How to Hunt Coyotes

Hunting predators can be one of the most electrifying experiences in a hunter’s career path. Coyotes are responsible for the disappearances of deer, elk calves, some of our livestock, and pets. As predators, coyotes eat these animals alive.

Their irresistible hunting skills are from the fact that they have a fair hearing and sense of smell, excellent vision, and their ability to feast on anything that comes their way.

Coyotes are present in almost all states in the US. There are about 19 subspecies of coyotes, and their number is rapidly growing across different states.

With the growing numbers of coyotes, you need to learn how to hunt them down. Read on to know why you should hunt coyotes, when to hunt and how to hunt them. This may require some of the long range scope for hunting.

Why Should You Hunt Coyotes?

1. Sharpen Your Hunting Skills

Hunting deer or any other wild animal for game meat does not take place throughout the year. There are offseasons, during such times, you can hone your hunting techniques by taking part in coyote hunting. To successfully hunt these predators, you need to be sharp in hunting. With their excellent eye vision and sense of smell, it is not easy to pursue them. Even the smart hunters will tell you that it is a challenge to hunt coyotes successfully.

Rising above their smartness is what improves your hunting skills, giving you an upper hand when hunting deer.

2. To Control Their Population

Coyotes are strong predators with unmatched hunting skills; their population can significantly grow if no action is taken against them. They quickly reproduce, and are they are quick to search for greener pastures in case of scarcity of food. It is believed that they can walk up to 100 miles in such food. In its lifetime, which is approximately ten years, a female coyote can reproduce up-to 120 coyotes. If ignored, the number of coyotes in an area can exponentially grow.

Hunters and trappers should therefore come up with strategies of cubing the increasing population of these predators.

3. Coyotes Spread Diseases

Coyotes easily contract canine distemper and canine hepatitis, which can easily be spread to other animals. When they eat infected animals like raccoons and bears, they can spread the infections to other animals. Some of these infections include rabies, tuberculosis, and tularemia, which can easily be transmitted to human beings as this species can move from one region to another.  Coyotes are also likely to carry parasites such as ticks, fleas, and ticks, which may infect other animals, including our domesticated animals, when they come into contact.

Hunting coyotes down reduces the chances of spreading diseases because they will no longer move around.

4. It Promotes The Existence Of Deer and Other Small Game Animals

According to research done in Oklahoma, 86% of white-tailed deer fawn deaths were attributed to coyotes. These fawns are the best targets for coyotes because they are not quick and strong compared to the matured deer.

On average, coyotes consume about 2 to 3 pounds of food daily. Coyotes eat animals that are smaller than them in terms of body mass, including rodents and small game animals like a rabbit. However, when these small animals are scarce for food, they go for the bigger ones like deer, moose, and elk.

This is common during the winter season. They can drastically reduce the population of deer if they are not managed. Hunting coyotes will give room to other animals like deer and elk to survive.

5. You Can Earn From Hunting Coyotes

Coyotes have one of the best furs that you can sell at your local fur dealer. The best pelt that has negligible damages can earn you close to hundred dollars. To make this amount, you should learn how to skin the coyote carefully. Pelts with medium damages can earn you between fifty to seventy-five dollars. Hunt a couple of coyotes during the weekend, and you can get some dollars to offset your travel costs.

When Should You Hunt For Coyotes?

Knowing how to hunt coyotes requires knowing the right season and time of day when the hunting will be successful. The purpose of the hunt may determine when is the right season to hunt.

If you are hunting coyotes for their fur, it is ideal that you go hunting during the winter. It is during winter when the fur is thick. This may give you a good return.

The Winter season is the most appropriate time to get them in significant numbers. They also become less active in the search for food during the winter. You can easily spot them traveling together when it’s winter than in the summer.

The optimal hunting time for coyotes is at dawn and dusk. When darkness sets in, they become more active; this explains why night coyotes hunting is becoming popular. They are known to be relaxing under shades when it is hot in the day. Even though you may hunt one or two during the hot afternoons, you will get more when hunting in the later hours.

Strategies To Employ When Hunting For Coyotes

Once you have an idea of where to go hunting, you need to know how to scout for the coyotes, maneuver, and make a call before shooting them.

Searching Out For Coyotes

Coyotes are present in different areas. However, there are various strategies that you should employ to learn about their presence. Here is what to examine:

■ Absence of fox: If the area has no fox, it’s a sign that there are coyotes. Coyotes eat foxes since they are their competitors when it comes to searching for food. However, foxes don’t eat coyotes.

■ Absence of small game and rabbit: If you have been hunting for rabbits, squirrels, and small game and you suddenly realize their number is quickly diminishing, there could be a big population of coyotes eating them.

■ Look out for their tracks in the snow. The tracks left by coyotes on the snow is similar to that of the dog. However, you can differentiate this by looking at the size of the tracks on the snow.

■ Pay attention during the night. Since coyotes are active during the night, you will hear them barking or howling at night if you are attentive.

Know How To Play The Wind

Coyotes have a good sense of smell; you should therefore know how to play the wind. If coyotes sense your scent, they will avoid you and can even move away from the location you had traced them. You should know how to maintain the downwind of a coyote. Plan your hunting mission according to the wind conditions. There are applications like HuntWise that can help you learn the directions of the wind and view the aerial site of the terrain you are hunting.

Make Calls

Besides having your firearm ready, you need to make calls to your prey. Coyotes are smart predators; you need to know how to call them correctly less you scare them away. Diaphragm calls, electronic calls, coyote imitation calls, and prey distress calls are the best when hunting coyotes. Ensure that coyotes do not learn the pattern of your calls. You must know how to utilize the calls for your hunting success.

When making the calls, try to make the site realistic. During their breeding season, make coyote imitation calls and howls instead of distress calls. When you call a pair of coyotes, be quick to shoot the female first; when the male escapes, make a pup distress call, and the male may come back.

When making these calls, you need to be patient for the prey to appear. The more patient you are, the more coyotes you are likely to harvest.

Get an elevated position so that you can view the emerging prey after making your calls.

Final Thought

Hunting coyotes can be a thrilling experience. You can hunt coyotes for their pelts, hone your hunting skills, to control their population, among other reasons. Before you get into their hunting, you should know the right time and season to hunt, scout them, learn how to play the wind, and make effective calls.

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