Coyote Hunting Info/Tips

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DanThaMan1776

New member
For the varminters out there: I am embarking on my first coyote hunt this weekend in WI and would really appreciate any info or tips you can give me pertaining to this.

For instance:
--what is the best time of day for yotes?
--what is the best area of the body to shoot them (223)? I'm assuming behind the shoulder but I'll still ask :rolleyes:
--what is the best way to stalk/lure yotes? I was planning on walking around, laying down and using my mouth call for 30 minutes, walking for 10, etc..
--how should I use the mouth call? short spurts less frequently, more frequently, r constantly till they come??
--If I snagged a rabbit.. would it serve as a good lure even if dead?
--Can I expect to see many this time of year (WI)?
--What terrain should I look for? open fields, bushes, dense forest, etc..
--Should I use some sort of cover scent so I don't repel them or is that unnecessary?
--Will my bright orange hat scare them away or will they be oblivious to it?
--I read they typically travel in small packs.. That said, will they scatter after the first shot or will my buddy get a chance to shoot one too? Will they return after shots are fired if we sound the call again or do we have to resume te stalk?

thanks a lot, fellas!
 
I'm going to go on a limb and say the lack of responses is due to the daunting amount of somewhat odd questions I posed...

A half-thought answer to one of my questions would be much appreciated :D

I don't expect for everyone to go down the list and answer every one.
 
DTM1776,
I'd say the lack of response is due to most guy's at work.

Gotta earn that paycheck for those hunting trips :D
Be patient, I'm sure you'll get a few response's this evening. Meanwhile, do a search on this hunting forum as i know some of those questions have been discussed.

I'm not much of a yote hunter myself. Just started. I can say the first few hours of daylight have been very good to me so far.

I camo out completely as most my shots have been less than 100yds. due to hilly terrain.

As far as calls go, I've been using an electronic 'rabbit in distress' call that belongs to a buddy of mine. Don't have exp. with other calls.

I've been using my 50 cal. Encore b/p rifle, hitting them behind shoulder. Bit of overkill but I shoot b/p whenever I can.

If your hunting with a buddy, may be a good idea if one of you carry a 12ga. shotgun for the yotes that come in close.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help. I'm sure the real yote hunters will answer you soon.
 
Your probably not getting many responses because coyotes are different and react differently across the land. In S Texas, they move at night during the summer because it's too hot during the day. As it cools down, you might see them in the AM or extremely late. A shoulder shot is good one. I won't call in one place more than 10 minutes and will travel at least a mile before trying again. Once the gun has gone off, they run. You'll probably never call those coyotes again- they're an extremely smart animal. I highly doubt you'll sneak up on a coyote so skip the walking. Get into a setup, wait about 10 minutes, call for 1 minute. wait 2 minutes, call 30 seconds, wait another 2 minutes, call again 30 seconds, each time lowering the volume of the call. All of the above works in S Texas, it may not work at all in Ill. Local knowledge is yer best friend. I'd be asking someone from the area how to hunt them.
 
IT's been 30+ years since I had the time to go out specifically hunting for coyotes. I still shoot at quite a few of them (and hit one every now and then), but nowdays it's a matter of shooting whenever the opportunity arises as I'm bouncing across the mountain or plains. I typically get a shot or two as I fall out the door of the pickup. And all my coyote hunting has been done in WY, UT, and TX so it might be different in WI.

But anyways, I'll take a stab at a few questions.

Best time of day is usually like all hunting, first part of the morning and late in the afternoon/evening. Serious callers typically go out all night long.

Yeah, a body shot is the best bet.

Like I said, I typically just run across them in a truck or on horseback at random but that's not exactly a strategy. Serious callers usually stay hunkered down in one spot for a long time, maybe a couple hours. Coyotes can sometimes come to the call quickly but a lot of times they are pretty wary and want to scope it out before they present themselves. It takes a lot of patience. Getting up and walking around can scare one off that's been waiting for al long time.

I used to use the call for a spurt of maybe 45 seconds, then sit and wait for 10 minutes or so. But I wasn't very good at calling them even back then. I have a couple friends who are serious about it and they use the electronic calls to great effect.

You would think a dead rabbit would work as a lure, but it never did any good for me.

