How To Hunting
How to increase your winter coyote hunting success
The following post was written by acclaimed outdoor writer and photographer Mark Kayser.
Coyote hunting today barely resembles the early days when predator hunting gained steam back in the 1950s. Native Americans used calling prior to that, but since the dawn of the 21st century, the equipment and enthusiasm has exploded. You likely noticed aisles in sporting goods stores devoted totally to predator hunting, rifles tailored for predators and your neighbors suddenly discovering time to call coyotes in the winter when they barely left the house to scoop snow.
All this interest sparks hunting participation and that is a good thing. Unfortunately, the pressure on predators, particularly on public lands, means you now pursue a savvier foe. Early hunts offer you a breath of relief while targeting young coyotes. Nevertheless, coyotes wise up quickly and before you know it, their cagey instinct kicks in to make them a more than worthy opponent.
To win at the coyote game as other seasons wind down and the New Year rings in, you need to adapt and improvise. Consider these tactics when your traditional coyote hunting tactics begin faltering.
A DIFFERENT TUNE
It’s human nature to fall into a calling rut and use the same calls, and sequence repeatedly. If it worked once it’s bound to work again, right? Maybe, but it’s also a sure way to alert coyotes to a possible ruse. Your electronic caller has an immense collection of sounds. Use them.
Simple ways to vary your tune include using coyote vocalizations. Lone howls and challenge howls, short and sweet, can arouse curiosity. Bird chatter, crows, jays and magpies, added to sets or used alone pique interest. And coyotes come to any interesting and especially, tasty sounds so don’t be afraid to sound off with critters not found in your zip code. Hogs in Montana? Sure!
An even crazier idea is to use hand calls. I add howlers and prey-in-distress calls on every setup. The lung power provides ample volume and the realism is unmatched. Combine hand calls and your electronic caller for even more realism, especially when you place the electronic caller upwind of your position.
Lastly, tone it down. Blaring brings in coyotes from afar, but lowering the volume changes the message and the truism modifies your con into a believable scenario.
SHHH THE SHOT
Yes, consider a suppressor for your rifle. Today, 42 states allow ownership of suppressors and 41 allow them for hunting. Research and consider the advantages, including the obvious of preserving your hearing. Although it’s common for a coyote to ignore the thunder of a centerfire rifle going off, loud noises typically denote danger. Most run and they run away fast. Late-season coyotes especially fear everything including those loud “booms.” Fix that boom with a suppressor.
Affordable and effective models, like the Buck 30 by BANISH, deaden the snap of a rifle shot. Of course, models like the famed BANISH 30 and BANISH 223 work great, and if Silencer Central’s BOGO deal is going on, you can get a rimfire suppressor for free. This means the sound isn’t as shocking and may possibly be missed by a second coyote lollygagging behind a hill, especially if hunting on a windy day. Plus, suppressors reduce recoil getting you back on target faster. And if hunting with a partner, you can whisper back and forth without the hindrance of ear protection.
After attaching a suppressor, dial back your riflescope magnification power before calling. Oftentimes, winter coyotes come as pairs since they are teaming up for baby making. The lower riflescope power ensures field of view to find any second coyote and enough field of view to follow through for a possible running shot since that first shot could ignite the adrenaline of a second coyote. I always start on four or six, depending on the vantage point. If you need to shoot long you should have time to range and dial up for a fur-filled view.
WAIT LONGER
An easy modification that could add to your success is simply to stay longer. Any coyote questioning a barrage of coyote and prey sounds may take longer than the standard of 15 minutes. Staying on stand for 30 to 60 minutes may result in the showing of a guarded coyote. It’s worked for me for more than three decades. Sixty minutes is my standard wait on any stand.
One of the reasons I stay on stand longer is that I hunt big country. Coyotes typically arrive from a mile or more away. How do I know? I watch them in the open setting slowly make their way to me. The second reason I wait longer is that I hunt public lands. Most of the coyotes I shoot have been called to before. Different sounds help spike an interest, but even then, they take their time to scan for danger as they pad into range.
Using whitetail mentality and hunting from a stand with no calls also provides results. Find a trail, edge or opening with coyote sign, or past sightings. Pick a downwind, elevated location and set up surveillance for a wayfaring coyote. Setting up over a dead deer or cow also works, especially as a dawn or dusk tactic when coyotes sneak in for a quick snack.
PARTNER UP, HUMAN OR CANINE
Next up, hunt with a partner. Back-to-back setups or those areas that require a team to split up to cover rugged terrain simply increase the odds for fewer coyotes to escape. The best scenario is to sit back-to-back for communications purposes. Make a plan ahead of time and have cues practiced to shoot at the same time. That, together with the previous suppressor suggestion, aids in stopping one coyote from getting a jumpstart after the first falls.
Whether hunting with a partner or solo, barking prods any coyotes into stopping. It helps to avoid a running shot and gives you a second to synchronize dual shots. You can also stop coyotes with a howl or the preferred wounded yip of a coyote simply by pushing a preset button on your caller.
I also partner up with my border collie who can either confront a coyote or simply tease it with its presence. Oftentimes I have my dog sit beside me just to provide the silhouette of a canine to create realism with my howling. His patient posture is typically enough to lure in a coyote. You can do the same with a coyote decoy. For a lightweight, yet realistic decoy partner, consider the Montana Decoy Company Sitting Coyote decoy. It looks real!
SHOOT THE FIRST, BEST SHOT
Finally, the big debate. Do you shoot the lead or last coyote when a pair arrives? Success looks high, but two coyotes create a conundrum, especially when hunting solo.
I typically shoot the first, best shot on the closest coyote. Why? It guarantees a bit of bragging the next time I run into friends, and I love coyote success. Second, oftentimes the country I hunt is characterized by rugged terrain with multiple escape routes. By the time I swing on the second coyote on a solo jaunt the coyote has already disappeared in an eroded wash. I could bore you to tears with the number of pairs I called in, but only was able to ground one as the second one had way too many escape routes.
Coyote hunting success hinges on a variety of factors including hunting an area with abundant coyotes. Even in moderate densities of coyotes, adding a new twist to your calling game can help you tip over an extra coyote or two this fur season.
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