If you are a homestead owner who has a lot of rare birds, sheep, horses, and cattle in your barn. But you are frustrated with the constant attacks of the coyotes who keep on stealing your livestock. If their high-pitched yips and barks irritate you to the point you can’t sleep at night. Then you need a pack livestock guardian and a pack of hunting hounds on your farm.
These dogs won’t let these smaller cousins of the wolf, aka coyotes, sneak in and kill your precious pet rabbits, farm cats, goats, and turkeys.
Tough deterrents and stealthy chasers, these hunting dogs have extreme speed, aggressive killing instincts, and tracking abilities. They excel even on the tough trails and have such endurance that lets them track and hunt in the field all day.
Armed with impressive intelligence, laser focus, and an apex predator’s hunting instincts, these hunting breeds are the toughest and most talented guns in the hunting field.
Some excel in chasing deer; others are elite at driving out foxes from burrows. Some challenge grizzly bears, exterminate vermin and the most reliable one’s tree raccoons and mountain lions, and even find coyotes hiding in dens.
Unique Dog Breeds That Hunt Coyotes with Precision
1. Mountain Cur
Strong-willed, intelligent, and reserved with strangers, this courageous fighter with a good treeing instinct is yet another famous companion of early pioneers, settlers, and homesteaders. Did you know? These dogs were the biggest assets the settlers had in the rough and unforgiving country of the southern mountains.
They guarded the family, kids, and the livestock against wild animals and intruders. They were used to catch, trap, or hold wild game for the family’s food. These puppies were a crucial part of the way of life of a frontiersman. Early settlers on American soil couldn’t imagine a life without these dogs and earned their income by selling fur that their dogs hunted to provide for their families.
The AKC says these pups were so valuable to the settlers in the past that they were transported via wagon or pack animal, and if none were available, families would carry them. The Mountain Cur is a fast, hard, and extremely intelligent hunter that accomplishes any task and performs any job that its master desires.
You find another dog that runs track with its head in the air. Known for its clear bark that can be heard from a long distance. These pups circle or drift a cold track until a hot one is available. They respond to training with a lot of human contact, and they also prove to be great watchdogs and companions.
2. Blue Lacy Dog
The pride and official state dog breed of Texas, this working dog is strong, fast, light in build, intense, alert, and highly intelligent. But the biggest difference between this pup and other candidates vying to be your hunting dog is its possible connection to coyotes. This dog was bred to be a highly energetic ranch protector.
Developed to be a multi-tasker, a herding and hunting breed. These Blue Lacys show incredible drive and determination to work with big game. Hence, whether you have a coyote problem or need to control difficult livestock, these pups prove to be an elite choice for coyote hunters.
This Blue Lacy will be at your service. It excels at blood trailing, tracking, treeing game, running trap lines, and hunting wild hogs. A perfect combination of intellect, passion, speed, and nimbleness, these pups are used to locate lost game animals and to save and chase operations.
3. American Foxhound
Fairly independent and a breeze to train, these good-natured, low-maintenance hounds are closely associated with revolutionary heroes and rolling estates of old Virginia. These sleek, rangy hunters that are practically a modified 2.0 version of their English cousins are blessed with longer and more finely boned legs and slightly arched loins.
These scent hounds with prominently large eyes and soft and pleading expressions are prone to loud bawling. Blessed with a relentless prey drive, which is a steep challenge to manage for novice owners. Extremely difficult to call back once they get caught on a scent. These musical howlers tend to disappear behind a sneaky squirrel, rabbit, or coyote.
Wikipedia narrates that these independent souls were a part of the traditional English fox hunt upheld at Mount Vernon by none other than the great George Washington, with scores of equestrians and hounds thundering across the countryside in pursuit of a wily fox. Hence, these state dogs of Virginia are a perfect choice for hunting coyotes on the ground.
4. Plott Hound
This state dog of North Carolina is fearless, implacable, and bold at work, which is required for a pup that could hunt coyotes. This rugged, relentless, and light-footed hunter has an ancestry that can be traced back to German Hanover hounds and European boar hounds. These Plott Hounds were primarily used to hunt bears and even perform as impeccable coon dogs.
The Plott is a mountain breed raised and trained to hunt fierce predators like bears and wild boars. Easily distinguished for their loud ringing chop on the track and the tree. These eye-catching brindle or red descendants of the Hanoverian Schweisshund are respected for their ability to locate a wounded animal despite the trail being a week or more old.
