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<p>TUNKHANNOCK &#8212; For the past 15 years, John Krzan has been participating in the annual District 9 Northeast Pennsylvania Trappers Association Coyote Hunt. In all those years, he&#8217;s never taken home the top prize.</p><p>This year, however, Krzan and his 46.60-pound coyote shot on Friday, Jan. 29 took the cake. In the 17th annual hunt, Krzan came away with $2,000 for his heaviest coyote and another $500 for the heaviest coyote on two separate days. Krzan shot a total of three coyotes over the weekend.</p><p>All three of Krzan&#8217;s coyotes were taken using electronic calls.</p><p>&#8220;You have to learn how to talk to the (coyotes) and bring an alpha male in,&#8221; said Krzan, who has been coyote hunting for 26 years. &#8220;We&#8217;re enjoying this right now.&#8221;</p><p>A total of 27 coyotes were turned in over the weekend. District 9 Treasurer Ed Price said there were 771 registered hunters, which is normal for the hunt. The 27 coyotes, however, were a little shy of the yearly average. Last year, the hunt had 53 coyotes turned in. The average weight this year was 31.3 pounds. The hunt averages around 33 pounds each year.</p><p>However, it&#8217;s the story of Krzan&#8217;s hunt that&#8217;s the surprising part.</p><p>Krzan, 50 of Scott Township, had surgery scheduled to put a stint in at 6 a.m. on Friday. A half hour after the hunt started at 12:01 a.m., the 46-pound coyote came into Krzan&#8217;s call in Scott Township. Two and a half hours later, Krzan shot his second coyote that was nearly as big as the first. He made it to his surgery on time.</p><p>When Krzan was released from the hospital, he took the coyotes over the the weigh-in station at Triton Hose Company at 4 p.m. That night, Krzan went out and shot a 41-pound coyote. Krzan received an extra $300 for the three coyotes. Krzan has placed every year of the hunt, but this was the first time he was able to get the heaviest.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s exciting,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Every night you go out it&#8217;s that much more exciting. You&#8217;re always learning something and I would do it every night of the week.&#8221;</p><p>The Cragle family, mostly of Huntington Mills and Hunlock Creek, has been participating in the hunt for a number of years. The family turned in three coyotes over the weekend. Michelle Cragle was the only woman to turn in a coyote over the weekend. Her coyote topped out at just shy of 35 pounds. She was able to get the coyote using hunting dogs.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s was exciting to turn one in,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I didn&#8217;t think it was a big deal but they made it out to be one. That was nice.&#8221;</p><p>Her coyote was shot in Tunkhannock. Michelle&#8217;s father, Bob, and uncle, Jeff, also shot coyotes over the weekend. This was Michelle&#8217;s third career coyote.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s pretty cool to get out there with my family,&#8221; Michelle said. &#8220;It&#8217;s definitely intense and it&#8217;s nothing like deer hunting. When you hear the dogs are on one it&#8217;s like nothing else.&#8221;</p><p>The money from the hunt helps District 9 education youth trappers as well as conservation efforts. The organization also offers an annual trapping school. The weigh-in is held at Triton Hose Company annually, and the hose company offers a meal each year.</p><p>&#8220;We have a great group of members and a lot of great comrade,&#8221; Price said. &#8220;It&#8217;s a pretty good time and we always look forward to it.&#8221;</p><p>Kyle Van Why of the United States Department of Agriculture was at the hunt taking samples of each coyote turned in. Price said the group usually tests for giardia and other diseases in the coyotes.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Bob Brown of Tunkhannock looks over some of the coyotes brought in during the coyote hunt at the Triton Hose Company in Tunkhannock of Sunday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL020116CoyoteHunt_2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Bob Brown of Tunkhannock looks over some of the coyotes brought in during the coyote hunt at the Triton Hose Company in Tunkhannock of Sunday afternoon. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL020116CoyoteHunt_1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Shannon Corby of Tunkhannock looks over some of the coyotes brought in during the coyote hunt at the Triton Hose Company in Tunkhannock of Sunday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL020116CoyoteHunt_1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Shannon Corby of Tunkhannock looks over some of the coyotes brought in during the coyote hunt at the Triton Hose Company in Tunkhannock of Sunday afternoon. </caption1><photoCredit1>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL020116CoyoteHunt_4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Hunters George Fila of Moscow, left, Dom Stivala of Factoryville, Bill Kasten of Montrose, and Frank Hares of Lake Sheridan weigh and process a coyote brought in during the coyote hunt at the Triton Hose Company in Tunkhannock of Sunday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL020116CoyoteHunt_4.jpg</photo2><caption2>Hunters George Fila of Moscow, left, Dom Stivala of Factoryville, Bill Kasten of Montrose, and Frank Hares of Lake Sheridan weigh and process a coyote brought in during the coyote hunt at the Triton Hose Company in Tunkhannock of Sunday afternoon. </caption2><photoCredit2>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL020116CoyoteHunt_3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Ralph Casaldi of Loyalville looks over some of the coyotes brought in during the coyote hunt at the Triton Hose Company in Tunkhannock of Sunday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL020116CoyoteHunt_3.jpg</photo3><caption3>Ralph Casaldi of Loyalville looks over some of the coyotes brought in during the coyote hunt at the Triton Hose Company in Tunkhannock of Sunday afternoon. </caption3><photoCredit3>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL020116CoyoteHunt_5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Delaware Valley University senior zoo science major Olivia Plocinski, of Berkeley Heights, N.J., draws a blood sample from a coyote for a research project on canine distemper at the Triton Hose Company in Tunkhannock of Sunday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL020116CoyoteHunt_5.jpg</photo4><caption4>Delaware Valley University senior zoo science major Olivia Plocinski, of Berkeley Heights, N.J., draws a blood sample from a coyote for a research project on canine distemper at the Triton Hose Company in Tunkhannock of Sunday afternoon. </caption4><photoCredit4>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL020116CoyoteHunt_6.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Five-year-old Chad Corby of Tunkhannock takes a close-up look of a coyote during the coyote hunt at the Triton Hose Company in Tunkhannock of Sunday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo5>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL020116CoyoteHunt_6.jpg</photo5><caption5>Five-year-old Chad Corby of Tunkhannock takes a close-up look of a coyote during the coyote hunt at the Triton Hose Company in Tunkhannock of Sunday afternoon. </caption5><photoCredit5>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit5></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Despite surgery, Scott Twp. man wins $2,000 grand prize</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Nick Wagner</p><p>nwagner@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Nick Wagner at 570-991-6406 or on Twitter @Dispatch_Nick</p></shirttailMeta></div>

John Krzan wins annual District 9 coyote hunt with 46-pounder