Are you interested in learning how to hunt coyotes? Do you want to challenge yourself to coyote hunting? Coyotes have a good sense of smell and eyesight. These abilities help them navigate danger. Coyotes learn very fast and adapt quickly. In this article, we discuss tips to help you hunt coyotes.
1. Scouting Coyotes
Before going on a coyote hunt, it is important that you spend some time scouting the area you expect them to reside in. Scout marsh edges, creek beds, hollows, gullies, valleys, open fields, swamps, and woodlot edges.
Additionally, you can use Google Earth or hunting apps like onX or HuntWise. HuntWise shows the boundaries of private lands and gives the contact information of the landowners. Study the landscape to help you become familiar with it before you go hunting for coyotes.
2. Boots On the Ground
If you did your initial scouting using Google Earth or hunting apps, you want to physically get on the hunting ground, to verify the areas you identified when you used the hunting apps or Google Earth.
Keep your eyes open for tracks and scat. Look for signs of coyotes. One trick hunters use when hunting for coyotes is to scout the area in the last hours before dawn and listen for yips, yowls, and howls of coyotes. This will confirm that they are in the area and at this time of the day, they are closer to their dens.
After the snow has fallen, drive the back roads and look for coyote tracks. They are similar to dog tracks. If you find coyote tracks, determine the direction they are going to help you know where they are coming from and where they are going.
Keep your eyes out for ravens and other predatory birds. They will usually be present when there is a carcass in the vicinity. The carcass is also an easy meal for coyotes and they will be attracted to it. If there is an absence of foxes, rabbits, and small game in the area, that is an indication that coyotes are present there.
3. Use Trail Cameras
The emergence of trail cameras on the hunting scene has dramatically changed how hunters gather information. Trail cameras have become an essential hunting gadget. It can collect information 24 hours, 7 days a week.
This makes it easy for the hunter to collect the information and prevent him from sitting in the bitter cold to scout the animal. Hunters usually set up trail cameras in different directions to collect information.
It can provide information about the movements of the animals, what they eat, when they come out, what’s the population is, possible travel routes, food sources, water sources, and bedding areas. With this information, hunters are better equipped to plan and set up where they can be most successful when hunting game animals.
4. Predator Calls
Predator calls are also used by hunters when hunting game animals. Predator calls can be very irresistible to animals and will often get an immediate response from them. Predator calls will get animals to respond by leaving their bedding areas and come out to investigate the distressed or mating calls.
There are many different predators calls that send out a variety of messages. Some are distressed calls that mimic wounded animals, while others are calls of a female looking for a partner to mate with during the mating season. Coyote imitation calls are effective when hunting coyotes. There are other predator calls such as diaphragm calls, rabbit distress calls, etc.
Use distress calls that are not commonly used by hunters like turkey distress calls or woodpecker distress calls. Avoid using overused predator calls.
5. Decoys
Decoys of coyotes, rabbits, and other prey can be used to get the attention of coyotes and lure them. After setting up your decoys, make predator calls that match the decoy and position yourself with a good line of sight and good range to the decoy for a shot. A feather tied to a string can also be used as a decoy and works well to get the attention of coyotes.
Conclusion
Hunting coyotes can be very exciting, but it is challenging. Coyotes have a good sense of smell and eyesight to sense danger and protect themselves. They also use their e=sense of smell and good eyesight to hunt prey of food. Coyotes learn very fast and adapt quickly.
There are many hunting methods and techniques used by hunters. In this article, we discussed these hunting methods and techniques to help you successfully hunt coyotes.
