When the moon is full and the night is bright you can see them on the prowl. If you’ve not seen them already they are probably on their way. These little beasts are coyotes and they are spreading like… well… varmints. There’s only one thing standing between them and total domination the North American hunter.
If coyote hunting is something you have never attempted you should consider giving it a try. This is part one of a two part post that will give you some insights and a good foundation for this side of huntingsport.
Healthier game population
Essentially, killing coyotes is a good way to work your way towards a healthier deer and turkey population. Stress is actually a determining factor for producing quality animals on any property. Clearly toothy critters cause stress.
Spotlighting
The government has begun to see issues with these wild dogs in many southern areas. Hunting with spotlights at night is an action that has not been allowed in previous years. However;
Due to the over-population the rules have started to change .If you want to try your luck at spotlighting check your states rules and regulations before you purchase a spot light.
Baiting.
Most of the time coyotes are scavengers. Unfortunately this doesn’t mean they won’t slaughter and eat a helpless fawn or an injured mature deer. Typically, they won’t kill for their own food. Knowing this fact gives you a leg up because you can use baits in your hunting strategy. One technique that I find works well is meat or gut pops. Check out the next post and I will give you my special recipes for meat pops.
Part 2 Coyote Hunting
In order to create meat pops you need to start with a 5 gallon bucket and a deer carcass. This can be a deer that you or someone else has killed. I’ve even heard of people taking deer off the road to use for this. Now for the messy part…Once you have the deer put the guts and blood into your 5 gallon bucket. I like to add some water to the mix just to make it easier to work with. Once I have it mixed I hang the meat/gut pop over a limb right at coyote level. How long I leave it there before I began my hunt depends on the weather and temperature. However; this is just one way of doing things. I also hunt cow farms and if the owner has had a cow die then I will set up over that providing it’s in a good area. Of course just having any old carouse lying around near your hunting area will help, just remember there is always the possibility that all the bait will be gone by the time you get out to hunt.
Calling and decoys.
Calling can also be an effective way to bring in the yotes. I prefer the electronic calls like the Johnny Stewart. The Stewart call is an an average call that won’t break the bank. It has good sound and range. Next is to decide which sounds works best for you this will take some trial and error. This can be different in every location. The sound of the jack rabbit and cotton tail often work well. A great way to tell if your using the right sound is see how other critters react to the calling especially predators.
Decoys….One thing I have never seen in a Bass pro or any other hunting establishment is a coyote decoy. I have discovered that there is nothing wrong with a little bit of southern ingenuity. One of my favorites is to staple a turkey fan or even just a single feather to a 2 by 4 board and stand it up in a field near my meat pops. This technique also works well with squirrel tails.
Guns… guns… guns. As far as guns go it doesn’t take much to drop a song dog, (coyote). My favorites are the 223,243 and even 22s. However; I also like to carry a secret weapon my old reliable 12 gauge.
For the most part any one coyote hunting will be using scopes although; this brings up one major disadvantage close distance shots. If that coyote has been sneaking up on you and he gets close before you realize it the last thing you want to do is have to aim through a scope. That is where the 12 gauge will come in mighty handy along with some buckshot. I’ll admit I’ve never had to go to this tactic but consider it a security blanket. If night hunting is your thing you will definitely want to get a light on that shotgun, even if you have to duct tape it on there.
Well, boys and girls I hope you find this helpful Hit the woods and give it a try.
Good hunting and God bless
Ryan Lilly
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