Avoid these mistakes and your coyote hunts will be more fruitful
We all were beginners at one time. We all have made mistakes in everything we try out, including coyote hunting. But if we can identify the biggest mistakes, we can become successful more quickly.
Here are the three biggest mistakes made by beginning coyote hunters that cost them harvests.
Calling too much
Every hunter dreams of the perfect exchange in any type of hunting that requires calling. From turkeys to deer, we dream of a constant back and forth that brings game running. Reality soon hits beginners when that dream scenario seldom works.
Quality of quantity is the name of the game here. Now I’m sure someone will chime in with a story of a coyote coming to 30 minutes of rabbit distress. But in most instances, this just isn’t the case.
Getting the attention of a wily coyote can be done with short sequences of calling mixed with time spent scanning for an approaching predator. A howl followed by short bursts of fighting coyotes or your favorite prey distress will outproduce a long, unrealistic sequence that just doesn’t sound natural.
This tactic also brings in your quarry at a pace that will up your odds as we look to the second biggest mistake beginning coyote hunters make.
Rushing the shot
A hard-charging coyote gets the adrenaline pumping. There really is no other feeling like seeing a hard-charging coyote coming to the call. That adrenaline may not be the best thing for a coyote hunting beginner.
The right calling will bring in a searching coyote that is much easier to stop and drop with a great shot. Charging coyotes that stop abruptly will generally give you one shot opportunity. A searching coyote will give you multiple chances at bagging your game as well as teach you about animal body language.
Reading the body language of an approaching animal allows you to pick the perfect time to stop the animal with a lip squeak or bark. This allows a hunter to pick when to shoot, rather than letting the coyote choose when to stop.
Pause or mute your caller when you first see a coyote and allow it to search you out. Patience will allow you the better odds with a well-timed shot.
The dreaded mag dumps
We all have seen the video online of guys making the perfect long range running shot that sends a coyote tumbling. Such videos gain a lot of attention, but in reality, we don not see the multiple times the hunter flat out missed, and a good shot may have been ruined.
Having a one-shot rule ups your odds for harvesting more coyotes. First off, it makes you pick your shots better. Second, most coyotes will run a short ways and look back, presenting a second shot opportunity at a stopped target. Lastly, with a one-shot policy, that coyote will return sooner if missed. It may even come back that very night, or it may be in the near future. That coyote will return sooner because it truly did not know what happened. A yote looping away and looking around after one shot is far more likely to return than a coyote really stretching out like a greyhound to get out of Dodge.
Read the body language of leaving coyotes and gauge your response accordingly. You will be pleasantly surprised at just how many coyotes loop back for a second look only to find the smart hunter one step ahead of them.
Less calling, patience and a one-shot policy will help you put more coyotes on the ground. Try these tips out on a few of your properties and just see if your numbers don’t increase.
To increase your odds of success, I highly recommend only taking shots at a coyote standing still. If they noticed something is up and you bark, normally they'll stop and give you one quick look back. Be on your gun, with the crosshairs on the coyote as you bark.
But some wildlife biologists say killing coyotes isn't actually the best way to control them. "The next day you just have an exchange of animals that come right back in and fill that place," Monteith says. In fact, some studies show that if you kill off a lot of coyotes, they breed even more.
Coyotes are more active at night when the temperatures aren't too cold. They are nocturnal hunters, which means an ideal time to catch them out and about hunting for food is either dawn or dusk when the light is low.
Coyotes hate loud noise. It terrifies them to no end, so you can easily use noise to your advantage. Try banging some pots together, blasting an air horn, or blowing a whistle. Any sudden noise you make will make your property that much more unappealing!
Camouflage: Purpose: Camouflage clothing and face cover are crucial for blending into the hunting environment. Coyotes have sharp eyesight and can easily detect anomalies in their surroundings. Selection Tips: Choose patterns and colors that match the specific environment you're hunting in.
Most coyotes will respond within 5-15 minutes of the call because of the urgency to get to the prey first. However, it is a good rule of thumb to give every stand a 20 to 30-minute time range to produce.
How Long Should You Hunt Each Spot? If they're around, most coyotes respond quickly once you begin calling, but give each set at least 20 to 45 minutes. If no coyotes come to your calls, sneak back out, drive to another area at least a half-mile away, and repeat the process.
FALSE: IF THERE WAS A BOUNTY, THERE WOULD BE FEWER COYOTES.
TRUTH: Indiscriminate killing may temporarily decrease local numbers, but coyote reproductive potential results in an equivalent or higher population within a year's time. Approximately one third of coyotes live solitary lives.
Some we leave where shot if the hides are poor quality. Some we take to a furrier and they buy the pelts. Some of the pelts are used to trim the hoods of parkas to protect the wearer from the elements. Some are traded for bounty money in areas where they prey on livestock.
Indiscriminately killing coyotes does not reduce their populations—in fact, it can have the opposite effect. There is no credible evidence that indiscriminate killing of coyotes succeeds in increasing the abundance of game species such as deer or pheasants.
Availability and versatility are the .223's biggest advantages to a coyote hunter. Both bolt-action and AR-style rifles are accurate, and even modern braced pistols can be effective coyote killers with 50- or 55-grain varmint bullets.
The Ruger 77/22 rifle, chambered in . 22 Hornet, is specifically designed for coyote hunters who value stealth. With a barrel measuring 18.5 inches and weighing a feathery 6 pounds, the Ruger 77/22 is easy to pack, easy to shoulder, and deadly accurate.
If the coyote continues to approach, back away while facing the coyote and maintaining eye contact. If the coyote displays aggressive behavior, remember to make yourself look big by raising your hands, stomping your feet, shaking your jacket, and making noise while shouting, “Go Away!”
Second, most coyotes will run a short ways and look back, presenting a second shot opportunity at a stopped target. Lastly, with a one-shot policy, that coyote will return sooner if missed. It may even come back that very night, or it may be in the near future.
Introduction: My name is Nathanael Baumbach, I am a fantastic, nice, victorious, brave, healthy, cute, glorious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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