Coyote hunting tips

[stx]

Good thread!

 

[geo4061]

Thanks stx. Together we all become better hunters. Every time we go out successful or not we get a lesson. Please share what you learn with us, even if it is just a reminder. Thanks.

 

[stx]

I've never been a coyote hunter, per say.....just starting to call in the last few years. But I've killed HUNDREDS of them over my lifetime. I spent most of my life on the family ranch and the last 30+ years on large ranches managing my hunting business, www.brushcountryhunts.com .......so I've seen and killed my fair share of dogs! I had a young man that worked for me on the ranch back in the 70s that trapped them and he'd always take all that I shot for the hides. One season I shot and gave him over 100 coyotes! These days, I probably kill 15-20 every hunting season and sometimes more. I'm looking forward to learning more about calling them!

 

[geo4061]

Come on gentlemen give us some tips, mistakes, or stories. Thanks.

 

[geo4061]

"Coyote hunting is not rocket science it's woodsman ship," Steve Crinner (The Dog Soldier). So do not over think it. Just get out, give it your best effort and keep trying.

 

[geo4061]

Someone ask "What is your favorite sound?" It reminded me of my first Burnham Brothers electronic call and the rabbit in distress cassette. Just push the play button and let her rip. The first evening out I called in a fox. Loved it. We've come a long way. Now our callers have hundreds of sounds. To make the most out of your sets have three or four different sounds in mind before you set up. Here is an out line I use to pick sounds. Sound 1- Coyote female howl,yips. Sound 2- Distress. Sound 3- Fight. Sound 4- pup, baby distress. I drop sound 1 when fox or cat hunting. I sometimes try a couple of distress sounds. Perhaps a rabbit and then a bird. Mix it up and have some fun.

 

[436]

Coyote hunting tips. Please no discussions or stories just straight out tips and techniques.Example

Always carry a shotgun or better yet a shot gunner with you.

Herb's Howler coyote call; from natural horn, this is not a sales pitch, I've used one since the '80s and it's my go to call, the sound is unbeatable in my book. They seem to last forever'..., I still have the first one I bought.

 

[Daves762]

I never skimp on camo. Hands, face, hat, body, gun, everything is camo'ed out. Can't hurt. I read an article on turkey hunting camo years ago that said the bottoms of your boots will give you away when seated. Bottom of boots are black and stick out to critters. After that I started sitting with my knees up to hide the soles of my boots. Don't have any convincing data to prove anything. But I've killed coyotes a few feet away as they swung their heads around trying to find me/the critter i'm replicating with a call. I use a old cheap FoxPro for coyote calls especially the coyote locator, and multiple coyotes at once sequences. I use an orange primos mouthcall for all the screeching squelching noises. I use a turkey mouth call, the little diaphragm kind I keep in my mouth. That way if one is staring at me, and I need to move him a few feet to get a clear shot I can just give a squeak or two. I stop calling as soon as I see or hear a coyote. No matter how far. If they hang up far, I drop to prone and make a shot. If they are running in I just keep em in the crosshairs and let em come. If there are multiples running in I always aim for the rear one, the farthest one back.
It's very windy where I live/hunt. I mean like 30 mph winds is nothing to think about, kinda windy. I've read a lot on using the wind, but it blows so hard sometimes I can't even hunt except with my back to the wind. The call just wont penetrate into the wind so I put it to my back, prone out, and let it play out. Also, I've seen coyotes intermixed with cattle. Cows were just ignoring them. So I hunt some public land, and private land that borders cow pastures. I couldn't tell you how many coyotes live because they had cows downrange of them and I had no clear shot. On the days I naturally wake up prior to grey light I'll go stand in the garage with the window open, call out the window, and see what happens. Plenty of coyote and fox have fell because of doing that. They wont come close, but they will skyline themselves and yip and bark at me. I've even seen a wolf doing this. He was running from the call not towards it. But his curiosity did make him stop and have a look. But that's a story for another time.
I now use a suppressed rifle for coyote hunting. It's a game changer. If you have never been shot at suppressed it's hard to describe. But the bullet either hits you, or thumps into the ground with the crack of the sonic boom coming there after. It's very hard to tell where the shot came from. So if I miss a coyote, it nearly never runs away. It might spook cause of the sounds it did hear, but it won't take off like after a gun shot. This helps when there are multiple coyotes, and if you miss. Gives a few extra seconds to make a better follow up shot. Also I can hunt public land that just next to houses and not worry about scaring/angering the residents. I've killed coyotes on my property in the middle of the night after they woke me up. Didn't even wake the wife If you can purchase a suppressor do it. It's a game changer in ways I cannot describe. Also not increasing my tinnitus is kinda important.
I read the coyote hunting magazines and forums and try NOT to do what they are doing, calling wise. There is a lot of guys that shoot/call coyotes around here, especially on the public lands. I've seen coyotes running fast away from me when I used factory prey in distress calls. All the popular rabbit distress calls that are electronic make coyotes run away. I use baby porcupine, baby fox, and chicken in distress initially, at very low volume. Then if I don't hear or see anything, I'll stop and wait a few minutes. Then I'll go into the loudest coyote calls I can find. Coyote locator (several coyotes yipping and howling all at once), or Coyote male bark howl. And I save the female lonesome call for last. I Don't have the patients to sit around for half an hour after all calling like everything says you are supposed to. That leads to me jumping coyotes on my hike out. So I always carry my rifle at the low ready position. I've killed several coyotes walking back to the truck. I guess I'm just impatient. There are so many places to hunt on public land that I don't frequent the same spot within the same few months. I just randomly bounce around to whatever public is nearby. I've been on construction jobs where I have 30 minutes to eat and went coyote hunting. Cross the road, drive up to public, toss some camo on, and tuck under a bush in the middle of the day. It's not very productive but it has worked. Especially when pups are just heading out on their own and not smart yet. And it's better then staring at some stinky coworkers while eating my sammich. Every time I meet or talk with a rancher I'll ask them to call me if they have coyotes around. I spray weeds part time and meet many of them. I don't really have any magic tricks, or secret squirrel techniques. On the days I don't call in a coyote I might spot some ground squirrels or badgers doing their thing. So there is always something to shoot.
I lived in the big cities for the first 33 years of my life. So now that I live in the country, I think I'm more motivated to varmint/predator hunt than some guys. Still have that little kid in me, that wants to go whack stuff that's trying to eat what I want to hunt.
Just get out and call. Camo everything, tuck up into some brush, and see what happens. It's just for fun so there isn't really any pressure to fill a tag. That's just how I do it. Some is laziness, some is what's worked before, some is just random stuff that I've never tried before. Good luck, stay safe, and always check your 6. They are sneaky sometimes.
One last observation. Coyotes don't seem to feel threatened by anything smaller than them. If you do need to reposition to make a shot go prone, and then move. I've been spotted by coyotes, prone out to move, and they just stare. I guess if you are lower to the ground then their line of sight, they think they are bigger and don't spook as easy. So if you do need to move with coyotes watching do so prone, and they will just watch, if they even see you at all.

