Hunting & Fishing Coyote Hunting Tips

[YotaEer]

I’ve been attempting to coyote hunt for about 6 months now with minimal luck. Grand total of 1 called in. I started out with some hand calls and a cheap Icotec. I think the hand call is what actually called in my lone taker.

I’ve since upgraded to a lucky duck revolt and it’s a much nicer unit than the icotec but no luck with it yet. I’m debating grabbing some more hand calls to supplement the e call. Maybe they’ve become to educated near me in PA?

overall, I have some big farms to hunt on and will continue to reach out to landowners/Craigslist ads for more. I’ve also only hunted at first and last light. No night hunting yet.

any tips for a struggling newbie? Transition to all hand calls, commit night hunting only?

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Since you are hunting during daylight hours, you might want to add a visual aid such as a decoy/wiggler

Some examples...

Amazon.com : Predator Decoys for Coyotes

 

[YotaEer]

Since you are hunting during daylight hours, you might want to add a visual aid such as a decoy/wiggler

Some examples...

Amazon.com : Predator Decoys for Coyotes

I have a decoy attachment on both my ecallers.

the one I actually called in using a closed reed rabbit call back in March was locked in on the decoy as I left it running. I’m debating on ordering a set of carver rubber hand calls but still bring along the smaller icotec purely for the decoy.

 

[Liberator52]

Let's see..... Hide your vehicle... be quiet... watch the wind....don't start calling to loud.... move sparingly and slow...repeat. Set up with an open field on your downwind or set up so you can see your downwind. Never give up .

 

[cdeiglmeier]

I'm no super experienced coyote hunter but have put quite a few down. The things I have picked up on or learned the hard way super early on in my time hunting yotes is that you can't park the pickup far enough away, start your calling as quiet as you can and work up from there with lots of pauses (if using an electronic caller when you start calling you should barely be able to hear it from your position). Also stop moving around. I can't tell you how many people I take out hunting and they are constantly moving their head around, fidgeting with their gun/bipod/tripod/shooting sticks and half the time they don't even realize they are doing it. It is also very dependent on your weather and what the yotes want to do/if they feel pressured to go find food/water. If they don't feel pressured; most likely a dog will stay curled up and sleeping and could not give a shit about your calling even if it did potentially mean food.

 

[YotaEer]

I'm no super experienced coyote hunter but have put quite a few down. The things I have picked up on or learned the hard way super early on in my time hunting yotes is that you can't park the pickup far enough away, start your calling as quiet as you can and work up from there with lots of pauses (if using an electronic caller when you start calling you should barely be able to hear it from your position). Also stop moving around. I can't tell you how many people I take out hunting and they are constantly moving their head around, fidgeting with their gun/bipod/tripod/shooting sticks and half the time they don't even realize they are doing it. It is also very dependent on your weather and what the yotes want to do/if they feel pressured to go find food/water. If they don't feel pressured; most likely a dog will stay curled up and sleeping and could not give a shit about your calling even if it did potentially mean food.

thanks for the advice! I typically park the truck far away and hike in. I tend to do a lot of hiking when I hunt, so I don’t think that’s an issue for me personally. I’m also sure to always check the wind and plan my movements around it.

However, I’ve definitely been making the mistake of calling too loud and too frequently. Likely fidgeting too much too.

As far as calling goes, do you guys have more success with e calls or hand calls?

 

[cdeiglmeier]

E-calls and a decoy. Partly because I'm too lazy to handcall the entire time.

 

[YotaEer]

Any recommendations on entry level thermals that don’t complete suck? The ATN seem to have mixed reviews.

pulsar Core?

 

[SDBguy95]

Any recommendations on entry level thermals that don’t complete suck? The ATN seem to have mixed reviews.

pulsar Core?

What range will you be hunting at?

 

[YotaEer]

What range will you be hunting at?

at night, the vast majority at 200 yards or less. My biggest field is 500 yards.

 

[SDBguy95]

I bought the Core this spring, and have only called in two coyotes with it this fall. It is a good option for the price point, but I would recommend spending a little more if you can afford it. I will say 200 yards is quite a ways with this unit, if the coyote stops moving it's hard to distinguish it from rocks or stumps. It seems weird that I say this, but 50 yards seems to make a difference as I was able to positively ID at 150, but not 200.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Definitely spend more than on the Core. You want more magnification and you want to be able to focus for your needs. I have hunted with the Core. I never felt like the image was in focus. It is pretty rough.

