not be of interest to hunters, many may want to consider the Nevada coyote population during their next hunt. Coyotes are native to North America and do not qualify as invasive species, but their rapid population expansion has become a pervasive problem in Nevada. Coyotes are adaptable to any environment, even urban centers like Las Vegas and Reno as well as rural communities and suburban cities, and can be found hunting at all times of day, according to the Online Nevada Encyclopedia.

Their predator status has resulted in numerous reports of attacks on livestock, pets and other animals that coyotes prey upon, and the number of coyotes living in the state has increased to the point that authorities cannot provide an accurate count.

Because of their danger to sheep, cattle, pets and other animals, their threat to young children, their stealth nature and their swift spread throughout the state, according to the Control Predators organization, the Nevada Department of Wildlife allows the hunting of coyotes year round without purchase of a permit. The one regulation that the NDOW has established is for trapping. Trappers must apply for a trapping permit to hunt coyotes.

This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.

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