SHEYENNE VALLEY CALLING CONTEST

Wildlife Clubs Sponsor Calling Contest
By Nick Simonson

In an effort to attract sportsmen to the pastime of predator hunting and to control the growing number of coyotes in southeastern North Dakota, four wildlife clubs from the region will be sponsoring the Sheyenne Valley Coyote Calling Contest in conjunction with internet predator hunting supersite CoyoteHunter.net. The contest will be based out of the Eagles Club in Valley City on January 20, 21 and 22 and is part of a region-wide coyote hunting tournament series with a loyal following.
The four-club coalition, which includes the Barnes County Wildlife Federation (BCWF), the James River Sportsman’s Club LaMoure, Litchville Wildlife Club, and Future Pheasants Inc of Marion, hopes this event will raise awareness of and participation in predator hunting and work to remove a number of coyotes which prey upon small game, deer and occasionally livestock.
“There are a lot of coyotes out there,” said BCWF President Perry Kapaun, in regard to the burgeoning population of the furbearers in the area, “every morning this fall that I’d set up in the dark for goose hunting, they’d be howling,” he continued.
Kapaun expects a solid draw to the event, by both the tournament regulars and from area sportsmen; “we have a lot of early interest from local hunters,” he commented.
The Sheyenne Valley Coyote Calling contest serves as the final event in CoyoteHunter.net’s Coyote Classic Tournament Series, with entrants scoring points in each contest which build toward an overall series title. The event is open to 75 two-man teams, drawing out the best predator hunters in the region and skilled tournament veterans, but this shouldn’t discourage beginner or recreational predator hunters from entering the contest. At the Eagles Club in Valley City, following registration on the evening of Thursday, January 20, novice and experienced hunters alike will benefit from a quick overview of the contest, a rules meeting and dinner hour, where the sponsoring clubs will be serving free chili to all entrants.
The entry fee is $250 per team, and each team interested in vying for the largest coyote and smallest coyote taken in the tournament can pay an extra $15 per category for the winner-take-all prize in each class. The event itself will pay the top 10 teams a percentage of the net total entry fees, based on the weight of coyotes registered over the two-day hunt. CoyoteHunter.net will also be hosting seminars by coyote-hunting experts from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 22. The entry fee for the evening program is seven dollars.
Those considering entering the contest should be aware that the focus of the event will be on luring predators via calling skills and the chasing of coyotes is prohibited. Use of an ATV, snowmobile, or aircraft for pursuing coyotes is against the rules and all coyotes must be taken by a hunter in a position at least 50 feet away from the team’s car or truck. Furthermore, all entrants must possess the proper North Dakota hunting licenses and abide by all applicable laws and regulations. This format encourages ethical pursuit and development of tangible predator hunting skills. Full rules for the Sheyenne Valley Calling Contest can be found in the Talk Forum section of www.CoyoteHunter.net.
Entrants are encouraged to visit www.CoyoteHunter.net for more information including point allocation, placing, payout and more on what to expect from the event. Hunters are also encouraged to contact the BCWF with questions or for registration. Area landowners who are interested in allowing access to their property to help with the contest and the removal of coyotes from their immediate area should contact Perry Kapaun at (701)490-1797 to volunteer their land, or by sending a letter to BCWF at PO Box 148, Valley City, ND 58072.