Southern Woods Airgun Coyote Hunting

[Billm]

I am thinking about going out and attempting some Coyote hunting. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve seen plenty of Coyotes while deer hunting, but didn’t want to spook any deer and so I passed on them. I haven’t hunted since 2008 and I’m a lot older now and so it won’t be as intensive an effort as I might of done in the past. I mentioned Southern, because here in Florida, it won’t be a long distance shot. More than likely it will be 75-125yds maximum. I’m a little spooked by bears right now and so I’m thinking of attempting to do it from a ladder stand. I’m not interested in nighttime hunting. All the coyotes that I’ve seen while hunting have been daytime sightings and except for one, from a tree stand. I'll buy a caller, but I’m not going to spend $300 on one, unless it becomes an obsession. I’ll use the Sonoran .30 for now. If it seems worth pursuing (actually see one) I might splurge on a big bore. I plan to take my grand kids one at a time. I’d like to hear some experienced or interested coyote hunters opinions on coyote hunting in general. This is not intended to be another thread discussing the merits of one particular caliber over another. Let’s assume that the chosen caliber is enough for the given conditions. Maybe discuss the pros and cons of the different methods such as ground blinds, tree stands, decent callers, where to place a caller in a wooded area. What do you do with a dead coyote. What about camo, cover scents etc.? Here in Florida there’s no bounty for them and technically if you don’t use the animal, it’s wanton waste. At, the same time many years ago I was hunting Camp Blanding a National Guard base and mentioned to a warden that I’d seen a coyote and no deer and he chewed me out in a nice way for not shooting it. Let’s hear it.

 

[Solo1]

I haven’t hunted them but id do some early evening and morning scouting. Where I live i often go to the cemetery outside town to do some star gazing and hear coyotes just outside the cemetery i assume they are looking for rabbits eating grass in the cemetery.
When i was still working we were behind a grocery store and i was screening silt about midnight they used to come up on banks and lay there watching I think they would find food at the grocery and come up by me to relax. So consider whats around you when looking for them .

 

[Chief55]

Well, okay, I would say given how thick it is in NE Florida that a climbing stand is probably the best bet if you can deal with it. I have gotten too old to play with those things anymore. But it is by far the best way to hunt in Florida. Gives you the best view and gets your scent off the ground. I would still put out a cover scent about 15 feet in front downwind of you on a stick. I always used skunk scent. Put your speaker out about 30 yards past that downwind of you because they will try to pick up your scent. Go full camo including your face hands and gun. You can use a gun sock, wrap, paints whatever it just needs to get broken up some. Most animals see red/orange as gray so that is not a problem if you want. I had to where an orange hat when I used a hand call to keep the red tail hawks from attacking me, birds see in color, if I didn't, they would keep trying to grab my head and at night owls would land in trees by me.

 

[Ezana4CE]

I am thinking about going out and attempting some Coyote hunting. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve seen plenty of Coyotes while deer hunting, but didn’t want to spook any deer and so I passed on them. I haven’t hunted since 2008 and I’m a lot older now and so it won’t be as intensive an effort as I might of done in the past. I mentioned Southern, because here in Florida, it won’t be a long distance shot. More than likely it will be 75-125yds maximum. I’m a little spooked by bears right now and so I’m thinking of attempting to do it from a ladder stand. I’m not interested in nighttime hunting. All the coyotes that I’ve seen while hunting have been daytime sightings and except for one, from a tree stand. I'll buy a caller, but I’m not going to spend $300 on one, unless it becomes an obsession. I’ll use the Sonoran .30 for now. If it seems worth pursuing (actually see one) I might splurge on a big bore. I plan to take my grand kids one at a time. I’d like to hear some experienced or interested coyote hunters opinions on coyote hunting in general. This is not intended to be another thread discussing the merits of one particular caliber over another. Let’s assume that the chosen caliber is enough for the given conditions. Maybe discuss the pros and cons of the different methods such as ground blinds, tree stands, decent callers, where to place a caller in a wooded area. What do you do with a dead coyote. What about camo, cover scents etc.? Here in Florida there’s no bounty for them and technically if you don’t use the animal, it’s wanton waste. At, the same time many years ago I was hunting Camp Blanding a National Guard base and mentioned to a warden that I’d seen a coyote and no deer and he chewed me out in a nice way for not shooting it. Let’s hear it.

