Any coyote hunters

[wmonroe]

Im looking to start coyote hunting and am looks for input on two different area, rifle caliber and what call to buy. I've been thinking about getting into this for a little while but after my father in law expressed interest I decided it was time to jump in.

As far as caliber I was thinking .223 only because I already have some ammo (used in an AR) and I've been trying to keep common calibers instead of having so many different. Most of my shots in PA will be 200 yards or less, I would have some opportunity to hunt in central Illinois with my brother in law but it would be limited.

Is there a "best" call? My father in law wants a fox pro but I haven't done any research yet and don't know.

 

[SDiver40]

I been going yote hunting for a few years now. I'm using a .243 along with the Foxpro caller. As for caliber, it's not a big issue. UNLESS your going to try a sale the pelts. Here in NC the last I heard, a pelt was going for $3.00 to $6.00 Not worth my time skinning and tanning for that. .223 will do a fine job on hitting it's mark out to 200 yards.
Now for the foxpro. It's a great caller but call them and talk with them. Make sure you Get the new updated remote. I have the old model and sometimes it will just stop working. As long as the batteries are brand new it is fine. But 2 hrs of use and it will not change calls or unmute once muted.
The rabbit in distress call so far has been my go to call. It will bring in the most yotes in my area.
Get a good red spot light. They hardly even notice the red. Green or white will turn them around in high gear.
Good luck and hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

 

[MacLawn]

I'm wanting to get into 'yote killin' too. Just hope I can find a farmer who will let me try it. I only have shotgun, .22 long rifle, and 30.30 Marlin lever. Reckon .22 long rifle would do out to maybe 75 yards? Naw, probably not.

 

[oldnslo]

Reckon .22 long rifle would do out to maybe 75 yards? Naw, probably not.

Depends on where you hit them. Yotes are wiley critters so getting in the 75 yard range is usually the problem.

 

[MacLawn]

Thanks old. I'll try to get some 125 gr. or so 30.30 shells.

 

[westcliffe01]

I have been doing this for a few years. You might really want to try some mouth calls before spending major money on an electronic caller. If the coyotes are educated, no caller is going to work. I first bought an $80 caller and never called in anything with it. Then got a $350 Foxpro caller and never called in anything with that either. Yet I would see and shoot them without a caller. So concluded that if I turn on the caller they run the other way....

The biggest thing with coyotes is not being busted. They have an uncanny ability to spot any movement. They will scent you from 300-400 yards away like they ran into a brick wall. You have to take prevailing wind into account in planning how to get into your shooting position so that you are NEVER upwind of them at any point. That can make for some really convoluted entries depending on your access points to the property.

Cover your hands. Cover your face. Sit still and in front of something that breaks up your outline. If there is no snow on the ground, the only way to know their movement is to get in before dawn and then observe. Usually I see them on the move between the time that the sky lightens and any actual direct rays falling on the landscape. That makes for a lot of early mornings... if it is cold and dry out, they will be more active because they will be more hungry. If it is wet, they will usually rather stay in the den. They will hunt during the day in winter, especially if it is actively snowing and they feel like they have "cover". Usually you will see them moving INTO the wind.

I personally need to kill them and coyotes are relatively hard to skin and the hide is quite thin and easily damaged. For me, my 243 Ackley is my preferred weapon, shooting 95gr Berger VLD's at about 3200fps. They have much less wind drift than a 223 and hit much harder at 300-450 yards and generally my shots tend to be over 250 yards based on the open terrain and them hugging cover at the edge of fields.

Its not easy. Certainly much harder than deer hunting. I average 20 outings for a sighting and it usually lasts no more than 10 seconds before it is over. I use a scope with a FFP reticle and dialed to approximately the same field of view as my binoculars since that is usually what I spot them with first. Usually I do not have time to adjust the scope or the turrets from spotting them (better have a round in the chamber and be ready to go) so I can use the reticle at any magnification to correct for drop.

The reason they have to die

 

[TomSeller]

...a pelt was going for $3.00 to $6.00 Not worth my time skinning and tanning for that.

Wow, not even beer money.

 

[dodge man]

I've hunted them a lot in the past and I will echo the comments on calls not being effective. I think they get smart and learn the fake stuff. I had more luck just killing them as targets of opportunity when I happen to see them, which isn't often. The funny thing is I've called in all sorts of animals, cats coons, possums, owls and hawks but rarely coyotes. They do have a great sense of smell.

As far as caliber 223 is good. Your AR would make a good rifle for hunting them.

 

[hutchman]

I've been a few times with a friend and like it.

As has been said already, you can't over use a call. If you use one and get busted the yote says 'note to self, that sound is danger, run away'.

I've seen evidence of them on our new land but haven't hunted it yet. I'm building a suppressed 300 Blackout with green laser. Planing on making some subsonic ammo for it.

I overheard a guy at a gun store talking about being paid to take them for Roanoke Co or City. He said he used .308 with some heavy subsonic rounds. Shots were under 100yds. This was before the 300 Blackout (or whisper) was popular.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

A buddy and I used to hunt song dogs 25 years ago in the California Coast Ranges south of the San Francisco Bay Area. He used an AR, I had a Mini14, both in .223. My handloads used a 52 grain hollow point, I think it was a Speer that came in a yellow box. It would go in, but not come out, and turn the insides to jello. I used a 1.5x5 Leopold scope, he stuck with irons. He had an electronic call with a dying rabbit recording that did a pretty good job of bringing them in close. Both of us used full camo with face masks and gloves, and we'd sit about 10' apart and split the field in front of us in half. We'd have our backs up against a hillside or brush to break up our outline and prevent the dogs from coming up directly behind us. We'd take turns calling first shot, and sometimes that's all we'd get. If the first shot was a miss, the coyote would swap ends head out in high gear. If there wasn't any cover I could usually tumble it on the run by walking my shots through the scope. Even then there were no guarantees. But the suspense while watching them work their way in, and the adrenaline when the shooting started, were great fun.

Once when skinning a pair in my garage, the neighbor across the street kept looking out their window, watching. Next thing you know, he was running across the street carrying a KBAR knife and a big grin on his face. He was a Filipino, and he wanted to know what we were going to do with the carcasses. "It's been a long time since we had dog," he said...