Coyote hunting just breeds more coyotes

VERNON -- Bill Keebler knows coyotes. He can follow their tracks, even in deer trails, and he knows their scat and wily ways.

And for a price, he'll help you kill one.

But the 52-year-old Tooele County outfitter tells The Salt Lake Tribune (http://bit.ly/sKjiGb ) it's no easy task, even in winter when the creatures spend more daylight hours on the run.

Keebler says he hunts just for sport, and knows it won't do anything to control the population.

Utah wildlife authorities kill up to 5,000 coyotes a year in response to complaints, but officials say they respond by just reproducing faster.

Keebler will guide hunters who want a pelt or a bounty offered by most rural Utah counties, and he says the sport is growing in popularity but most hunters fail.