@Billm I have limited experience hunting coyotes. I don't go out and get after them intientiaonlly often at all. As for hunting them in the woods, this is something I have had buzzard luck with. I've shot at them in the woods, but there are just too many vines and branches for an animal that moves so much. I never hit one in the timber. I think the last time I shot at one in the woods is when I went to track a deer. I'd just entered the timber and caught one trailing a deer. I opened up at the first opportunity I had to shoot the yote. Usually I catch glimpse of them in the woods through my peripheral vision. When I try to focus on the animal they often seem to disappear or I’m looking at tail and paw pads. The advice I was given is to use a shotgun for hunting them in the timber. And that's if you don't have an issue shooting into your timber.

Now I have also set up on them outside of the timber in the daytime using an e-caller placed on the other side of me (maybe 40-50 yards) as I concealed myself in a thicket (maybe 10-20 yards from the tree line). Well that day they came out of the woods alright. Instead of going in front of the thicket I was in, they tried running behind it. When I removed my rifle from the tripod to turn around to take a shot, they must've saw my leg move (it was covered in camo by the way). Or they may have just caught my very fresh scent being close to me when they were trying to run behind me. I never saw a yote at that property come to that particular sound again.

I mostly see them at night. I've tried hunting them over carcasses and that was interesting. One time it took them over 10 days to get comfortable eating from a carcass at night. Then when they did, they'd come individually most nights. The most frustrating part is they ate from the other side of the carcass (it was a cow) so I didn't have much of a shot opportunity. How you position a carcass matters. They seem to eat from the soft areas first.

I've shot a few with air rifles. So what I've learned is as follows: When you draw them out to an e-caller you need to have something to distract them to stop them. They move a lot and are naturally wary. Young coyotes can be really naive, but they wise up quick if you educate them (whether you kill a sibling or partner in proximity to them or miss altogether). It also helps to know their travel routes on that property, ALWYAS take the direction of the wind into account. I don't use scent killer and I've had coyotes run really close to me on two occasions. With e-callers I think that it is good to understand what certain coyote sounds mean so you know when to use them. The volume of the sound is a factor. the sequence of your sounds are also factors. The length of time you play a sound is a factor. Foremost, know which animals in your sound library aren't native to your region. I'm not sure how coyotes respond to strange sounds. I've played some sounds an got no response from them, but I could've done several other things wrong. Anyhow that's my two-cents based upon limited experience hunting them with airguns. I think I killed 3 last year with airguns. I saw two carcasses. I have better luck with understanding their patterns, how many there are in the area, where they chose to conduct certain activities, and at which times. I learned those things just being outdoors a lot of the time while getting after feral hogs. I also collect data from trail cams.

If you're interested, get outside and try. That's how I learned a lot outside of the forums and YouTube. Look for paw prints in mud or dried mud. Look for scat too. They like to crap on roads and trails. It’ll often have a lot of fur in it if they’ve eaten a recent meal of meat. You may also see feathers in their scat. Once it breaks down it will still have a turd shape for a while, but it will look like old fur in turd shapes. As for getting into a tree stand with black bears around. They can climb trees and thanks to another member, I learned that they also climb tree stands. So there's still a risk with bears around .

