By Collin Dalley
Pro-Staff

Coyote hunting can be one of the most exhilarating experiences one will ever face!  Think about it – You’re making sounds to mimic a dying animal and this predator is coming to eat you!

If you’re anything like me, you enjoy being in the outdoors and really love hunting.  I’ve found that since I can’t always be chasing big bucks and bulls every day of the year, I needed to find something to fill my hunting void in life. Coyote hunting is a great way to keep those big game hunting skills at peak performance while also doing some scouting for the upcoming deer or elk hunt, not to mention the importance of keeping the predator numbers down to help insure healthy numbers for our big game herds.  Whether you’re looking to improve those sniper skills or just looking for a rush with some up close and personal action, this is a hunt for you.

While driving down a forest service road on a recent hunting trip with a friend, we spotted a knoll that was about 200 yards from the edge of a heavily timbered area that looked like good cover for some coyotes.  After pulling over and checking the wind direction, we put a game plan together and started sneaking over for a try.  I like to find elevated ground whenever possible; It helps me spot any coyotes as they approach, which in turn I think will help the success rate for any hunter go up.  One thing to remember while hunting coyotes is try your best to be stealthy and use the terrain to conceal your approach as much as possible.

After a 10 minute hike, we settled into position and picked out our shooting lanes.  I usually like to take a couple of minutes and glass around before I start my calling sequence in case something is in the open and just as we had hoped for, there was a coyote on the edge of the tree line pouncing from one spot to another looking for rodents.  I started off with a very faint rabbit distress call and that was all it took! Our so called prey was on a dead run heading straight for us, but the coyote stopped at about 150 yards as if to try and hone in on where the noise had come from.  Once his eyes locked in on our Fox Pro decoy, we had this dog’s full attention.  It was off and running like a greyhound at the race track. The coyote started to move towards us at an angle like it wanted to come into the decoy from downwind.  I made a squeaking sound with my mouth imitating an animal distress sound and the coyote was back on track running straight at us again.  With the wind at our face I knew this was going to make for a close encounter.

The coyote only took what seemed like a few seconds to close the gap between us. As I steadied my rifle on the target I realized it wasn’t stopping and was going to be within five yards very soon. I attempted to stop the coyote with a couple of barks, but that had no effect. It seemed as though this coyote had our decoy on its mind which apparently was on its breakfast menu! Luckily I had my trusty 12 gauge shotgun on my lap.  I took aim and hit the coyote square in the chest, stopping it just seconds before I was about to have a face to face “Meet and Greet” with this large alpha male. When the fur cleared the air I checked my pants, after nearly being run over. I stood up only taking one step to pick up the dog – Talk about a rush!

Encounters like these don’t happen all the time, but they do happen more than you think.  I’ve had coyotes come from behind and jump over me. I’ve even known a few guys that have had a coyote bite a shaking boot while calling with mouth calls.  They are very sneaky animals that stay alive by being stealthy.

Some people may think the hardest part of hunting coyotes is deciding what calls to use.  Well, I would have to disagree. 90% of the time I will use a rabbit distress call. The other 10% I will use howls and barks to call in coyotes during mating season. While there are a good variety of calls and distress sounds out there that will work and I know we all have our own preferences, this is just what I have found works best for my area of the country.  I enjoy using mouth calls in the daylight hours and lately have found great success using electronic calls during the night, where nighttime hunting is permitted and also in thick or flat country. Electronic calls are a great advantage when you can’t see very far and they keep your targets from sneaking up for a personal encounter that’s too close for your comfort level.  I really like the Fox Pro electronic calls and use their decoy along with it. I’ve had the best luck with Fox Pro and find they are simple to use and have great sounds that can really reach out a long ways to any old “Wiley Coyote”. Check out http://www.foxpro.com or stop by any Sportsman’s Warehouse for a hands-on look at these calls and see the quality and craftsmanship for yourself.

Another important thing to remember about coyotes is concealment. Always try to set up so you have the high ground over your prey.  It doesn’t need to be anything crazy, just try to get a little elevation.  I have even used a wooden ladder in flat areas.  This will allow you to spot anything a lot further out and get set up in the right direction for a quick shot. If possible, I will sit with my back to a tree or even sit inside a sage brush for added concealment.  I think camouflage is very important. Get something waterproof, windproof, warm and dang near silent for those cold days. Make sure you’re covering everything that could create a reflection and not look natural to an arriving coyote, right on down to your gloves.

Another tips is, never have the wind blowing at your back.  I prefer a side wind or one blowing into my face.  Most coyotes will always try to circle downwind at about 150 to 300 yards if they can, so make sure your vehicle is concealed too.  And the final tip that can help make your hunt that much better would be to try and have the sun at your back.  Think about driving into the sun – It’s not fun and your vision is limited.  That’s what we want from a coyote. They have good eye sight, amazing hearing and the nose of a blood hound!  Just when you think you have them figured out, they do the complete opposite. It keeps me coming back time and time again.

Coyote hunting can make for some great stories and can be a great benefit to the ecosystem, which is a subject to which more hunters should pay attention.  Coyotes are predators and even though a large part of their diets consist of small rodents, they don’t stop there. Coyotes can also be a major problem for livestock. Millions of dollars are lost throughout the western states due to the loss of sheep and other livestock to predators. You can imagine what kind of impact coyotes can have on deer fawns, elk, antelope and other young game animals we enjoy as a sportsman.

Coyotes aren’t the only problematic predator, but it’s a start. With most states the hunting restrictions are usually a lot looser on these animals because of the problems and dangers they can cause.  With minimal restriction in most areas, this gives hunters something to look forward to in the off season with a way to sharpen their hunting skills and help reduce predator numbers. If coyotes become over populated in an area, you could see a dramatic change in turkey, elk, deer, antelope and many other animal numbers. By hunting coyotes and other predators, you will help keep the food chain balanced with appropriate amounts of predator and prey.

Also as a bonus, coyotes are one of the only animals I know of that you can get paid to shoot and who doesn’t like a free hunting trip.  But this is only for certain areas of the country that have a bounty on them, so you’ll need to check and see if this is available in your area.  A lot of the time your local Fish and Game will have info on bounties. I would encourage everyone to try it. All it took was one trip and I was hooked!  Keep your calling simple, watch the wind and go have some fun!