Hey Coyote Hunters

[CptnAwesome]

I'm about to try my hand at coyote hunting. I have the call and decoy on the way. My plan is to set up on field edges with call and decoy about 100yds away.

To anybody that hunts them in the Southeast, what's your prefered strategy for this time of year?

 

[Dibbs]

Squawk the caller very infrequently, or sparingly. Coyote have big ears, and are superior at homing on distressed animal cries. In order to get them to show themselves, long enough to take a shot, you want them searching, as long, as possible.
IME, down here, they are only going to take a risk that involves a meal, so you have yotes which hug the bush a lot, and aren't going to be willing to spend much time, out in the open.

 

[horsey300]

I'm about to try my hand at coyote hunting. I have the call and decoy on the way. My plan is to set up on field edges with call and decoy about 100yds away.

To anybody that hunts them in the Southeast, what's your prefered strategy for this time of year?

I don't hunt this time of year, but it's getting warmer down there I reckon like it does up here, kind of a tie on what will work best right now, new litters so food is still a good driving force, but if nothing is answering, starting a turf war works well too.

 

[WestKentucky]

A furry wobbler decoy is a very nice thing to have. If nothing else it draws attention away from you so that you are less likely to be busted trying to move to take a shot. Scent is a huge deal, set up where wind is in your face and your looking for a shot in between cover and the wobbler. My experience is that the dogs pop out and either stop a few feet from cover to investigate, or they hit high gear as soon as they are exposed and never slow down for a shot.

 

[Sniper66]

Just be sure your remote will work from 100 yds and make as little noise as possible in making your set up. I would recommend setting up about 50 yds from your decoy and caller. My best luck has come from the squalling rabbit, but have also gotten response for various howls. This time of year I would try distressed pup sounds

 

[Iggy]

Try a snowmobile and a 12 gauge pistol.
I got over a hundred that way one winter.

 

[Aletheia]

This is an email I wrote to an hunter who was thinking about learning to call coyotes. It is based on our (I hunt with a couple of "regular" partners) experience in our territory and reflects our biases about how we want to hunt, so some of the things I'm suggesting may or may not apply to your situation. It is the result of many years of coyote hunting, and works for us. We expect to get an average of about one decent shot for every three set ups we do. Sometimes, of course, we will do better, and sometimes we do worse. Hope this helps.
---------------------------------

The first rule of coyote hunting is to hunt where there are coyotes. Obvious, but you can waste a lot of time calling to areas that have none. Coyotes "travel around" quite a bit and you should try to find some sign that they are there now.

We call coyotes that have been called before and not killed "educated" coyotes. If yours are educated, and hunting pressure will educate many for sure, they will be very hard to call. You may have to try something "different" to get their curiosity aroused. That is a very wide topic, so I will stick to generalities we use as SOP.

If they know you are there, they will not come. No sky lining; no walking across open areas if possible; stick to edges; use depressions; do not be easily visible from far away at any time.

No noise. You are going to call an animal with a sound, so don't make any that sound like coyote hunters. No talking; no slamming truck doors; no noise you can avoid; approaching the area while keeping a ridge between you and the area masks sound well.

Control your scent plume so it does not enter the area you intend to call to. We do not use any scent masking soaps, sprays, clothing, or whatever, because we believe they are useless and the only way to avoid a coyote's nose is to not let him smell you. One exception is we will often deliberately allow our scent into an open area down wind. Often coyotes will circle down wind to get a smell of what's making the noise. If the open area is large enough, they must expose themselves to do so. Often, in that moment they get your scent, they will stop to think it over for a few seconds. THAT is a good time to shoot, because they will likely leave after they decide what you are.

Break up your outline somehow. Brush in front (as long as you have a shooting lane) or behind you will do that. Do not move around any more than you must. We like to hunt in pairs. One guy gets fairly hidden, sometimes giving up long range vision, and does the calling. The other sets up to cover the approaches from an angle that allows him to see well, but the animal will be looking elsewhere for the source of the sounds. Decoys can work for this distraction too, if you are alone.

We use mouth calls exclusively. We walk lots and we hate carrying crap. That's the only reason to avoid the electronics that we can think of; that and the cost, and cold batteries. We have howlers, but use them mostly for "location" calls and then move in and use "dying prey" type calls. We believe only dominant animals will really approach a stranger in their territory, so howlers are less productive than prey type calls. We want the insecure ones too.

Call "softly" the first time in case they are close; you don't want to scare them. We call for 30 seconds to a minute and then sit for 5 and watch. The next set of calls can be louder. Watch very, very carefully. Binoculars are a real help, even in the bush. You cannot pay too much attention. Around here, if you see a magpie coming to the call, pay close attention to that direction. Coyotes and magpies hang out a lot together. Pay attention to the really unexpected directions too. Make head movements slow and steady rather than quick glances. Move nothing more than you have to.