 

[Chief55]

These are all good points. Based your mention of Camp Blanding which I have never been too, I think you could live within an hour or 2 of me, so I am assuming that when you are saying thick it has a lot of palmetto bushes and other bushes rather than really thick tree growth which is impossible to see through without going up a tree. But management areas around here can have both kinds of terrain. Yes, I have friends here that routinely get their stands torn up by black bears during deer season and have to repair them quite a often but they allow you to see a bear coming and give you time to react and scare him off before it becomes an issue rather than having him pop out in your face with no warning. Regardless I would have a can of bear mace handy. From the ground I would look for clear cuts were you can see a bit better. You don't know what is coming or from what direction, but it is most common for any predator to try to circle you to get your sent when you are sitting and hunting in a smaller area. I like a fawn in distress call in the spring or a deer in distress call or a rabbit in distress call the rest of the time. Pitch or tone goes along with the size or age of the animal you are imitating, the larger or older the animal the deeper the tone, so I found the cadence to be more important. I was actually teaching a friend to call deer using a fawn in distress call, but I used a high-pitched call tuned to a hawk to show him it was the cadence or cycle of the calling sounds that mattered the most. We saw a doe down in a draw about 100 yards away and she snapped around and came running up the hill toward us. If you are using digital recordings, you can't go wrong with that. Whitetail or cottontail rabbit should be good. The most common mistake to me, for close range calling, is over calling and calling way to loud. These animals can hear way better than us so a little goes a long way and it doesn't take long for a prey animal to get killed by a predator. I always started bit softer in case something was not too far out and if I got no response, I would try a bit louder. I used a hand call and only would call for about 10-15 seconds then I would stop look listen. Wait about 15 minutes and do it again. Coyotes come in running fast they may stop for a few seconds but then they are on the move again. I was after any predator and Bob cats come in really slow. They can pinpoint the location of the call down to a couple of feet. I believe other people in big open areas like out west that can see for hundreds of yards run their caller pretty constant and louder. I never had any luck doing that or blasting it really loud. I have had some luck, but I am no expert, there could be better ways of doing it, this is what I did for years, just trying to help some. I would expect Grunt to have some good advice and UTube videos can always help.

 

[Billm]

Well, okay, I would say given how thick it is in NE Florida that a climbing stand is probably the best bet if you can deal with it. I have gotten too old to play with those things anymore. But it is by far the best way to hunt in Florida. Gives you the best view and gets your scent off the ground. I would still put out a cover scent about 15 feet in front downwind of you on a stick. I always used skunk scent. Put your speaker out about 30 yards past that downwind of you because they will try to pick up your scent. Go full camo including your face hands and gun. You can use a gun sock, wrap, paints whatever it just needs to get broken up some. Most animals see red/orange as gray so that is not a problem if you want. I had to where an orange hat when I used a hand call to keep the red tail hawks from attacking me, birds see in color, if I didn't, they would keep trying to grab my head and at night owls would land in trees by me.

I’m in the panhandle now near Eglin/Blackwater and so it’s even thicker than NE Florida. But, I don’t see me using a climber again. Wish I could, I miss going up 25’ in swaying pines lol. Thanks for the input.

 

[Billm]

@Billm I have limited experience hunting coyotes. I don't go out and get after them intientiaonlly often at all. As for hunting them in the woods, this is something I have had buzzard luck with. I've shot at them in the woods, but there are just too many vines and branches for an animal that moves so much. I never hit one in the timber. I think the last time I shot at one in the woods is when I went to track a deer. I'd just entered the timber and caught one trailing a deer. I opened up at the first opportunity I had to shoot the yote. Usually I catch glimpse of them in the woods through my peripheral vision. When I try to focus on the animal they often seem to disappear or I’m looking at tail and paw pads. The advice I was given is to use a shotgun for hunting them in the timber. And that's if you don't have an issue shooting into your timber.

Now I have also set up on them outside of the timber in the daytime using an e-caller placed on the other side of me (maybe 40-50 yards) as I concealed myself in a thicket (maybe 10-20 yards from the tree line). Well that day they came out of the woods alright. Instead of going in front of the thicket I was in, they tried running behind it. When I removed my rifle from the tripod to turn around to take a shot, they must've saw my leg move (it was covered in camo by the way). Or they may have just caught my very fresh scent being close to me when they were trying to run behind me. I never saw a yote at that property come to that particular sound again.