Usually folks hunt coyotes in Dec, Jan, Feb mainly because their pelts are prime then. And for some reason, I do tend to see more of them out and about in the winter. But really, they all have to be somewhere in the summer too. Not like they migrate out of there.

I do better hunting at the edge of an open area. Coyotes have great noses. If you are in dense cover they will probaably smell you before you ever see them.

Don't know about the cover scent. I haven't heard of folks using that, but they might.

Well, the orange cap won't help any. I think I would do without it if that is legal there.

Yeah, I hear stories about coyote packs, but I usually see them just one at a time. Once in awhile I will spot 2 together. You hear them howling at each other at night but they are far apart. I suppose if one of them gets onto some good hunting then others will come as well, but I don't think they roam around in packs typically.

And yes, when you take a shot the coyote will head out of there very quickly and he won't be back that day for sure. They aren't stupid.
 
I never bothered to hunt coyotes in the summer, I was hunting them in northern NV in the winter, and also in ND and CO in the winter because the pelts were worth a lot more. Hand calls, recorded calls, etc. will all work when done right. A 223 is a great caliber - I used FMJ for minimum pelt damage - if you're just shooting them to shoot them like P-dogs, then use whatever you find to be accurate in your gun.

Those dogs are VERY smart, VERY wary about everything, and will bolt at the first hint of danger. Concealment, proper placement in relation to their predicted route so they'll come to you are all paramount.

Good luck!
 
--what is the best time of day for yotes?
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Just before sunup and just before sundown. I prefer early morning.
--what is the best area of the body to shoot them (223)? I'm assuming behind the shoulder but I'll still ask
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Broadside chest shots are good for just about anything. This time of year you are definitely not pelt hunting, so it really doesn't matter.
--what is the best way to stalk/lure yotes? I was planning on walking around, laying down and using my mouth call for 30 minutes, walking for 10, etc..
Click to expand...
Move into position and sit very still and quiet. When you hear animals moving around again, blow your wounded cottontail call for about 15 seconds, then shut up and watch.
--how should I use the mouth call? short spurts less frequently, more frequently, r constantly till they come??
Click to expand...
Call once for 15 seconds, then just sit still for 30-45 minutes, keeping your eyes open for movement.
--If I snagged a rabbit.. would it serve as a good lure even if dead?
Click to expand...
A dead rabbit would lure them in once it starts smelling, but a wounded rabbit is what you are trying to sound like, and they move around.
--Can I expect to see many this time of year (WI)?
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Don't know, never hunted Wisconsin. If you are not seeing them around, why are you going hunting?
--What terrain should I look for? open fields, bushes, dense forest, etc..
Click to expand...
Edge areas always work best for me.
--Should I use some sort of cover scent so I don't repel them or is that unnecessary?
Click to expand...
Cover scent is not needed if you are set up properly. Always set up facing into the wind with some structure at your back.
--Will my bright orange hat scare them away or will they be oblivious to it?
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Coyotes are like any other dog, they see in shades of grey. Movement is more of an alarm than hunter orange.
--I read they typically travel in small packs.. That said, will they scatter after the first shot or will my buddy get a chance to shoot one too? Will they return after shots are fired if we sound the call again or do we have to resume te stalk?
Click to expand...
During the winter months, coyotes gather into packs, during spring and early summer they are pretty solitary because they are raising their young. And once you shoot, you will see why I think the roadrunner never would have gotten away.
 
In the so.we set up a little before the hunt its so hot down here early morning/late is when they move here.we use 2 poles light rope/white sheet to make a screen use tuna/sardins as bait in front of the screen rail road lantern behind the screen for low light.back off as far as u need to use a ground blind.its almost like a video game you'll be suprized what comes in.this is also on farm property.find a area with good sign tracks, droppins good luck just my 2 cents.:D
 
Where at in IL are you? I live near Dekalb, IL and would love to go coyote hunting. Wanna take me with you?

I've asked a few farmers I know out here and most take care of their yotes by themselves.
 
Yoty hunting advise

Go to Varmintals web site that old boy knows everything you need to know about hunting song dogs and he shares all of it for free Good Luck and good hunting ELMO;)
 
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