The length of time we call a particular set up depends on how long we think a coyote would take to come from the farthest ranges we think the call is reaching. Wind knocks down calls really quickly, so your range is short. Calling from a ridge on a calm evening will reach a long way. Experience is likely the only teacher here. We have had coyotes over half an hour into the set, but most of the time 15 minutes will tell you what you need to know. Be very careful once you decide the set is done. Stand up slowly and have a long look around. The new angle will reveal all those coyotes you called but have not yet seen (and there will be a depressingly large number of them). You may get a shot if you don't create too much of a spectacle so that the dog has to figure out what the H*** just moved. But chances will not last long.

If you are going to just move and try again, don't talk, don't make noise, don't expose yourselves any more than you must. They may be watching. We move far enough to enter a "new" area that we think holds animals that have not heard us. In a big wind that may not be far; on a calm day that may be half a mile or more. We avoid calling the same area more than a couple of times a winter. Educated coyotes and all that.

Shooting sticks or tripods are essential. We use .22-250s or .243 and one 6mm Rem as dedicated coyote rifles. Coyotes are, pound for pound, a very tough animal. They are also small targets. You need to be able to shoot well, and shoot quickly at times with some honest power too. Multiples get really interesting. We agree before hand about left side/right side etc. and who will shoot first.

 

[CptnAwesome]

Thanx for the responses! A lot of good information here!

This is an email I wrote to an hunter who was thinking about learning to call coyotes. It is based on our (I hunt with a couple of "regular" partners) experience in our territory and reflects our biases about how we want to hunt, so some of the things I'm suggesting may or may not apply to your situation. It is the result of many years of coyote hunting, and works for us. We expect to get an average of about one decent shot for every three set ups we do. Sometimes, of course, we will do better, and sometimes we do worse. Hope this helps.
---------------------------------

The first rule of coyote hunting is to hunt where there are coyotes. Obvious, but you can waste a lot of time calling to areas that have none. Coyotes "travel around" quite a bit and you should try to find some sign that they are there now.

We call coyotes that have been called before and not killed "educated" coyotes. If yours are educated, and hunting pressure will educate many for sure, they will be very hard to call. You may have to try something "different" to get their curiosity aroused. That is a very wide topic, so I will stick to generalities we use as SOP.

If they know you are there, they will not come. No sky lining; no walking across open areas if possible; stick to edges; use depressions; do not be easily visible from far away at any time.

No noise. You are going to call an animal with a sound, so don't make any that sound like coyote hunters. No talking; no slamming truck doors; no noise you can avoid; approaching the area while keeping a ridge between you and the area masks sound well.

Control your scent plume so it does not enter the area you intend to call to. We do not use any scent masking soaps, sprays, clothing, or whatever, because we believe they are useless and the only way to avoid a coyote's nose is to not let him smell you. One exception is we will often deliberately allow our scent into an open area down wind. Often coyotes will circle down wind to get a smell of what's making the noise. If the open area is large enough, they must expose themselves to do so. Often, in that moment they get your scent, they will stop to think it over for a few seconds. THAT is a good time to shoot, because they will likely leave after they decide what you are.

Break up your outline somehow. Brush in front (as long as you have a shooting lane) or behind you will do that. Do not move around any more than you must. We like to hunt in pairs. One guy gets fairly hidden, sometimes giving up long range vision, and does the calling. The other sets up to cover the approaches from an angle that allows him to see well, but the animal will be looking elsewhere for the source of the sounds. Decoys can work for this distraction too, if you are alone.

We use mouth calls exclusively. We walk lots and we hate carrying crap. That's the only reason to avoid the electronics that we can think of; that and the cost, and cold batteries. We have howlers, but use them mostly for "location" calls and then move in and use "dying prey" type calls. We believe only dominant animals will really approach a stranger in their territory, so howlers are less productive than prey type calls. We want the insecure ones too.

Call "softly" the first time in case they are close; you don't want to scare them. We call for 30 seconds to a minute and then sit for 5 and watch. The next set of calls can be louder. Watch very, very carefully. Binoculars are a real help, even in the bush. You cannot pay too much attention. Around here, if you see a magpie coming to the call, pay close attention to that direction. Coyotes and magpies hang out a lot together. Pay attention to the really unexpected directions too. Make head movements slow and steady rather than quick glances. Move nothing more than you have to.

The length of time we call a particular set up depends on how long we think a coyote would take to come from the farthest ranges we think the call is reaching. Wind knocks down calls really quickly, so your range is short. Calling from a ridge on a calm evening will reach a long way. Experience is likely the only teacher here. We have had coyotes over half an hour into the set, but most of the time 15 minutes will tell you what you need to know. Be very careful once you decide the set is done. Stand up slowly and have a long look around. The new angle will reveal all those coyotes you called but have not yet seen (and there will be a depressingly large number of them). You may get a shot if you don't create too much of a spectacle so that the dog has to figure out what the H*** just moved. But chances will not last long.