I mostly see them at night. I've tried hunting them over carcasses and that was interesting. One time it took them over 10 days to get comfortable eating from a carcass at night. Then when they did, they'd come individually most nights. The most frustrating part is they ate from the other side of the carcass (it was a cow) so I didn't have much of a shot opportunity. How you position a carcass matters. They seem to eat from the soft areas first.

I've shot a few with air rifles. So what I've learned is as follows: When you draw them out to an e-caller you need to have something to distract them to stop them. They move a lot and are naturally wary. Young coyotes can be really naive, but they wise up quick if you educate them (whether you kill a sibling or partner in proximity to them or miss altogether). It also helps to know their travel routes on that property, ALWYAS take the direction of the wind into account. I don't use scent killer and I've had coyotes run really close to me on two occasions. With e-callers I think that it is good to understand what certain coyote sounds mean so you know when to use them. The volume of the sound is a factor. the sequence of your sounds are also factors. The length of time you play a sound is a factor. Foremost, know which animals in your sound library aren't native to your region. I'm not sure how coyotes respond to strange sounds. I've played some sounds an got no response from them, but I could've done several other things wrong. Anyhow that's my two-cents based upon limited experience hunting them with airguns. I think I killed 3 last year with airguns. I saw two carcasses. I have better luck with understanding their patterns, how many there are in the area, where they chose to conduct certain activities, and at which times. I learned those things just being outdoors a lot of the time while getting after feral hogs. I also collect data from trail cams.

If you're interested, get outside and try. That's how I learned a lot outside of the forums and YouTube. Look for paw prints in mud or dried mud. Look for scat too. They like to crap on roads and trails. It’ll after have a lot of fur in it if they’ve eaten a recent meal of meat. You may also see feathers in their scar. Once it breaks down it will still have a turd shape for a while, but it will look like old fur in turd shapes. As for getting into a tree stand with black bears around. They can climb trees and thanks to another member, I learned that they also climb tree stands. So there's still a risk with bears around .

Thanks for sharing your experience. Yes, they’re good climbers. I just thought it might prevent them from sneaking up on me. I’ll probably carry bear spray.

 

[Billm]

These are all good points. Based your mention of Camp Blanding which I have never been too, I think you could live within an hour or 2 of me, so I am assuming that when you are saying thick it has a lot of palmetto bushes and other bushes rather than really thick tree growth which is impossible to see through without going up a tree. But management areas around here can have both kinds of terrain. Yes, I have friends here that routinely get their stands torn up by black bears during deer season and have to repair them quite a often but they allow you to see a bear coming and give you time to react and scare him off before it becomes an issue rather than having him pop out in your face with no warning. Regardless I would have a can of bear mace handy. From the ground I would look for clear cuts were you can see a bit better. You don't know what is coming or from what direction, but it is most common for any predator to try to circle you to get your sent when you are sitting and hunting in a smaller area. I like a fawn in distress call in the spring or a deer in distress call or a rabbit in distress call the rest of the time. Pitch or tone goes along with the size or age of the animal you are imitating, the larger or older the animal the deeper the tone, so I found the cadence to be more important. I was actually teaching a friend to call deer using a fawn in distress call, but I used a high-pitched call tuned to a hawk to show him it was the cadence or cycle of the calling sounds that mattered the most. We saw a doe down in a draw about 100 yards away and she snapped around and came running up the hill toward us. If you are using digital recordings, you can't go wrong with that. Whitetail or cottontail rabbit should be good. The most common mistake to me, for close range calling, is over calling and calling way to loud. These animals can hear way better than us so a little goes a long way and it doesn't take long for a prey animal to get killed by a predator. I always started bit softer in case something was not too far out and if I got no response, I would try a bit louder. I used a hand call and only would call for about 10-15 seconds then I would stop look listen. Wait about 15 minutes and do it again. Coyotes come in running fast they may stop for a few seconds but then they are on the move again. I was after any predator and Bob cats come in really slow. They can pinpoint the location of the call down to a couple of feet. I believe other people in big open areas like out west that can see for hundreds of yards run their caller pretty constant and louder. I never had any luck doing that or blasting it really loud. I have had some luck, but I am no expert, there could be better ways of doing it, this is what I did for years, just trying to help some. I would expect Grunt to have some good advice and UTube videos can always help.