Tracking and trailing is one of their most attractive talents. Their cold noses and short sleek fur make these streamlined hounds with a constantly inquisitive and confident expression much more intriguing. These Plotts are also a great choice because they are not known for their aggression but rather for their calm, mellow, and gentle disposition with the family.
5. Bluetick Coonhound
This tenacious, devoted, and sleek yet beautiful charmer enjoys snoozing in the shade. But also an avid adventurer and a life moving at a record pace. Single-minded and persistent in a pursuit of a quarry, carrying a prey drive that is off the charts. These pups were used by the early frontiersmen for hunting dangerous quarry like the lynx, cougars, wild boar, and bears.
These speedy and compact nocturnal hunters are covered in black and blue glossy coats with a unique mottled pattern. These droopy-eared Blueticks are known to be like music to a hunter’s ears. Often serenading the neighbors with their loud mournful melodies. Proving to be great team workers and pack mates, these pups crave affection and are deeply devoted to those who provide it.
These well-muscled pups will be a safety insurance for your livestock. Hardwired to chase, these scent hounds won’t let the conniving warm-blooded quarry near your stables and barns. Developed by crossing French staghounds, aka the Grand Bleu de Gascogne, and the English Foxhounds, these dogs are capable of working on scent trails that are hours and even days old.
In short: This big, bell-voiced hound has a nose that can pick up week-old trails, enough endurance to run the same trail for 30 hours at a stretch, and a lusty courage that helps it tackle anything that won’t take a tree before it catches the target.
6. American Staghound
Also known as the cold-blooded Greyhound, longdog of the prairie, or the American lurcher. This large American sighthound was born out of necessity. Just as the European pioneers moved to the American frontier, aka the Wild West, their livestock frequently fell victim to predation from wolves and coyotes.
Only large sighthounds were found to be most effective in hunting and chasing down these opportunistic predators. Hence, the American staghound was developed by the early settlers by selectively breeding and crossing the Russian Borzoi, Irish Wolfhound, Scottish Deerhound, and British Greyhound.
These pioneers hunted predators in hunting parties while mounted on horseback and accompanied by their staghounds. For them hunts was a recreational sport and even when the number of predators they pursued reduced. They frequently hunt down deer, which has now become their primary quarry.
A usually rough-coated and powerfully built variety of sighthound, these dogs have a high prey drive just like their ancestors. These American staghounds are born to wander and roam. Hence, it’s better if you keep these furry companions properly trained and leashed.
7. Catahoula Leopard Dog
This incredibly dashing blue-eyed fella combines speed and stamina for containing coyotes. A denizen of the South, with a name of Choctaw origin, a renowned hunter and an agile pup that can even climb trees in pursuit of prey. Catahoula Leopard Dogs are among the oldest breeds surviving in North America.
Pretty, smart, and determined, these pups aren’t easy to train; they need a firm and dominant handler who keeps them in check, or else they’ll try to take over the reins from an unsuspecting novice owner. Watchful, independent-minded, these well-muscled, power-packed puppies are also quite territorial and protective, which will play in your favor.
Modern Dog Magazine notes that these state dogs of Louisiana can only be trained with positive reinforcement because they don’t allow mistreatment and will assert themselves in self-defence. Affectionate, loyal, and gentle towards their pack. They make impeccable stock dogs, bay dogs, and guard dogs.
Named for their unique eye colours and spotted coat patterns: merle, red merle, brindle, and solid colors. These pups were utilized by the native Americans for hunting large game like deer, mountain lions, and bears. Capable of scent trailing and search and rescue, these Catahoulas have a unique way of herding which the AKC describes as creating a “canine fence”.
Conclusion
In the end, we would like to say that when it comes to hunting dogs, most people recall breeds of bird dogs and waterfowl retrievers to be the best pooches for this task. But choosing the right hunting dog can only be based on what type of animal you are targeting. If you bring out a Boykin Spaniel or Cocker Spaniel on a bear hunt, it would actually be like bringing a knife to a gunfight.
Only some pups qualify for the eligibility criteria for tracking and hunting down canids like foxes, coyotes, and wolves. You can expect a Poodle to assist you in hunting a mallard, but you cannot expect it to help you in hunting a wild boar or coyote.
Only a fierce, furry, and extremely smart dog with enough speed and strength can complete this task for you. Employ a Husky or a Mountain Cur for coyote extermination and pest control.