ATN can make a good scope. They can also cause you all sorts of problems if you have an issue with them. People have issues with all brands of thermal. The big question, then, is customer service. Pulsar has good CS, probably the best in the business and certainly the best for the budget minded folks. Trijicon is also very good, but their scopes are comparatively very expensive.

 

[YotaEer]

Definitely spend more than on the Core. You want more magnification and you want to be able to focus for your needs. I have hunted with the Core. I never felt like the image was in focus. It is pretty rough.

ATN can make a good scope. They can also cause you all sorts of problems if you have an issue with them. People have issues with all brands of thermal. The big question, then, is customer service. Pulsar has good CS, probably the best in the business and certainly the best for the budget minded folks. Trijicon is also very good, but their scopes are comparatively very expensive.

I just picked up a used pulsar apex XD38A in the PX. Looking forward to it.

 

[wyliecoyote]

As a long time coyote hunter, I'd say the biggest obstacle for you is your location there in PA. Eastern coyotes are notoriously difficult to hunt and the success rates are much lower than out west. Keep at it though. If you master coyote hunting in a tough place like that, you'll destroy them out west if you ever make the trip. I tried for years in Louisiana to call one in, but never succeeded.

 

[YotaEer]

As a long time coyote hunter, I'd say the biggest obstacle for you is your location there in PA. Eastern coyotes are notoriously difficult to hunt and the success rates are much lower than out west. Keep at it though. If you master coyote hunting in a tough place like that, you'll destroy them out west if you ever make the trip. I tried for years in Louisiana to call one in, but never succeeded.

yes it’s super frustrating but also what makes it so fun. The challenge of it. I’m going to commit to night hunting over the next few months and hopefully my odds improve.

My grandfather is a cattle farmer in northern PA, essentially deep Appalachia type mountains and he’s had a vendetta against them for decades lol. Tried everything and would kill/trap a few per year but has really started to take them out with a cheap thermal reflex.

 

[wyliecoyote]

That's awesome having access to land for hunting. Some of my best hunts have been on private land in the service of ranchers. I think Les Johnson once said "where there's cattle, there'll be coyotes" or something to that effect. I'd love to get equipped someday for night hunting, but probably won't due to the expense. I had some awesome night hunts years ago up in ND with a full moon and good blanket of snow. Its almost like daylight in those conditions and the coyotes are fearless. Good luck whacking them!

 

[YotaEer]

That's awesome having access to land for hunting. Some of my best hunts have been on private land in the service of ranchers. I think Les Johnson once said "where there's cattle, there'll be coyotes" or something to that effect. I'd love to get equipped someday for night hunting, but probably won't due to the expense. I had some awesome night hunts years ago up in ND with a full moon and good blanket of snow. Its almost like daylight in those conditions and the coyotes are fearless. Good luck whacking them!

all the coyotes I’ve actually seen have been near cattle. Those farmers are usually very willing to let you hunt on their properties

 

[Flightmurse]

The best luck I’ve ever had coyote hunting was driving around on a tractor with a rifle. I can’t call them in to save my life, but they are used to machinery and you just slow it down and pop them.

 

[wyliecoyote]

That would be a blast shooting them from a tractor. I suppose the tractor going through a crop field probably busts them outta their beds.

 

[Moe Ron]

I knew some guy in Oklahoma that hunted them with greyhounds. I went with them once. Brutal when they catch one.

 

[wyliecoyote]

I knew some guy in Oklahoma that hunted them with greyhounds. I went with them once. Brutal when they catch one.

My Dad told me stories about guys doing that way back in the 70's in Kansas and Oklahoma. Pretty tough luck for the coyote. In terms of coyote hunting tips though, taking a dog along is a pretty good tactic assuming it's reasonably well trained. Before my goofy Siberian husky got too old (she's 16), she was an awesome decoy dog, especially in the bitter cold and deep snow up in ND. Some of the pack responses she triggered were incredible, particularly in late February/March when they're denning/whelping. On several occasions she'd come running back with four coyotes on her heels and I'd do my best to at least double. Never could pull off a triple, even with a buddy. Maybe someday. The decoy dog lets you get away with a lot as the shooter.