For the Coyote Hunters

[SpringfieldArmoryXD]

Hey guys! Long time gun enthusiast, but not an expert on hunting. I have gotten asked by some family friends to take care of some coyotes that have been causing some problems with their calfs. I guess I'm just looking for some tips. Heres what I have tried so far, with no success... I went out one evening and just sat in a pasture (eastern kansas prairie rolling hills kind of thing). About half hour before sunset I heard some coyotes calling to the south.

Decided I needed a call, so I went and bought a Foxpro Spitfire. Went out another evening in the direction I had heard them from the previous night. Didn't really know what kind of calls to give out, but I started with some distressed rabbits and with no luck did some coyote calls also with no luck. Packed up when it got dark, decided I should try the morning instead. I know they are in the area though, because a couple days before it rained and these must have been pretty fresh.
The morning that I tried, I walked in quietly while it was still dark and waited until it was light enough to get a shot thru the scope and started calling distressed rabbit. No luck nothing came. As I was getting ready to leave I heard them, but there are rolling hills in this pasture and could not see them, tried to sneak up on them but by the time I got to the top where I could see they stopped making noise so I assume they saw me. But I never saw them. So do you guys have any tips for me on what I can do to better my odds?

 

[Grumulkin]

1. Put some bait out.

2. Get a night vision optic of some type and stay up all night.

 

[Art Eatman]

Wind direction can be a problem, particularly if you hear them calling downwind from your position.

If they haven't been hunted much, you can just drive out in the pasture in a pickup, sit there and call or set an electronic caller on the hood. I've done as well that way as walking and sitting.

At night, I use a 300,000 candlepower Q-Beam, with a red covering over the lens. I flash it just long enough to sweep and look for eyes and then turn it off. I never let any beam stay directly on a varmint. At most, just the edge of the beam, barely picking up the eye-glow.

It's common for a coyote to come directly toward a call and then veer off and make the final approach from downwind--which is why some folks set some sort of decoy and bait (for smell) some ways out. Maybe 40 or 50 yards.

 

[tri70]

Patience is key if you can not see them but know they are there, I have waited 30-45 minutes in one stand before I see anything. I have moved to another place and called, came back to the 1st spot and killed coyotes that have moved in. Get complete camoed out from head to toe, make a face mask or buy one. Try woodpecker sounds too.

 

[BP Hunter]

Yes, one of themost important things is wind direction. MAke sure the wind is always on your face. Also...stay still. Coyotes are keen to unnatural movements. Once they see you move, they will take a good look at you and if they feel funny about it, they will hide. Good luck.

Since you saw the tracks, it is a clear sign that they are present. Dogs are creature of habit. They will always follow the same trail. With those tracks you found, find a good spot at least 100 yards away and start calling from there. Again, make sure the wind is in your face. Early morning before sunrise is a great time to hunt. I think your Fox Pro spitfire may have a sound of a dying calf. If so, use those to call them in since they know that beef is present.

 

[Art Eatman]

Coyotes have pretty darned good hearing. I used a mouth call one day and saw two coyotes head toward me from almost a half-mile away. If you're too loud with your call, you gotta figure how attracted a coyote would be to a 400-pound rabbit.

 

[SpringfieldArmoryXD]

***Just and update on this thread.***

I went out this morning at 5:30 AM when it was still dark, got set up with the wind in my face. When the sun started to rise and I could actually see, I started some calling. Started quiet on and off for a while. Not seeing anything, I gradually raised the volume. Still nothing... 7:30 rolled around and I decided to call it quits. No luck this time. I'm still determined to get my first coyote! On a side not, there were some thunderstorms in the early AM hours and it was still overcast, and maybe that kept them from coming out I don't know because I'm new to this.

I did decide to order a mouth call and give that a whirl. It'd be good to learn how to do anyways. I ordered a standard "Crit'r Caller". Its an open reed mouth call. I also added a mojo critter decoy. So, when those arrive I'll go out and give it another try.

 

[polaris man]

put out bait dead cow or calf .

 

[ILikeLead]

Your track looks like a coon track to me!

 

[tri70]

I am a big fan of Randy Anderson's Primos coyote calls, I have about 20 DVD's from Primos The Truth About Coyote Hunting 1 thru 8 and others. I also have several of the Primos coyote hand calls and recently bought the Primos Electronic Alpha Dog from Natchez for $220 on sale! I have not called anything up yet with the electronic, I only took it out once. Last weekend I forgot my electronic and used my hand calls and took a female coyote behind my sisters house. My sister was texting me that night and said they came right up in her yard again herassing her dogs. She lives in the country on 60 wooded acres, we have killed 3 coyotes in 3 months in her yard and my brothers yard 100 yds away.

 

[mnhntr]

Them are coon tracks

 

[sugarmaker]

I'm in the coon track category also. Someone said bait the coyotes, this is good in winter esp. once they get used to coming, a carcass will last a month or more in January as coyotes, ravens, foxes are about all that will pick on it. If they get used to human scent they will come into an outbuilding and around houses freely UNTIL you start shooting them, then they get smart quick. In summer if you have access to some butcher scraps, old donuts, etc. you can bait them much as you would bear, they go for the same stuff. Carcass can be a bit smelly in August near a dwelling and will rot down quickly. I also found coyotes more finicky than bear about rotten stuff.

 

[shaggy430]

I know why you are not killing any coyotes, you are tracking coons!

