Coyote hunting is one of the fastest growing hunting niches across the country. Coyote populations are teaming, land access is easier to come by, regulations are hunter friendly, and coyotes are challenging to hunt. For newcomers to the coyote hunting experience, the challenge can lead to frustration very quickly. These 3 tips will help smooth the learning curve to being the ultimate predator.
THE SET-UP
Set up depends a lot on the terrain you’re hunting. Old time coyote hunters are famous for saying “Call into the wind”. I’ve found that in a heavily wooded situation that approach may put the coyote right behind, why? because a coyote will circle. The most important thing about the set up for a Coyote hunt is the wind. Try and set up where the down wind is open for a shot. If you’re in heavy woods, find a food plot or opening that is downwind and the coyotes will come to the edge of the opening to investigate. If you’re sitting looking into the wind the coyote will circle behind you almost every time. When a coyote smells you it’s over and that coyote is gone and probably spooked for the season.
Avoid Over Calling
Whatever call you use, do it sequentially. That means you call for about two to three minutes, then stop, and wait five minutes, then you run the sequence again, and wait five minutes. Do this for a half hour. If there’s no response, move a MINIMUM of a mile from the area you were in, and repeat the process. The reason for the “mile or more move,” is that with their great hearing you want to completely abandon the area which was unsuccessful, since any coyotes in that area will probably be able to hear you if your “new area” is still in the same sound range a the one you left. The one mistake almost all coyote hunters make? Calling too often, and too quickly.
SCOUT
The most significant thing you can do to improve success is to scout the area to know coyotes live in the area. Find out if coyotes are in the area by scouting for droppings and tracks, and talk to farmers. Scouting to determine coyote density is critical, too. Scouting cameras can be very useful tools when trying to get a handle on what lurks in your area.
Second, you need to be able to see where you want to shoot. Power lines and woods roads are good setup spots. Just remember, they’ll follow the path of least resistance. A coyote’s fastest way to get to your setup may be to go around and circle downwind of your set-up.
As more and more hunters head to the field in pursuit of coyotes, the education level of these coyotes has grown exponentially. If we want to successfully fool the top predator in our fields and forest we must outsmart him at his own game. And in my area, where access to farms is limited, and the forest is thick, many of the coyotes that are called too have been called by hunters in the past and are experts at avoiding hunters.
