yotewacker
Expert
- Feb 25, 2009
- 975
- 18
I get quite a few e-mails on my techniques for coyote hunting. So I thought I’d explain my thoughts on the matter
Start.
First, try to be covered in camo from head to toe. Doesn’t matter if the camo matches. As long as your skin is completely covered. Especially if hunting in the daytime. At night I wear blue jeans and an old dark coat. I do not look for any scent block clothing or any of the expensive camo. The way I look at it, camo is camo. Any living wild animal is very good at detecting human scent. So I don’t even try to block it. Next, you need to choose a gun. I’ve taken a shotgun several times, when I do, coyotes seem to get held up just outside shotgun range. So I choose a rifle. I take an AR15, because when coyotes come in, 20% or so of the time more than one will come in, and the semi-auto gives me a more rapid and second shot. Pay strict attention to the wind. Your scent is going over 500 yards downwind as you get out of your truck. The more wind, the tighter your scent pattern will be, in a no wind or slight breeze, your scent will go in more than one direction, and even get caught in wind swirls. Without good night vision, or a red spot light, the best time to hunt is either right before dark, or around daylight. You will get more around dark from my experience. The only ones out in the early morning hours are the ones who did not get lucky enough to find any food throughout the night. I prefer around 11pm with night vision when possible. The coyotes seems to kind of loose some of their clever ways of going around the edges of the pasture, to just crossing through the middle of it.
Location
When you get out of the truck, check the wind to see if it’s the right direction, if it’s not, then go to another location If you cannot get the downwind where you need it. Next, try a coyote locator call. This makes sure they are in your area. But if you do not get a response, you may still call something in, but your chances are slimmer. I try to load, cock and put the safety on the gun while in the truck, this keeps metal to metal sounds at a minimum. Try not to use any dome lights in the truck or slam the door shut.
Setup
Once I get to the setup location, I turn on my e-caller and set it down when I can watch it. If hunting in the daylight hours, I use a rabbit decoy next to the caller. I usually set the caller about 20 yards from high weeds, woods or tree line. Sometimes a low spot in the field works best. Then I go about 120 yards downwind. Expecting the coyotes to come from my front. I get set up and pull my face mask down. I then try a coyote howl and wait for a few minutes to see for any response. If I get a response, I then go to the interrogation howl. If you get a response, then move to the challenge howl. By now they should be headed your way. If not, wait several minutes. Then use a rabbit call. I generally wait about 30 seconds, then try a rabbit mouth call. Wait another 30 seconds and go back to the e-caller. This gives the coyote the feeling the prey is on the move an he should expidite to make sure it’s his meal and not another coyotes meal. Most of the time the coyotes will see the caller, then go about 50-90 yards downwind to smell and look for a trap of some kind, and to confirm there is a meal there. This should put you about 50 to 75 yards further downwind than they are expecting. Making for an easy shot. As soon as you see the coyote coming your way. Stop all sounds. He has a very good instinct. He will come within 10 feet if the caller just by memory of the direction the sound came from.
The shot.
Make sure of your background when you shoot. I use the plastic ballistic tip ammo. This way when the bullet strikes something, I feel more confident that it shattered and left as little as possible for a ricochet, especially when hunting frozen fields that will launch the bullet higher. When a coyote is coming in, be patient. Wait for the right shot. When I take new guys out. They usually get so excited, they take a really long shot and miss. Just wait, he will come in. Then while waiting, on many occasions, a second coyote will show up. This is what the semi auto is for. A quick, quiet and motionless reload for a second shot. After the first one is shot, immediately got to the hurt pup call and make a deep “woof” sound yourself. Most of the time, this will stop the fleeing second coyote for a couple of seconds, so you can make a quick shot.
Final thoughts
If you miss any of these, it will become very difficult to call him in the second time. Thus you just “educated “ him, to how your setup works and believe me, they are quick learners. After all, your hunting in their back yard. They know there surroundings very well. You’re the outsider, so try to blend in as much as possible. Usually the first to come in is the Alpha male, followed by a female. Through my findings, if you shoot the alpha male, the pack will spilt and know you have two packs running around. If you call and they answer, but will not come in to your call, then you’re probably setting in another groups territory, and the group sounding back will not enter the other packs turf. Then try to slowly move closer to their location and try again. I believe they travel approximately 7-8 miles a night. So, just because you heard them last night, does not mean they are still in the area at the time your calling. Always use a gun big enough to kill whatever might come to the call. On some occasions, you might be the meal. I only set and wait on them for 20-25 minutes. I still have a lot to learn on coyotes. And I know there are many more ways to hunt them than I have tried. But this setup should help the new guy wanting to give it a try. Hope some of these tips work for you.