 

[gamestalker]

Coyote hunting has been my favorite pass time for the last 40 something years. The #1 most important thing, is too make sure the direction they are expected to approach from isn't getting fouled by your human scent blowing in that direction.

And if at all possible, try to put yourself in an elevated position. You don't have to be elevated much, just enough to give your self a slight advatage visibly.

Try not to silouet yourself to the sky or background too. Sitting against a tree or rock work well. But avoid concealing yourself in a bush. I use a portable blind, which works really good too.

Use the distressed babbit, call but make sure it is consistent with the kind of rabbits that inhabit that area, jack or cotton tail. This isn't a huge deal, but anything that will not sound out of character is always the best route. And when you call, try to make it just loud enough to make them curious, encouraging them to investigate. But call continuously for 20-30 minutes straight without interuption. But if your using a mouth call you can go for 2 or 3 minutes, rest 30 seconds, then continue following this pattern for 20-30 minutes.

I have a remote controlled unit, so I call as decribed above, unless I hear them sound off. Once I've heard them sound off, I'll do 1 or 2 howls and then resume the distressed rabbit again. I live in the Southwestern United States, Arizona actually, and we have massive amounts of public land. So it's no problem finding a remote hill top to sit on, which not only provides a birds eye view, but it also helps keep my scent above the playing field.

Oh ya, if you should happen to nail one go right back to calling for a few more minutes. I have had them come right back in following a shot, especially if I'm shooting from 300 yds. or more away. If they are not very human educated, they may not know what just happened, or kow what direction the shot came from. Sometimes they will come right toward, you following a long shot.

 

[baronthered]

This time of year they are going to be getting into the breeding mood.


I'd try a howler. Nothing too challenging of a howl but more of a young 'yote type of howl. An alpha male or female may be more inclined to think "hey! some young 'yote is moving into my territory" and hence trying to move in on a mate or food source.

Right now with spring coming in food isn't the problem especially if they are dining on cattle. They won't care so much about the Rabbit in distress calls.

Wind keep in your face. If you can use some type of cover or geologic feature to keep them from going around downwind of you that will help quite a bit.

If your location is Kansas it will be hard to stalk on flat ground but not impossible. There are dips and fold in the earth even on the flattest land and learning to use them can take quite awhile. Stay as low as possible at all times every dip and fold is cover for you and them and they will use it. They can and often do sneak in; you'll see one a few hundred yards away and a few minutes later bam! one is 15 feet away, or if cover is good enough right in your lap, and that is something that will have your friends laughing when they see it and you will need new shorts.

(as an aside had one happen like that a couple of years ago and my friends didn't know who got who the noise was so bad. It's what I get for crawling between some round bales of hay and he came around the side and into my hiding spot but I did get him with the shotgun later. I still don't know who was more scared, him or me all I did was grab him and try keeping off my face. They still won't let me live it down)

If you can keep the wind in your face try staying low and have the sun at your back. Driving down the road with the sun in your eyes is difficult and if you keep low to the ground and movement to a minimum the sun can help keep them from seeing you long enough to get a shot.

Don't be afraid to watch the target for a bit, learn the way they like to move if you have the time which admittedly won't be much but can give you an idea of the way that particular 'yote likes to move and do things. some will charge hard and if mouth calling could wind up in your lap, literally.

Some will be more cautious and move then stop and move again. I've seen several sunning themselves do a look around then as soon as they have looked once look again to see if they caught anything waiting for them to lie back down.

You already have a good idea of where they are doing their business it's just a matter of getting all the pieces in one place at the same time.

They are canny animals and are about the only thing I hunt any more because the challenge is still there every time I go out. The first one is often the hardest but is the most rewarding and you'll remember it all your life.

I think of anything else I'll add a post. Have fun don't get frustrated and be safe.

 

[SlowFuse]

I noticed some people giving the suggestion of night vision. Are all states different on laws for this?

Does it matter if you are on your own land/private property with permission? We have a pretty serious coyote population around here. I have taken a few over the years in daylight, but they are definitely out more at night. Several times a night vision scope has crossed my mind, but always figured it'd be illegal.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

SlowFuse, MOST not ALL states with a huntable yote population allow night hunting with night vision. Hell it's even allowed here in the socialist state of Hellanois. I'd have to research but I know there are a couple of backwards states that don't allow night hunting of any sort. Now, most of those states do not allow night hunting of yotes during open big game seasons because there are a few slugs that would take advantage of it and poach deer or elk while out. We all have to suffer because of the few idiots with no moral standards ya know. Also, there are some state game lands that do not allow night hunting ANY time. You will have to look this up in your own state regulations.

 

[baronthered]

I wish we could hunt them at night. It would be nice with the shift I work.

 

[Feanor]

Those are Raccoon tracks my good man, you can shoot them too though! The Spitfire from "Foxpro" is hit & miss. I've noticed some of their digital calls are really excellent, other's just plain rip offs.

I have had good luck with the little Spitfire calling in coyotes in the daytime, unfortunately not all of the calls are realistic, many demonstrating digital hiss, and even clipping off some calls in mid-sounding. Best luck with the little Spitfire is during daylight, utilizing either the "lightening jack" or "jackrabbit distress" calls. These distress calls are well known to coyotes, who seem to me to be much bolder responding to them in the daytime, you will greatly enhance your chances by including bait.