I appreciate all of the advice. What you’re saying about the stand is exactly my thinking, I actually live over between Milton and Crestview on the boundary of Eglin. I was in VP and stationed in Jacksonville and hunted several of the NE WMAs. You and @Ezana4CE gave pointed out one thing that I hadn’t thought of. I deer hunted from a Summit climbing stand for years by vpclimbing 20’ or more and I would have coyotes pass under my stand. I see them next to the road now and in my yard. But, I’ve never seen one that wasn’t moving, never standing still. I hadn’t thought about that.

 

[FL22]

Here in Florida there’s no bounty for them and technically if you don’t use the animal, it’s wanton waste.

Species Season Dates and Bag Limits

seasons, dates, limits, bag limits, species

myfwc.com

The way I’m reading it there is no limit, but I would give the local field office a call and have a conversation, I have talked with them about other issues in the past. They’re great to deal with in my experience, wanted to help and educate.

 

[Chief55]

I am 30 minutes south of Palatka almost to Creasant City. I go shopping up there at the NAS Jax a couple times a year. You are about 8 hours from me. My daughter lives out your away in Tallahassee. Wow you are a long way from Camp Blanding. Well, I don't know what the terrain is like where you are, but I think there might be a lot of swamps over there by the state line which are fantastic for deer hunting and hog hunting. Well as I said I am no expert, but it was my favorite thing to do for the 8 years that I was stationed out west. Now I am just an old has been that wants to go but since my heart attack and our son that hunted with me moved to North Dakota I haven't been very much. I am concerned about going by myself with a bad heart especially trying to drag out a deer or a hog by myself. I guess I am afraid I will have a heart attack by myself out in the woods. So, I am torn between really wanting to go because hunting was what I loved to do my whole life and thinking that it's just not a sensible thing for me to do anymore.

 

[Chief55]

One big thing is you have to be patient; they may be coming in from half a mile away or more and they are always on the move for the most part so the situation can change at any time. One minute he is out of range of the call and then the next minute he comes into range of it just from traveling along. Just about the time you are ready to give up there he is. You never know what to expect. Most of the time I had no luck at all in the places I hunted in California. Where I was in Oregon was very good and I had a ton of fun.

As Ezana4CE was pointing out they will get educated to a call if you call them in and miss. You may need to use a different call for that one in the future and as he pointed out in really dense small areas, like 30 yards I used a pump shotgun with #4, #2 or BB.

I always wanted to get a couple mounted and gave a friend a couple to make me some head shoulder mounts with in exchange for teaching him to call. He called in and got a really nice Black Bear, and I got nothing because he still had some lye residue left in the drum he had used to make some buckskins in so as he was tanning the hides in the same drum the hair slipped and fell out. I never got it done.

Anyways my point is you could get them mounted or maybe have a rug made or just brain tan the hide yourself just expect a crazy amount of flees if you do skin it.

 

[Billm]

I am 30 minutes south of Palatka almost to Creasant City. I go shopping up there at the NAS Jax a couple times a year. You are about 8 hours from me. My daughter lives out your away in Tallahassee. Wow you are a long way from Camp Blanding. Well, I don't know what the terrain is like where you are, but I think there might be a lot of swamps over there by the state line which are fantastic for deer hunting and hog hunting. Well as I said I am no expert, but it was my favorite thing to do for the 8 years that I was stationed out west. Now I am just an old has been that wants to go but since my heart attack and our son that hunted with me moved to North Dakota I haven't been very much. I am concerned about going by myself with a bad heart especially trying to drag out a deer or a hog by myself. I guess I am afraid I will have a heart attack by myself out in the woods. So, I am torn between really wanting to go because hunting was what I loved to do my whole life and thinking that it's just not a sensible thing for me to do anymore.