Start.
First, try to be covered in camo from head to toe. Doesn’t matter if the camo matches. As long as your skin is completely covered. Especially if hunting in the daytime. At night I wear blue jeans and an old dark coat. I do not look for any scent block clothing or any of the expensive camo. The way I look at it, camo is camo. Any living wild animal is very good at detecting human scent. So I don’t even try to block it. Next, you need to choose a gun. I’ve taken a shotgun several times, when I do, coyotes seem to get held up just outside shotgun range. So I choose a rifle. I take an AR15, because when coyotes come in, 20% or so of the time more than one will come in, and the semi-auto gives me a more rapid and second shot. Pay strict attention to the wind. Your scent is going over 500 yards downwind as you get out of your truck. The more wind, the tighter your scent pattern will be, in a no wind or slight breeze, your scent will go in more than one direction, and even get caught in wind swirls. Without good night vision, or a red spot light, the best time to hunt is either right before dark, or around daylight. You will get more around dark from my experience. The only ones out in the early morning hours are the ones who did not get lucky enough to find any food throughout the night. I prefer around 11pm with night vision when possible. The coyotes seems to kind of loose some of their clever ways of going around the edges of the pasture, to just crossing through the middle of it.
Location
When you get out of the truck, check the wind to see if it’s the right direction, if it’s not, then go to another location If you cannot get the downwind where you need it. Next, try a coyote locator call. This makes sure they are in your area. But if you do not get a response, you may still call something in, but your chances are slimmer. I try to load, cock and put the safety on the gun while in the truck, this keeps metal to metal sounds at a minimum. Try not to use any dome lights in the truck or slam the door shut.
Setup
Once I get to the setup location, I turn on my e-caller and set it down when I can watch it. If hunting in the daylight hours, I use a rabbit decoy next to the caller. I usually set the caller about 20 yards from high weeds, woods or tree line. Sometimes a low spot in the field works best. Then I go about 120 yards downwind. Expecting the coyotes to come from my front. I get set up and pull my face mask down. I then try a coyote howl and wait for a few minutes to see for any response. If I get a response, I then go to the interrogation howl. If you get a response, then move to the challenge howl. By now they should be headed your way. If not, wait several minutes. Then use a rabbit call. I generally wait about 30 seconds, then try a rabbit mouth call. Wait another 30 seconds and go back to the e-caller. This gives the coyote the feeling the prey is on the move an he should expidite to make sure it’s his meal and not another coyotes meal. Most of the time the coyotes will see the caller, then go about 50-90 yards downwind to smell and look for a trap of some kind, and to confirm there is a meal there. This should put you about 50 to 75 yards further downwind than they are expecting. Making for an easy shot. As soon as you see the coyote coming your way. Stop all sounds. He has a very good instinct. He will come within 10 feet if the caller just by memory of the direction the sound came from.
The shot.
Make sure of your background when you shoot. I use the plastic ballistic tip ammo. This way when the bullet strikes something, I feel more confident that it shattered and left as little as possible for a ricochet, especially when hunting frozen fields that will launch the bullet higher. When a coyote is coming in, be patient. Wait for the right shot. When I take new guys out. They usually get so excited, they take a really long shot and miss. Just wait, he will come in. Then while waiting, on many occasions, a second coyote will show up. This is what the semi auto is for. A quick, quiet and motionless reload for a second shot. After the first one is shot, immediately got to the hurt pup call and make a deep “woof” sound yourself. Most of the time, this will stop the fleeing second coyote for a couple of seconds, so you can make a quick shot.
Final thoughts
If you miss any of these, it will become very difficult to call him in the second time. Thus you just “educated “ him, to how your setup works and believe me, they are quick learners. After all, your hunting in their back yard. They know there surroundings very well. You’re the outsider, so try to blend in as much as possible. Usually the first to come in is the Alpha male, followed by a female. Through my findings, if you shoot the alpha male, the pack will spilt and know you have two packs running around. If you call and they answer, but will not come in to your call, then you’re probably setting in another groups territory, and the group sounding back will not enter the other packs turf. Then try to slowly move closer to their location and try again. I believe they travel approximately 7-8 miles a night. So, just because you heard them last night, does not mean they are still in the area at the time your calling. Always use a gun big enough to kill whatever might come to the call. On some occasions, you might be the meal. I only set and wait on them for 20-25 minutes. I still have a lot to learn on coyotes. And I know there are many more ways to hunt them than I have tried. But this setup should help the new guy wanting to give it a try. Hope some of these tips work for you.
