For me, it's all about night hunting. The main reason is because my hunting involves a lot of wide open fields with patch woods in multiple directions. Hunting during daylight would be next to impossible. I can't tell you how many times I've been certain that a coyote would come from a certain direction only to find out there's one or five behind me. This is where a good thermal scope earns its money. While coyotes do have good night vision, they can't compete with a thermal. There's been many times where I've been able to pick up my tripod and relocate to a better position before a coyote got a chance to wind me. At night, coyotes rely mainly on their nose and use their eyes to detect movement. Look at the video posted above, that coyote was 30 yards away. We were standing in a field with no cover and they didn't know we were there. You wouldn't be able to do that during the day.
Unfortunately, night hunting requires more of an investment. You could certainly hunt with a light, but be prepared to be very frustrated. Night vision and digital night vision will work, but your range is severely limited and coyotes still sometimes get spooked by infrared. Thermal is where it's at, but it comes with a hefty price tag.
Day or night, the basics are the same. Invest in a good caller. I started out with a Primos Alpha dog. It was pretty good with fresh batteries, but the sound degraded when the batteries started dying and that tended to be only a few hours. I now use a Foxpro shockwave. I've been happy with it. Lucky Duck also gets good reviews, but I have no experience with one. Get some non stock calls added. Tony Tebbs has a lot of good sounds for reasonable prices. Don't rely on rabbit distress - every coyote in the country has heard it!.
Get a decent shooting platform. I prefer a tripod with a ball head, but everyone has their preference. Get a rifle that shoots as flat as possible. This is more important at night, but it still helps for day hunting.
Unfortunately, night hunting requires more of an investment. You could certainly hunt with a light, but be prepared to be very frustrated. Night vision and digital night vision will work, but your range is severely limited and coyotes still sometimes get spooked by infrared. Thermal is where it's at, but it comes with a hefty price tag.
Day or night, the basics are the same. Invest in a good caller. I started out with a Primos Alpha dog. It was pretty good with fresh batteries, but the sound degraded when the batteries started dying and that tended to be only a few hours. I now use a Foxpro shockwave. I've been happy with it. Lucky Duck also gets good reviews, but I have no experience with one. Get some non stock calls added. Tony Tebbs has a lot of good sounds for reasonable prices. Don't rely on rabbit distress - every coyote in the country has heard it!.
Get a decent shooting platform. I prefer a tripod with a ball head, but everyone has their preference. Get a rifle that shoots as flat as possible. This is more important at night, but it still helps for day hunting.