A group of Charlotte-area hunters just held their 8th annual Carolina Coyote Classic. A regional tournament focused on solving our region’s growing coyote problem.
Over the past decade, coyote sightings have been increasing around Charlotte neighborhoods, with reports of pets being snatched, and many parents fearing for their children’s safety.
Local sportsman and owner of 704Outdoors.tv thinks he has the best solution to the problem – a statewide coyote tournament. This past weekend he successfully organized the 8th annual Carolina Coyote Classic tournament, which resulted in a record-breaking 272 coyotes being put down.
“We broke every meaningful record in this year’s event. We had the most teams registered, the most hunters participating, the most money paid out. It was a record breaking year for this event,” said John MacPherson of 704 Outdoors and the chief organizer of the event.
This year’s event was the first time that hunters were paid a bounty for each coyote. Each coyote that was harvested was awarded a bounty of $20. In previous years, teams killing 10 coyotes and finishing in 10th place or so did not take home any prize money. But this year, a bag of 10 coyotes earned $200.
This year’s top ten teams included:
- Team Thermal Optics Plus won $2000 cash and the first place C3 Belt Buckle trophy with 27 kills.
- Lynches River Mafia won $1200 cash and the second place C3 Belt Buckle with 24 kills.
- Team Wraith won $800 and the third place C3 Belt Buckle with 21 kills.
- STRATA with 17 kills
- Stanly, Davis, Leonard with 15 kills
- MFK with 13 kills
- West Virginia Boys with 10 kills
- CCC with 10 kills
- JL Metalworks with 9 kills
- Lemon Meringue Gang with 7 kills
What do you think about our local Coyote tournament?
Do you think there is something else that should be done about the growing Coyote population?