I feel your pain. I’ve got two heart stents, a carbon fiber cage and titanium plate holding my neck together and just survived cancer. I’m 65 in a few days. I’m not new to deer hunting, I just haven’t done it in a long time. But, the stories on this forum and one of my three grandsons hasn’t hunted and wants to have reignited the urge lol. My wife has offered to go with me. I’d offer to go with you, but being 8 hours away wouldn’t help you much. You’re a veteran, contact the FWC and see if they can get you on a veterans hunt. I didn’t feel ready to drag a deer and so I asked my grandson if he would like to try small game or predator hunting first. Where were you stationed out west? I was at Moffett Field.

 

[Ezana4CE]

Species Season Dates and Bag Limits

seasons, dates, limits, bag limits, species

myfwc.com

The way I’m reading it there is no limit, but I would give the local field office a call and have a conversation, I have talked with them about other issues in the past. They’re great to deal with in my experience, wanted to help and educate.

Have a purpose to hunt them would be helpful if you’re concerned about wasting an animal. I would think they would be a nuisance animal unless yall have a hunting season for them. If you have a season, I’d think they’d be classified as fur bearers. That’s about all I know them to be good for after you kill them besides food for scavenger animals. Or maybe you want their glands to make lures. I had a young Native man ask me for pelts not long ago. They use them ceremonially from what he explained.

You don’t have to waste the pelts. If it’s in decent shape, you can wait until morning light if it’s not too hot and humid and skin the funky things. Then take the pelt, fold the bloody side in on itself, roll the pelt, freeze them, and sell them. They aren’t worth much these days to my understanding.

 

[Billm]

Species Season Dates and Bag Limits

seasons, dates, limits, bag limits, species

myfwc.com

The way I’m reading it there is no limit, but I would give the local field office a call and have a conversation, I have talked with them about other issues in the past. They’re great to deal with in my experience, wanted to help and educate.

Species Season Dates and Bag Limits

seasons, dates, limits, bag limits, species

myfwc.com

The way I’m reading it there is no limit, but I would give the local field office a call and have a conversation, I have talked with them about other issues in the past. They’re great to deal with in my experience, wanted to help and educate.

There’s no limit or season as they’re none game. Some of the WMAs have restrictions though.

 

[Billm]

Have a purpose to hunt them would be helpful if you’re concerned about wasting an animal. I would think they would be a nuisance animal unless yall have a hunting season for them. If you have a season, I’d think they’d be classified as fur bearers. That’s about all I know them to be good for after you kill them besides food for scavenger animals. Or maybe you want their glands to make lures.

You don’t have to waste the pelts. If it’s in decent shape, you can wait until morning light if it’s not too hot and humid and skin the funky things. Then take the pelt, fold the bloody side in on itself, roll the pelt, freeze them, and sell them. They aren’t worth much these days to my understanding.

They’re non-game here too. I’m personally not concerned about using them. My experience with gut piles etc., is that there will be nothing left within an hour or two. I just don’t want to break any rules.

 

[Chief55]

We had a detachment at McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento and an air station in Astoria OR in the NW corner of the state. I was 4 years in Sacramento and actually 5 years in Astoria.

I have 3 stents in each leg, a blocked artery in my heart so only one side is doing all the work and have had cancer twice, oh and I am 71. Aren't we the pair of miss fits. I got a small block and tackle rig to help me drag something out if I make up my mind to go and managed to get anything big. Not likely to happen around here without going up a tree and that's not happening. But my wife keeps telling me to just go have fun shooting in the backyard.

In that they are a non-game animal the waste rule may not apply but I don't know ask them I would like to know what they tell you.

​

 

[Billm]

We had a detachment at McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento and an air station in Astoria OR in the NW corner of the state. I was 4 years in Sacramento and actually 5 years in Astoria.