If you are going to just move and try again, don't talk, don't make noise, don't expose yourselves any more than you must. They may be watching. We move far enough to enter a "new" area that we think holds animals that have not heard us. In a big wind that may not be far; on a calm day that may be half a mile or more. We avoid calling the same area more than a couple of times a winter. Educated coyotes and all that.

Shooting sticks or tripods are essential. We use .22-250s or .243 and one 6mm Rem as dedicated coyote rifles. Coyotes are, pound for pound, a very tough animal. They are also small targets. You need to be able to shoot well, and shoot quickly at times with some honest power too. Multiples get really interesting. We agree before hand about left side/right side etc. and who will shoot first.

What time of day do you normally Sit?

 

[entropy]

I use a 'quiver critter' and (electronic) rabbit distress call, and set it about 40 yards out into a field, and place myself about 5 yards into the woods, on the edge of a field, having cleared a 'sector' to use a military term, to shoot in. (earlier in the year Having the woods in front of you makes movement less obvious on your part, and having it behind you makes it more obvious on the coyotes' part, if they circle you. I have had coyotes trot right past me to get to the quiver critter. I have also had then dash across the field at it, and had to shoot one at a dead full run to get the 'critter' back; he snatched it right off the decoy and kept boogying.
I agree about the calling less is better; Have good binos, (and scope) Electronic ear muffs help when it's not windy, then they become a hinderance. Good camo makes it easier to get them in, but I've called them in blaze orange before. (a mouth rabbit distress call fits into the pocket of a deer coat nicely.) Heck, one walked right up to my youngest son on a deer drive, he didn't shoot because he thought 'they were out of season." The young males are the most easily fooled (as is with most species )
I do my coyote hunting in WI, obviously some things will be different in AL.

 

[Aletheia]

If it's cold, any time of day seems to work for us. Very best is early or late in the day, but my theory is that cold makes them need calories, lets them travel and stay cool, so they will be active any time they think it's worthwhile. I'm not sure what schedule Alabama coyotes keep.

 

[hps1]

I'm about to try my hand at coyote hunting. I have the call and decoy on the way. My plan is to set up on field edges with call and decoy about 100yds away.

To anybody that hunts them in the Southeast, what's your prefered strategy for this time of year?

My FX5 remote is not 100% reliable much past 50 yards and that is plenty far where I hunt. Wire fences, wet foliage, defilade, etc. can affect the radio signal.

As has been stated, enter area as quietly and unobserved as possible. Watch your downwind, don't walk through area you plan to observe any more than necessary. Good concealment tips above, one thing that has not been mentioned, always set up in shade if available and if possible with sun directly behind you.
I like to set up with the decoy cross wind to some degree, 30-50 yards out and positioned so I can see downwind of the call/decoy.

Always carry at least one mouth call in event of malfunction of electronic call.

As has been stated, sticks or tripod are worth their weight in gold.

This time of year, I usually open with some sort of female invitational, or whimpers and end each stand with coyote pup distress. Sit a few minutes before getting up, as one will often come in late out of curiosity.

If one charges in, try to bark him to a stop once in range, but be prepared for a quick shot as they won't stand long. Any loud noise (some simply yell at them) will often result in them stopping suddenly to see what that noise was.

Watch their body language as they come in. Coming on strong, let them get closer. If they stop suddenly, turn broadside they are usually alerted and are likely to turn and run. If they stop still facing you/call, they are probably just trying to locate sound origin and will probably come a bit closer.

There is no always or never when calling critters.

I hunt pretty heavy brush, so generally don't have to walk too far from the jeep, and am able to carry a short chair, sticks, call and decoy. The chair is a necessity due to flat terrain and height of brush/grass, not to mention the fact that chair in concert with sticks is almost as steady as shooting off a bench and sandbags, and adding a bit of

ghillie netting provides a bit of cover, especially when using mouth calls.

Pretty good discussion of use of decoys here:
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/varmint-calling-decoys-do-they-work.882152/

ETA: Also like to set up close to (inside) corners or coves in the brush line, placing decoy a few yards out in pasture (partially hidden by grass or a bush) so as to make them look for it. They will often come to the edge of the brush, but may be reluctant to come out into the clearing sometime offering a shot if you can see a few feet back into the brush.

Have fun!

Regards,
hps

 

[Hoppy-tn]

I love shooting coyotes this time of year, I hunt fields and power line right of ways for them. I always sit a couple hour before I start calling. I have actually shot more just sitting and watching versus calling. This time of year they are out a lot looking for newborns and most of time they will stop and look around the field if they are out searching. I would much rather take a shot at one that’s just out cruising and searching versus one that come running in on full alert. Good luck hope you kill a bunch.

 

[WisBorn]

I'm not a serious coyote hunter, but have called in a couple while Turkey hunting!
Also one wolf to about 60 yards.