Coyote Hunting for a Newbie

cday

cday

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I'm thinking about going to look for a few yotes. I'm not new to hunting, just new to coyote hunting, lol. What would you guys/gals consider to be the basic essentials of the gear needed? calls, etc.... I'm not looking to spend a fortune on a Foxpro, the numbers of yotes in the area wouldn't justify it. I'm just looking for some basic tools to get the job done. Any tips as well would be appreciated.
 
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cday said:
I'm thinking about going to look for a few yotes. I'm not new to hunting, just new to coyote hunting, lol. What would you guys/gals consider to be the basic essentials of the gear needed? calls, etc.... I'm not looking to spend a fortune on a Foxpro, the numbers of yotes in the area wouldn't justify it. I'm just looking for some basic tools to get the job done. Any tips as well would be appreciated.
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Hi cday, I'm a newbie myself, well I've been at it since last year now. I'm beginning to see success, here's what I have to offer:

1. I shoot a Stevens 200 in .223 which I have modified.

2. I purchased a plain white pair of coveralls from Peavy Mart which fits over my thick warm clothing. I primarily hunt them in November, December, January and the first part of February. After that, the hides get rubbed and loose value. I give the 'yotes in the round to a friend who makes good use of the hides.

The more time you spend afield, the more you will learn of their habits and how they come to your calls. Time well spent in the field is the best experience.

3. I purcharsed the Primo's caller which comes with a cassette tape. I also purchased a couple of distress calls.

Bottom line is I don't have a whole lot invested into it. But buy a DVD, maybe a call or two that come with instructions and go for it. Don't expect immediate results, but the longer you stay with it and learn from the tapes and DVD, the better you'll get. Don't let yourself get frustrated with hard luck at first. If you keep with it, you'll learn as you go and success will come. One of the most effective calls I have found is the Yip, Yip Yip call that dogs make when hurt. "Yotes just can't resist coming back to that call.

Good luck to 'ya. :)

git...
 
The Randy Anderson "Calling All Coyotes" line of DVDs are helpful to watch. They show what the calls should sound like, where to set up, etc.
 
basic tools

-rifle & ammo
-bipod or shooting stix
-howler call
-a few distress calls (rabbit, fawn, rodent, etc)

keep the wind in your favor, ideally blowing over a large open area you can keep watch of. they will circle downwind more often than not. also try your best to remain still and use your eyes to scan for incoming dogs. they will catch movement very easily and hold up at long range or more likely swap directions and book it

be patient and dont give up, you WILL be rewarded and hooked for life. enjoy your time in the field! :)
 
When you buy your howler and distress calls, try to find some that have open reeds. They tend to freeze up less. It takes a while to sound good with them so just keep practicing. As Gitrdun says the kiyi is a very important sound to have mastered as well. If your planning on calling right now you should download challenge howls,female invitation and esterus chirps. Those should be the ones they will respond to the best in mating season.
 
I'm glad someone started this thread because I too have been wondering about getting into coyote hunting.

I do have a couple questions though:

1 - are you sitting in a tree or on the ground? I have a treestand that packs up relatively nice...I'm just assuming being up in a tree would give the best advantage for spotting movement and decreasing your scent.

2 - if you are up in a tree, do 'yotes look up?

3 - do they typically come in as singles, or pairs? I shot two last fall that came in as a pair, but I was deer hunting....actually funny story, it was coming on dark and i figured I'd give a fawn call to see if a doe would come and then I thought maybe a buck would come on her scent trail...well i heard something coming down along the tree line pretty quick, and what steps out are two 'yotes.

4 - any aggressive signs? like if I'm sitting on the ground and i shoot one, will another come in to defend his buddy or are they going to hi-tail it outta there?
 
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I've never tried sitting in a tree but it may work, movement IMO isn't a bad thing as a animal in distress moves right?
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They come in singles mainly but I've had them come in as packs of seven before too.
4.
If they come in pairs try and shoot the female first, the male will usually stop with a kiyi or barks.
 
packing a treestand around wouldnt be fun. remember you're hunting an area for 45 minutes tops before moving on
 
kkahmann said:
listen to gyman--he kills a ton of them!
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No listen to guys like Todbartel and Boonerbuck who have much less coyotes and have to work that much harder to attract a yote. Where I hunt I can call one in almost every stand and its not because I'm good at it, its because there are so many. I know guys who put their caller on the hoods of their trucks and shoot the coyotes out the window as they come in. Makes me wonder what the hell I'm doing dressed in white sludging through the prarie. The guys with less numbers have to work harder to call a coyote and would know more than me I think.
 
1. Get a whole bunch of guns.

2. Get your buddies 4x4.

3. Sharpen your buck knife.

4. Use your many coyote pelts to buy more guns and knives.

5. Don't shoot from inside the truck, its illegal.

6. Keep safe and have fun.
 
Thanks for the info guys. I think I may try to make up one of those DIY elec. callers using my mp3 player. Downloaded call sequences should take some of the required skill level of calling out of the equation for me.

So this is mating season now? Good time for hunting?

Is there any particular weather that makes for better days hunting?

From what I've been reading it looks like most yotes come in from downwind? It seems a little strange to setup with the wind to your back, lol. I do not have many really large open areas to hunt, most places will be 2-300 yards each way. Should I set up in the middle, or on the edge downwind, upwind, or with a crosswind?

Thanks for the tips.
 
Yes this is mating season, its not great for calling but not impossible either. They just aren't interested in eating right now as they are letting other parts of their bodies control their thinking.

The best days for distress calling are following a cold snap, for calling during the mating season dawn and dusk is your best bet with the latter more so. They usually do come in from downwind so set up with a nice open spot and call with a cross wind and you should be able to get a shot as they circle you to try and get a scent.
 
cday, not that I would discourage you from making that electronic caller, but IMHO you should also try to master the mouth calls. We have no choice here in AB, electronics are illegal. I do get the added bonus of having personally fooled one of the smartest predators when I call them in. In fact, I enjoy going out with my partner, I call , he shoots - works great. Either way, have fun doing it. :)
 
It's not that I don't want to get into using regular calls, just as a beginner I thought an electronic caller right now might help take some of the guesswork out of it.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm hoping to get a day in next week sometime. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.
 
I'm not really expecting many results to tell you the truth, lol. The coyote numbers in this area aren't real high yet. Coyotes only made it to NL a few years ago but are spreading in leaps and bounds. From what I understand they are bigger here in NL than most places too.

However where I plan on going I did see one earlier this year and there have been a couple more sightings lately. But, like they say, theres no such thing as a bad day in the woods. I am hoping to get the gear to make a caller on Monday and will be hitting the woods ASAP after.
 
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