Coyote hunting tips

[geo4061]

One gentleman that has a TV show had missed his last four coyotes. He picked up the bad habit of looking up to watch the impact. Stay in the gun. Follow through.

 

[Reemty J]

When you have a pair, ALWAYS shoot the female 1st.....and then start barking at the male he will stop and give you a standing shot.....the female will not stop for the male, that is just how they are wired...

 

[TRnCO]

If a wounded coyote gets down a hole on ya, go find a piece of barbed wire. Usually a piece just a few feet long will suffice. Bend the end of the wire back onto itself and wrap it a few times making a small tight loop on the end. Now push the wire down into the hole. If the hole has a bend to it, simply turn/spin the wire as you push to feed it on into the hole. Once it reaches the coyote, or any furbearer, continue to turn the wire until it won't turn any more indicating that it is probably wrapped up into the critters fur. Now, simply pull the critter out of the hole. If the critter still has life, you may have a tug of war for a bit. If the critter is dead, it'll slide right out of the hole.
We had to use this trick this weekend to retrieve a coyote that a friend of mine shot. I've used it a few times over the years.

 

[DSheetz]

TRnCO, I've used that a lot when denning to get the pups out of the hole . I generally put a couple of bends in it to make a crank then straighten it out when it gets to the mouth of the hole and make another one further back. Cranking and pushing the wire in . I keep a piece of wire in my truck just for that and to fix fence if I come across some that needs fixed . Reemty , I like to do injured coyote squeals and yipes when I get one and the other one runs .

 

[TRnCO]

figured you had use the ol wire retrieval before in your line of work. I was surprised that my friend who shot this coyote that got down the hole on us had never seen or heard of the wire method. He was thinking he could dig it out. LOL, some of those holes would require a lot of digging.

 

[Reemty J]

Camo...…...I always use light colors, I wear white snow camo (it has shades of gray in it) even if there is no snow as it is harder for them to spot them......the darker camo or colors are easily spotted. sometimes its amazing how well snow camo blends in stubble and light colored grass.
Also, practice shooting sitting and prone with the bipod you will be using...I have a range with a bench and I check groups and drops at all ranges but I can see where I need to do more of it as I have missed some easy shots on coyotes this fall...…..I am guessing another 10 to 15 coyotes would have been taken if I stayed focus and practiced on bipod shots. That is the plan this coming year....would have put me well over 50 this fall if I had closed all the easy deals....

 

[Reemty J]

I do also Dave but its hard to do unless you have that call in your mouth as you stay in the gun to get the second one...……..so far, most times barking works. Killing HER 1st is the key to "Dead A Pair" a famous call for Trap Scorers in doubles and coyote killers.

 

[DSheetz]

I think we often miss the easy shots more often because we get complacent and feel well that's a piece of cake shot , humility is taught to us then . I wear brown duck clothing that has been washed as my main cammo it blends in well in my area year round . I'm thinking the well washed brown duck would blend well in stubble fields as it does the dry grass's here as well as the dirt and rocks .

 

[DSheetz]

I learned a long time ago that you need to read the people you coyote hunt with so that you know where it is that you will take them hunting with you . If a person walks loudly , talks loudly , or just plane isn't cautious I won't take them to places that I have problem coyote work to take care of I'll take them to a good place for a recreational hunter to go hunting . Why make my life harder then I need to . There are some people that have a voice that carries and they just can't help it . There are people that kind of stomp when they walk they can't help it . There are people that rub up against things , trip and stumble around or don't know where their feet will be put down and they can't help it either so they get to hunt but not where I have to kill a problem coyote , fox or other animal .

 

[geo4061]

Ya'll were talking about camo but you mentioned nothing about your face, hands, or your rifle? So please expand.

 

[DSheetz]

I have worn a beard most of my life and that cuts the shine of my face that most humans have . I wear a good natural colored hat as well . We have already talked about what to do with your eyes ( look beside not directly at them ). My hands are covered by my rifle so not much of them shows . And I don't move them much , when I do it's real slow no quick movements , movement will even give away small birds and mice , They are tanned in the summer and carry that darker skin coloring most of the year . The back of your head and neck will give you away that's why I like to be backed up to something like a cut bank, rock or bush . I've seen a lot of bobcats and mountain lion because of the back of their heads and the ears looking like a set of eyes staring at me . If you are the e-caller type and don't use any hand calls you can wear some light gloves with the trigger finger cut off of them . The best face , neck and hand cammo is slow limited movements !

 

[geo4061]

Do ya'll camo wrap your barrels? If so what are you using if anything.

 

[rankin76]

My game is to use the wind and my legs. I hike everywhere and don't drive my rig in. Ideally I like to have my back to the sun if if I can, so they have to come in with the sun in there face. I always try and use sounds of critters that are in the area. Be patient and have confidence, let them come all the way in, and if then hang up make sure you long game is up to par!

 

[DSheetz]

I don't I do not have any shinny gun parts they are all matt finished I don't even wear a watch that is shinny make all of your movements slow and deliberate know what you are going to do before you start to move and why you are going to move . If you are going to have something that will rub on you , your clothing or a rock , stick or something that that you can't stand bothering you for an hour move it slowly and quietly before you start calling . If you have you and your gun at the low ready then you don't have to move it much to be ready to shoot it . When I get on my stand I get my site ready for me to set up for a long time without movement . I set with my back supported so I am comfortable I use my knee for support to shoot with . I will be curled up somewhat with my off knee bent under my support knee my rifle will then have a round put in the chamber . The rifle rested on my support knee with the trigger hand ready to slip the trigger finger into the trigger guard if I need to shoot it will be at the ready but not at the trigger till it's needed . I use my off hand( support hand and arm ) to work my calls . When it's time to shoot I slowly and very much deliberately get into my shooting position . I shoot with both eyes open one in the scope one watches for movement when it's time for the shot . You don't want to get excited and make any fast or unwanted movements calm slow deliberate movements no wasted motion every thing has purpose or it's not done . Think be in the here and now you have a bubble , zone or what ever you call it be there . Movement kills that's why you see the coyote , fox or bobcat they moved or stared at you and you felt it then moved . Cammo helps you blend into the back ground and will help cover some movement but it will not cover up for any fast movements just look at the animals you are hunting they have natures cammo on all the time but you see them . You can kind of cammo your smell some but your odor is still there look at the drug dogs they can still smell drugs with all the things put on and around them to hide the smell of them . They teach dogs to smell cancer and other illness's on people that have showered and used all kinds of covering smells . Sight is just one of the senses you have to contend with when hunting the hunters so slow down make every movement count for something open your mind to the way they think , see , smell , hear and feel their world it's their world you are just venturing into it for a short period of time they live there all the time that they live or they die young .