Hunting Eastern Coyotes...How and what gun

[dfaugh]

After many years of never having coyotes in my area (Western NY) they are coming back in a big way...A good friend has just started "sheep ranching" and all of a sudden is hearing many coyotes near by...So, I'm thinking about hunting them this season (For whatever reason you can't get a "nuisance" permit for them, even though you can get one for deer). But season runs from Oct.1 throughout the winter. So, I have the great opportunity to hunt them.

Notes: I haven't hunted in years, but this year I will probably hunt deer (since they come right up in my back yard) as well as coyote. But we must use shotguns for deer. There's no restriction for coyote or varmint shooting.

I don't really own a suitable hunting rifle, and there's no way I can afford a new gun. MAYBE, I can afford a better scope for one I already have. I would also like to be able to sell the coyote pelts(seems they're worth a few dollars apiece), so I want minimal pelt damage.

So a couple questions:

What's the best way to hunt these critters: day, night- long range,short range- bait? calling? jack-lighting?

Here's the guns I have available:

2 different .22s, one with 3-9x scope
2 SKSs one with scope, one without (not real accurate, but 3" at 100 yards)
12 gauge(maybe #4 buck?--but very range limited)
8x57 Mauser w/ target stock and 6-24x scope (the only "long range gun" I have). Reasonably accurate(about 1 MOA), working on handloads to make it better. But makes BIG holes.
8mm-06 AI- iron sights(for now)-currently under construction, have all parts, also will make big holes.
And (Off the wall)-old model 8 Remington in .35 Remington

I'm actually leaning towards the "best" .22, simply because its a tack driver, and I suspect most shots will be short range. Also, fairly quiet, not likely to scare any others nearby into the next county. Easily capable of reliable head shots out to 100 yrds(IF the target is stationary) as I can hold 1" to 1 1/4" groups at 100 yrds. However, I suspect the scope would be useless at night, if that's how I end up hunting. Is a .22 enough, if I only take head shots?

How about .17 HMR...MIGHT be able to squeeze one outa the budget. But, again, is it enough with very careful shot placement?

Any/all responses greatly appreciated!

 

[mete]

Is that 22LR ? That would not be suitable. But the centerfire 22s would be fine. The other guns you have aren't very suitable. 223, 22-250 with a bullet that isn't too fragile would work .Perhaps a Nosler partition. Eastern coyotes run heavier than the western ones , 60-70 lbs is not exceptional. They are very smart !!!

 

[Browns Fan]

I'd use the sks, I have a Saiga 7.62x39 that I'm gonna use for deer this yr. The guy who lets me hunt on his farm has a problem with 'yotes, and wants me to hunt them. If I dont see deer, I may just try a rabbit call while I'm up the tree to see if I can at least drop a 'yote or two.

 

[Oldnamvet]

Coyotes are smart and getting a clear head shot is not easy. I would recommend that you get something like a single shot break action rifle in a varmint caliber. They won't break the bank and since you rarely get more than one shot, having a single shot would not be a handicap. If you have neighbors nearby and have to limit noise, the .22 hornet is as small as I would go. Preferably something bigger - .22-250, .223, or even .243

 

[Art Eatman]

Any of your scoped rifles. You're killing varmints, so the size of the hole is unimportant.

Coyotes are quick learners. You can put out bait (table scraps and such) in mid-afternoon and hunt them like deer, from a stand. That will work for a while.

You can call with a wounded-rabbit call. When there's a lot of moon, they become active earlier, so late afternoon or early morning gives you some daylight time.

In the dark of the moon, a couple of hours after full dark is a good time to start.

When calling, it's not bad to have two people. One to call, one to shoot.

Don't use an oh-my-god powerful light. Don't shine the light straight into a coyote's face; it runs him off. Catch his eyes in the edge of the light.

Coyotes will initially come straight to the bait or call and then circle to make the final approach from downwind, so position yourself accordingly.

If there hasn't been much hunting of coyotes, you can just sit in the back of a truck at night and call. Daytime, two people in a truck cab and you just sit and call. Somewhere during a coyote's circle you'll get a shot.

Art

 

[dfaugh]

Shoulda been clearer

Yes, I'm talking about a .22 LR...

Noise isn'tanissue w/ neighbors, my friend has 45 acres out in the country... Would just have to be careful what direction I'm shooting, a little bit, but if I'm in the right spot, no houses or anything for a long way.

 

[DigMe]

I'd use the SKS. Currently I use a 700 BDL in .30-06. Some might call it overkill but it's not like I'm trying to save meat. It's accurate and I like shooting it. Certainly a bit more expensive than .22 though but the animal is less likely to walk away from a shot that just misses the vitals.

