Extending the legacy of predator hunting

Dean knew every valley and stock dam in and around the rolling hills of his backyard. Our quarry was a tough and scrappy alley fighter of the prairie.

The coyotes of the west are keen, conniving, menacing and fair game for ranch owners. We rolled along dimpled hills, glassing the horizon at the peaks. It was a wonderful way to enjoy the wide open spaces of western South Dakota. I am still always mesmerized by the beauty of the prairie.

The revving engine and sudden acceleration of The Bird snapped me out of my scenic stupor. Dean had spotted a coyote galloping through the ravine.

It felt like we were preparing for takeoff, careening downhill and outpacing the now sprinting coyote. As we closed in on our target, Mitch’s shotgun slid expertly out the passenger window and his torso followed behind it. The backdrop of the prairie was just a blur now, and all of a sudden we were side-by-side with the frightened furbearer.

Dean’s infectious, bellowing laugh bordered on maniacal, but in a way that a child’s will when the fun is almost overbearing.

Just as Mitch began to raise the gun to his shoulder, the coyote abruptly veered across the front of The Bird to the driver's side. This prompted a left correction from Dean and a major jostling of The Bird’s passengers to the right. The weight of a human high school kid was just enough to jimmy the passenger side door loose.

It flung open like the swinging door of an old west saloon, Mitch now flailing within the window’s frame, shotgun in hand. Dean hadn’t noticed his flesh and blood dangling over prairie grass on the passenger side and continued the chase, his laugh bouncing around the inside of the Wagoneer the entire time.

David’s closed door allowed him enough stability to make the shot, and the hunt came to an end. We can reminisce about it now, but I’ll admit to being scared for Mitch at the time.

I’ve heard a lot of very interesting predator-hunting stories. Some are too crazy to have been made up.

These memories are what make predator hunting such a legacy sport. Now, three friends have come together to create an organization dedicated to expanding the legacy and reach of predator hunting through competitive events.

They call it The Predator Hunter Association.

Hunting, helping

Husband and wife, Chad and Emily Kiel have partnered with long-time friend Curt Underhill — of The Fishing Crew fame — to incorporate and host tournaments and events throughout the year.

Chad is the expert in all things predator hunting, Curt is the tournament director, and Emily is the marketing guru. It is a passion for all of them, feeding into what they would otherwise already be doing on the weekends.

The passion for predator hunting runs deepest for Chad Kiel.

He grew up hunting predators and trapping with his dad who, “was calling coyotes before coyote calling was cool.” Chad had a chance to run trap lines and hunt coyotes at an early age, making predator hunting an integral part of his life.

“I don’t remember when I first started hunting, but I remember my first coyote,” Chad lamented. “We were out at my grandfather's place. Dad asked if I wanted to go coyote hunting and let me take a little Chipmunk .22 rifle. He told me to look down a draw, but I could hear this thumping behind us. I was lying on my back and looked back over my head to see a coyote standing right behind us! That was my first one. I took my son out the other day and he almost got his first one. I don’t get that butterfly feeling when I’m deer hunting like I do chasing coyotes.”

Chad’s tournament experience began about nine years ago when he and his dad started the Double K Coyote Calling Contest. Three years later, Chad organized a memorial tournament to remember a close family friend who passed away. All proceeds from the annual Randy Roede tournament go to youth shooting sports in central South Dakota.

Chad’s main goal through hosting this and other tournaments has been to give back to things that, “give kids something to do that will get them outdoors and away from their screens.”

They give back to other causes, too.

A customized gun safe was auctioned off at the inaugural 2023 Coyote Cup, raising $2,600 towards the purchase of gumby ice suits for the tri-county rescue unit serving Sully, Hughes and Stanley counties.

Chad had been kicking around the idea of creating an association dedicated to the sport of predator hunting for five years. He eventually asked Curt what he would do to dream up the governor's cup — fishing tournament — of coyote calling contests.

They decided on an event open to any public or private land within South Dakota’s borders. Three-person teams compete to bring in the most coyotes possible in one day.

There is a decent entry fee allowing the payout to be as large as possible with 80 percent of total registration dollars going back to contest participants in the form of prize money — added side-pots from sponsors just sweeten the deal.

The ultimate goal is to create the largest coyote calling contest in the state.

The inaugural Coyote Cup was held on March 4. Teams comprised of husbands and wives, fathers and sons, brothers, new generation hunters and old came together for a day of fair chase coyote calling.

Tiger’s Tap hosted the weigh-in for the 16 teams and their 41-coyote bounty. Nearly $10,000 in cash was handed out to contest winners!

“Some of these tournaments have quite a bit of money involved,” Chad continued. “Some are just for bragging rights and competing against your friends. You always have your top guys, and most of them want to be that winning team. The money is secondary. I’m all for controlling coyotes because we are what controls them. They are smart. They are a challenge to hunt. That's why I like them. If you get a call-educated coyote, they become very leery. I've watched one coyote bark at others to communicate our presence. That was an arch-enemy coyote of mine that probably died of old age. You can play them different songs — breeding scenarios, fight sounds, prey calls — and you can challenge them by talking smack to the aggressive dogs. You really have to know what you’re doing to make it work.”

Changing times

Coyotes are one of the most adaptive animals on the planet. They are masters of territory, survival, scavenging and killing. This garners great respect from Chad, who has seen the predator-calling sport evolve over the years. Chad believes predator-hunting participation numbers have plateaued since it became more popular during the last 10 years, but advancements in predator-hunting technologies are making it easier for people to experience the sport.

“In the late ‘80s early ‘90s, we didn’t need all the stuff we need now,” he said. “We had one- or two-hand calls and our average shot was within 200 yards. Back when I was a kid, there would maybe be five calls you could choose from at the store. Now, there are entire sections dedicated to predator calling. It’s also a season that doesn't end. Once you shoot a coyote, you can keep hunting. You can do it day after day. It extends the hunting season for anyone wanting that.”

Despite advancements in coyote calling technology and predator-hunting tools, this sport still requires dedication. Especially if you want to compete at the highest level in hunting a Predator Hunter Association tournament.

Chad offered some advice to anyone with the desire and ambition to compete in a future event.

“If they want to get into a calling contest, I'd say you should call coyotes first with someone who is really good,” he said. “Several teams are repeat competitors in our contests and they are likely to be in the winnings. They don’t always win, but they are the ones who have been doing this for decades. If you want to compete, you’ve got to know what you’re doing and you’ve got to have good ground to hunt. When I was hunting contests hard, I went out and studied my ground. I would have GPS coordinates to where my sets were going to be, trying to make myself as proficient as possible. Hunters have to do their homework.”

Like having the owner of a football team be the referee of a game, Chad also found it difficult to hunt in his tournaments and also be the judge and jury at the same time.

He took a step back from hunting in his contests in 2022. This objective position gave Chad a better platform to promote the standards of excellence he has set for predator-calling tournaments.

They have always preached ethics, community and giving back to youth and charitable entities. The future of The Predator Hunter Association is uncertain, but the leadership team aspires to grow their community around predator hunting and calling tournaments. This may include association membership options, more hosted events and potential expansion into other states where demand exists.

“A lot of people respect what we are doing and appreciate it, so we’d like to see it grow,” Chad said. “You’re never going to have something that works for everyone, so we’ll just need to look at it after this first year and see where we need to go from there.”

Buddy Seiner is a communications consultant in Pierre helping groups and organizations grow, enhance efficiencies, and prosper financially. He is also a freelance writer, fly fishing instructor and family man who plays pickleball in his spare time. Find out more about him at fishingbuddystudios.com.