 

[OhYtD]

I have the same experiences as you hearing about everybody bringing all these coyotes in to the call and killing them. What I have found to work the best is to use some off the wall noise something they haven't heard. Almost every time I go out at nite I have called in coyotes l. Have had very good luck doing it at nite time. Now during the day I have callled in a few but it's very limited I'm still learning. If there is farmers around with cows try calf distress. If using vocals I try to stay with no threaten howls or the female noises more. Good luck hope you get some fur down. What type of land are you hunting flat, hilly, wooded?

 

[Don A Parsons]

I use my boot on a bard wired fence as I work the bottom wire as if a Rabbit is hung up and can't get free,,, then I trough out the distressed Rabbit call,,, the bard wire boot wire stretching reaches out there along waaaaays... Yotes have good hearing,,, and their pin pointing to the spot is normally bang on...

There coming in hot and fast since the first to the hung up Rabbit is the keeper of the meal...

Coyotes are one thing,,, Wolves are 2 to 3 X's more """instinctive""" then Yotes,,, that puts them at 6 to 7 X's over humans...

Dogs have eyes, ears,,, and smell as there instinctive lead,,, be wize to this will incress your odds of getting them closeer...

And learn how to freeze them in their tracks to make the shot,,, things happen fast in the land of predators...

 

[muleskinner1]

I look for food sources. Anywhere from natural to domestic. Season open year round so that gives you a huge variable. I watch other animals watch what they are doing. If you have a good quite dog watch him sniff the air, his eyes and ears. As a predator they are always looking for food keep that in mind. Snow is a plus track them. In a storm I have almost stepped on them in heavy brush. The biggest tip would be is to stay opened minded. They are such a challenge, I like that.

 

[window licker]

Play the wind, shy from whatever the TV show calls are used " they are primarily hunting unpressured dogs" and get into your set undetected. Scent and sound are goals to success.

 

[OhYtD]

I only hunt coyotes when there is snow because they are so **** sneaky at times and its easier to see them. I call in one spot for 10-15 minutes and then wait 10-15 minutes before moving on. I like calling where there is a large open area upwind from me. I like calling by drainage ditches, creek beds, and blowouts that give them natural cover while they move to the call. Over the years I've shot more in the afternoon than the morning.

My first calling sequence is from the truck. I pull in somewhere and park... sit there for 10 minutes in silence then call. If nothing, then I start walking to the spots I want to call from based on the wind. My calling spots are all about a 1/4 mile apart.

I use an e-caller and then a mouth squealer after I turn the e-caller off. Many, many times I've had 2-4 coyotes coming at the same time and have shot dozens within 20 yards. As soon as I shoot, I turn the e-caller right back on and it isn't uncommon to get another one a few minutes later sitting in the same spot.

Its one of those hunts that seems like either you shoot 3-5 a day or nothing. Rarely do I have a 1 dog day and often a zero dog day. I've always suspected it has something to do with the moon phase or something, but never tried to figure it out.

Foxes will come too in an they are either A. stupid and unafraid of anything or B. they are so skiddish you can never get a shot off because they are hiding so much. Depends on the day.

 

[littlewhaler]

Echo lots of good tips..being super stealthy is real good advice since their eyes and noses are superb and are way more wary than deer. Had one sneak in behind me once sitting on its haunches just 5 yards behind me once..spooked me pretty good. They can be very sneaky when you don't think they are there..