Coyote hunting is engaged in for many unique reasons. Some hunters hunt for practice, for cash, or merely for the sake of hunting.
Usually, however, hunters target coyotes due to their pest status thanks to their significant population and disposition to harm livestock. Here are a few coyote hunting tips on the best ways to begin.
Coyote hunting needs lots and lots of patience. Even seasoned hunters have a hard time due to the fact that the coyote is not only one of the most resourceful hunters of nature but is also one of the most cunning.
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Coyote Hunting Tips You Need To Know!
1. Gun Selection
Coyote hunting is a complicated pastime. When browsing for rifles, you'll discover that many manufacturers carry separate varminter guns.
Varminter guns are specifically crafted for the hunting of pests such as foxes, gophers, and coyotes. These rifles are outfitted with specialized ammunition and their lightweight makes them easily maneuverable.
Apart from Varminters, a large range of rifles and shotguns or even pistols may be used for coyote hunting, the choice of which also relates to your end purpose.
Accuracy and trajectory are some of the vital factors in a dependable rifle and using a big game hunting rifle would simply be overkill.
Pistols that use 223 cartridges would work well. However, it is harder with a handgun. Long-barreled 357 magnum revolvers are the most commonly used pistol for coyote hunting.
When it comes to using rifles, a common choice would be a fast-loading 0.22 caliber rifle. Several hunters utilize deer rifles when hunting. Just remember though that if you are hunting coyotes for their pelts a 30/06 rifle would wreck the hides making them unusable.
2. Call ‘Em In!
What many don't understand about coyote hunting is that, like duck hunting, it's also important to call the coyotes to encourage them in range.
These calls generally sound like prey animals. For example, many hunters use squeaking calls that resemble the noises of mice or gophers.
There are at least three different types of coyote calls. Starting with the “mouth-blown” calls, the “howling” calls, and then the electronic calls.
Electronic coyote calls have quickly become preferred in the last few years because of the innovations in electronic sound storage.
Despite the best coyote call, attracting a wild animal, especially a cunning carnivore is challenging and you may find that it takes more than a few hunting trips to calculate which method works best. Practice makes perfect.
Many coyote hunters constantly find their game too close for comfort. Coyotes in New Mexico are more threatening; to such a degree, their lesser fear with people is obvious and startling.
The most effective way to hunt coyotes is by detecting and stalking them first.
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3. Camo And Smell
Not just great hearing, Coyotes also have excellent eyesight. Staying out of sight is crucial, even your hands and face, and any camo pattern that matches the encompassing environment of your hunting area will help.
Also, most coyote hunters often forget to apply cover scents. They also have a superb sense of smell so scent wafers can really help.
Other coyote hunting equipment includes finding a good stand. You can build one on the ground however these are usually stationed in trees.
Not only will you need a comfortable spot out of sight to lie in wait for your prey, but you also will want to position it to make sure that the coyote doesn't pick up your scent.
Once he picks up your scent, all of the camouflage on the planet won't help one bit!
Of course, these coyote hunting tips mean very little if there are no coyotes in your area to hunt. However, you can get a good idea of where to put together your stand by simply asking the locals and looking around for yourself.
It's a good idea to learn how to read coyote tracks or scat in order to track them down yourself. Oftentimes, however, landowners and farmers are more than happy to share where they've seen coyotes starting trouble.
Do you have other tips you wish to share? Let's discuss this in the comment section below!
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on January 25, 2021, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.