Out at my land in Central Texas the yotes start showing themselves in early evening. 5pm is about as early as I'll start. If you wanted you could shoot some squirrels or rabbits a bit earlier in the day and then cut some arteries on them to get the blood flowing good and use them as bait.

If you can get out just before dawn that's a good time too.

Just curious, does your friend have dogs or donkeys watching his sheep? Down here in Texas you usually see a donkey or a great pirennese <sp?> mixed in with goats and sheep to protect them from predators. Just wondering if they do that up there too.

brad cook

 

[fisherman66]

Ditto on the Texas donkey's. "Jennys" are extremely social animals that will bond with all kinds of farm and ranch animals. They are fiercly protective.

My father-in-law bought an old one (mistake) that didn't bond well in youth. She just mulls around camp. We are going to fence off camp to make her leave. Pretty pathetic. We have seen a big cougar, a few bobcats, and a bunch of 'yotes. Need a new Jenny.

 

[dfaugh]

Dogs

Yes, he has a German Shepherd (the daughter of my prize Schutzhund dog)... but she's not currently left to protect the sheep, although any coyote that messes with her is in serious trouble.

 

[sumpnz]

Yes, he has a German Shepherd (the daughter of my prize Schutzhund dog)... but she's not currently left to protect the sheep, although any coyote that messes with her is in serious trouble.

I wouldn't be so sure that the dog would win. A pack of coyotes is a whole lot different than a single one. If you see a single 'yote attracting the attention of the dog, he's probably trying to bait it and lead it to the pack.

I would also like to be able to sell the coyote pelts(seems they're worth a few dollars apiece), so I want minimal pelt damage.

Do you really want to mess around with the pelts? If you're really good and fast at skinning animals and preserving the pelt then go for it. Otherwise consider the caracass a donation to the Buzzard Charity. They just won't bring you enough money to be worth the bother otherwise. If you do want to save the pelts, then something like the Barnes Solids would be ideal, or some sort of FMJ that is not likely to fragment. That way you just get a small entry and small exit hole (rather than a small entry and huge/multiple exit holes).

 

[dfaugh]

Trust me....

when I say that even a small pack of coyotes is gonna take a serious whoopin' from this dog...She's pretty much a "clone" on her father, who's absolutely fearless and tough as they come...Her mother (who's dead now) was just about the toughest female GSD I've ever seen(also went 90 lbs which is HUGE for afemale GSD)... Blindingly fast, and knows EXACTLY how to inflict maximum damage in minimum time...However, as the dog is probably worth a few thousand dollars, he's not gonna send the dog, when a bullet would be more effective....But we've strayed off topic, here....

 

[sumpnz]

even a small pack of coyotes is gonna take a serious whoopin' from this dog

Maybe, but your friend's wallet will also take a serious whoppin' at the vet should that happen.

However, as the dog is probably worth a few thousand dollars, he's not gonna send the dog, when a bullet would be more effective

Good choice.

Personally I wouldn't bet money on the dog for the outcome of a fight with a pack of coyotes against anything less than an Anatolian or similar breed.

How about .17 HMR...MIGHT be able to squeeze one outa the budget. But, again, is it enough with very careful shot placement?

I seem to remember reading a review a while back (can't remember who wrote it) where a guy shot a couple 'yotes with a Hummer. IIRC he said it was barely adequte for body shots at ~100 yards. It killed the coyote but he was saying that he recommended much shorter ranges. I would say if you're willing to keep ranges under 75 yards the .17 might do well enough, under 50 yards and it should easily have the punch needed. Of course, all this assumes you wait for a really good presentation and put the bullet right where you want it to go.

 

[MassHunter2190]

Use high-valocity hollow-points in your "best".22lr, but make sure to keep the shots under 50 yards. Head shots if they're available, if not, as many shots as you can get off into the "kill zone". You could take them at longer ranges, but why risk wounding an animal. (Until your buddy starts loosing sheep...that's when you start lobbing them out there.

No experience with the other calibers, just telling ya what's worked for me.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

A pack of coyotes is a whole lot different than a single one.

Yep. And the thing is, a coyote is too smart to take on a dog one-on-one. They'll pack up on a dog, bait and attack from behind. My best friend's 105 lb German Shepherd, trained in attack and guard, tangled with some. He won, but he was pretty ripped up.

Three coyotes were trying to outsmart my two dogs (140 lb mutt and 35 lb Blue heeler) one morning a while back. I ended the argument with my 25-06, dropping one and barely missing a second on the run.

