Having recently gotten into my first ar so now I want to go after some coyotes. Gonna buy a call from amazon for $80. What all can you guys tell me? How to use the call is a great start. How to set up (mostly woods hunting) only a couple small fields I have access to that used to be logging decks. Need input on a good light also. I see guys dragging a shotgun along also. How necessary is this? Just want to help out the deer population, not gonna skin em and sell em. What else do I need to know? Thanks!
I don't think you need to spend 80 bucks on a call. I use a mouth call and have used one for years. I think it was $12. As far as hunting them at night it's a lot of fun. Red lights are a pretty good set up. I will throw this out there that 90% of the yotes I harvest are taken during the early morning or early evening. I do use a decoy as well. It is a shaggy rabbit that shakes and moves some. It puts yote's attention on something other than where the sound is coming from. As for the shotgun that's for the close shots. 12 gauge with 00 buck.
I've never hunted them at night (not allowed to in Ontario ) and agree with mj_deere that mornings and evenings are best. but wind is also very important. Try to make to set up so that you will be down wind (wind in your face) from where you think the yotes will come from. They have super noses and eyes so try to stay down wind and well camouflaged. Good luck.
Yes, coyotes. I'm a friendly dog lover. See avatar. The coyotes killed my next door neighbors dog down at my hunting camp, so I am going to thin the herd. They even came within 50 yards of me while hanging a deer up! All I saw was eyeballs since it was dark!
I've never hunted coyotes, although I'd love to get a pretty one one day for it's pelt. But a buddy of mine normally get's a couple each winter. He started out with an electronic call, but soon switched to mouth calls. It gave him more control and could fit them in his pocket, while the electronic call had a bag containing the controller, speaker, speaker wires and tapes that he had to lug around. I think he used the howling tapes as locators, and rabbit in distress to bring them in. He has a mouse squeaker too that he'll use when the yote is close if he wants it to stop or turn. Shotguns with buckshot are for close shots like mj_deere said. Not sure what you're using to get them with, my buddy started out with a .243 but eventually dropped to a .22 mag, which is probably the smallest I'd use as well. If you don't want the fur, it probably doesn't matter as much what sized gun you use as long as you know its safe to shoot in that direction.
AR won't serve you well in the woods. The first shot will be your only shot. 12 Ga, 3" #4 buck is good for 100 yds. I use a semi-auto 12. Locate tracks on fresh snow at 4-6 AM where they cross road ,,,, they will be heading for bed,,,,go in down wind of tracks at day light and call. Get a siren like the fireman/cops have. Run some quiet back roads 4-6am. Get out and run siren for 10-20 seconds and listen. They will beller if there are any there .Go in at daylight and setup. BEST FUN EVER,,,,,,,, get in with a group that runs dogs on them. There used to be quite a few in IN. I new a few by online connection but lost touch with them 10 years ago. You run dogs with a good experienced group and youll forget about calling. More fun than a zoo cage full of monkeys throwin turds.
Skin them and sell them. Yes a shotgun is good. Never know when they will over run you. Long range is cool but closer is better.
hubby has yotes barking and coming in on a double elk reed mouth diaphram. He goes in the pattern of a yote call. No tube, just his mouth.
Glad someone started this thread, I also was looking to get into Yote hunting, I have a 22lr gun as well as a 12 and 20 guage whats better, Or can you take them with a .17 ??
Either the 12 or 20 gauge would be fine with #4 buck or larger, but keep in mind that a shotgun will put more holes in the hide if you're wanting the fur. A .22 mag is the smallest rifle I'd use. Even a .17 centerfire is pushing it, but there's no way I'd use a .17 rimfire. You have a much higher chance of wounding them, the bullet is just too light in a .17 bullet.
The coyote population is out of control here and very few hunt them. I've had a couple trot up on me deer hunting and weren't too concerned about me when they saw me.
Here's my set up. I hunt them in Iowa. Rifle: savage 22-250 or rem. 700 .223 cal. In my opinion even the 22 mag is a little small for good killing shots at longer distances. I load 55 grain Hornady red ballistic tips. Holes on the yotes are quite small. Practice, practice out to 300 yards. I use a distressed rabbit mouth call and have a squeaker to get them really close. Play the wind! Use a good hide location with natural camo. I only call one location between 15 and 20 minutes at the most. The most important lesson I've learned is after you set up give it five minutes before starting to call. Just sit still and quiet.
The 22 mag is limited to distance, but where I live in Ohio you're almost never going to get a 300 yard shot either; it's either too hilly or wooded or both. Depending on where bocefus is in Indiana he'll likely have the same issue. I do wish I had an area where I could practice 300 yard shots though! The furthest I can get without joining a shooting range is 260 yards on my parents farm.
If you hunt with a rifle and shotgun, hold the shotgun in your lap and have the rifle (223/22-250) close by. If you get surprised by a close yote, the shotgun will be the choice since you will most likely have a strong power scope on the rifle. Finding a close proximity dog with a narrow FOV of a high power scope is very difficult. Leave the shotgun with open/iron sights and you can make a quick move if needed. Make sure you are as well prepared as possible when you do hunt them, especially if you are going to hunt the same area over and over. If you call in a yote and don't drop him, you will likely not have another chance, so make it count. I have the Hare Brawl decoy similar to what has been described above; a battery operated rabbit looking decoy that screams randomly. Knock'em dead. They deserve it. I have a Savage 12btcss with a Nikon Coyote Special 4-12 that has a filter on the forward lens to reduce light reflection.
Here's a little more info to roll around. I gave up the shotgun when I was hunting alone. For the last nine years or so I've carried a handgun for shots up to fifty yards. I carry a Taurus 357 with a 8 inch barrel. Open sights. I've hunted yotes along time and they can surprise you by jumping out where you least expect them to. That's why I love it!
Awesome info so far! Would have never thought to bring my 44mag revolver for the close shots! Waaaaaaaay lighter too! I have a rabbit in distress mouth call. About to pull the trigger on the electronic call. Any good reads on calling techniques?