On the .17 HMR, the new 20 grain Hornady bullets are of much heavier construction than the 17 grain ones. I would trust them with my Savage as long as I keep the range under 125 yards and take either a head shot or slip one between the ribs into the boiler room. I've tested them enough to trust the penetration. Even the 17 grain varmint bullets would work with a head shot.

 

[Remington788]

One coyote vs. you GSD and the GSD will most likely win, but the chances of one coyote taking on the dog by itself are slim to none. As others have said, get a .223 or .22-250 single shot and you will have a 250 yard gun.

 

[black bear]

B]dfaugh,[/B]

The most productive way to hunt the Eastern coyote is by calling them with a predator call that imitates a wounded rabbit.
First you have to locate them, and that is accomplished by driving the roads at night, stopping every 400 yards or so and using a locator call that sound like a howling coyote, (this have a cone or megaphone to amplify the sound).

They will answer you, and when they do you have located them.

Exit your car silently and set up in a way that you have a commanding position overlooking a field, good for you if you have moonlight, (then a scope is better than irons sights) if you can't see you will need a partner with a spotlight and a red filter, (animals don't see the red light).
Start screaming like a wounded rabbit and pay attention, your partner should sweep the field trying to pick up the shine of the eyes before they get too close to you.
Wind direction is important and should be on your face or crosswind to you.
Camo clothing is a big help also, you should be sitting in a low seat and half covered by a bush.

If the light doesn’t have a red filter, it should be directed upward and you use only the side spill to look for them.
When you have multiple coyotes coming, a light under your rifle will be a great advantage, because your partner will be illuminating one that you are not seeing because you are concentrating in another, and sometimes in the confusion you get none.

I like to hunt at night because it is easier than during the day, most of you know me as the crazy flashaholic that built and sell here in THR, the MAG 951 flashlight (a Maglite 3 "D" that output 951 lumens)
So that is what I use for a shooting light when I go after coyotes in Schohaire County in N. Y. (we are overrun with them).

Hunting during the day is quite more difficult, they don't usually answer locator calls.
They will still come to a wounded rabbit call, but you need some visual aid to put in the middle of the field.
Cabela's sell two versions of the moving rabbit (battery operated) one is made out of foam and the other have some fake fur.

A trick I have been employing during the day in conjunction with the moving rabbit, is to fly a small kite resembling a hawk, over the wounded screaming rabbit, in this case you will need also a calling machine and the proper cassette and some long speaker wire.

They will come running throwing caution to the wind, because they don't want to be beat by a thieving hawk

Hope this help, have a good hunting and remember that those coyotes are eating our yarded deer during the winter and a lot of fawns in the spring. Every time you shoot one you are saving a good trophy deer in the future, and helping the deer survive the winter with less stress.
Best regards
black bear

 

[killzone]

Howa 1500

I would sell that sks and get a Howa 1500 with heavy varmit barrel in 22-250 or 223 - 243 at the most. If you really worry about the pelts, than you need an accuret and some thing with a long distance scope, \ bushnell 6-18*50 BAnner ($129.00) than you are good to go for cayotee but if you get the 223 than you are good to go for all year round.

 

[Art Eatman]

I've popped a few coyotes with a Mini-14. The intersection of a .223 and a coyote is a one-time event.

A .243 is somewhat ruinacious, spreading coyote innards over a half-acre or so. Sorta like a Peckinpaugh movie.

Art

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Back to the original question (no new guns), I'd go with the scoped SKS, and use the scoped 8X57 as my second choice. Use an electronic caller, and a light -- as mentioned, catch the coyote in the edge of the beam, don't shine it directly on him. This requires two men, one with the light, one with the gun.

I don't think hunting roads from a vehicle (while productive in areas where it's legal) will go down well in New York. You'll have to take a stand a bit before dark or dawn and call.

 

[1911 guy]

With the guns you've got...

I second the nomination of the SKS. If you want to keep the pelts, use FMJ.

 

[Art Eatman]

Lights: There is a red lens cover which fits over a Q-Beam, that reduces the intensity. And, red is much less obtrusive to animals. Wrapping red cellphane over a flashlight's lens works.

I have had success using a flashlight held against the forearm of my rifle. There are various mounting systems, including conventionally-sized flashlights as well as these new, small ones.

Art

 

[askikr]

- plus one for the sks. plenty of power and fast follow up shots. i use an ak47 as a back up gun for mule deer

 

[Hawken50]

i'm from wny too. what areas are you hunting? catt. county for me.