I have 3 stents in each leg, a blocked artery in my heart so only one side is doing all the work and have had cancer twice, oh and I am 71. Aren't we the pair of miss fits. I got a small block and tackle rig to help me drag something out if I make up my mind to go and managed to get anything big. Not likely to happen around here without going up a tree and that's not happening. But my wife keeps telling me to just go have fun shooting in the backyard.

In that they are a non-game animal the waste rule may not apply but I don't know ask them I would like to know what they tell you.

​

Sometimes it’s ok to be a misfit lol. I’m guessing you were coast guard. I will ask about the wanton waste.

 

[Grunt64]

I am thinking about going out and attempting some Coyote hunting. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve seen plenty of Coyotes while deer hunting, but didn’t want to spook any deer and so I passed on them. I haven’t hunted since 2008 and I’m a lot older now and so it won’t be as intensive an effort as I might of done in the past. I mentioned Southern, because here in Florida, it won’t be a long distance shot. More than likely it will be 75-125yds maximum. I’m a little spooked by bears right now and so I’m thinking of attempting to do it from a ladder stand. I’m not interested in nighttime hunting. All the coyotes that I’ve seen while hunting have been daytime sightings and except for one, from a tree stand. I'll buy a caller, but I’m not going to spend $300 on one, unless it becomes an obsession. I’ll use the Sonoran .30 for now. If it seems worth pursuing (actually see one) I might splurge on a big bore. I plan to take my grand kids one at a time. I’d like to hear some experienced or interested coyote hunters opinions on coyote hunting in general. This is not intended to be another thread discussing the merits of one particular caliber over another. Let’s assume that the chosen caliber is enough for the given conditions. Maybe discuss the pros and cons of the different methods such as ground blinds, tree stands, decent callers, where to place a caller in a wooded area. What do you do with a dead coyote. What about camo, cover scents etc.? Here in Florida there’s no bounty for them and technically if you don’t use the animal, it’s wanton waste. At, the same time many years ago I was hunting Camp Blanding a National Guard base and mentioned to a warden that I’d seen a coyote and no deer and he chewed me out in a nice way for not shooting it. Let’s hear it.

I’ve only hunted coyotes up here in upstate NY, and all of mine have been at night, so I can’t speak directly to southern daytime patterns. But their instincts don’t really change with the clock. They’re extremely wary of movement, shape, and especially scent. They’ll almost always try to swing downwind of you or the caller, no matter where you hunt them.

For callers, I’ve got a FoxPro and a cheap Icotec GS300, and both have brought coyotes in. For me, the brand hasn’t mattered nearly as much as placement, wind direction, and keeping my scent under control. If the wind is wrong or the caller is too close to you, they’ll bust you no matter what sound you’re playing. I usually put the caller out front and off to the side so they’re not coming straight to me.

If you’re hunting during the day, a cheap ghillie suit can help break up your outline. Coyotes pick up on anything that looks out of place, and they’ll spot movement fast. They trust their nose first, eyes second, and they’re smart enough to circle the sound if they can.

I could go on about this stuff — every time I go out, I learn a little more. They’ve probably beaten me more times than I care to admit, lol. If I can help you in your hunt, feel free to ask. I’m in no way an expert, just sharing what’s worked for me up here.

And Billm, one more thing — if you’re hunting during the day down there, it’s never a bad idea to carry a good bear spray with a 30‑foot range. Keep it where you can reach it, not buried in your pack. It’s just smart insurance so you’re ready for anything.

 

[Grunt64]

We had a detachment at McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento and an air station in Astoria OR in the NW corner of the state. I was 4 years in Sacramento and actually 5 years in Astoria.

I have 3 stents in each leg, a blocked artery in my heart so only one side is doing all the work and have had cancer twice, oh and I am 71. Aren't we the pair of miss fits. I got a small block and tackle rig to help me drag something out if I make up my mind to go and managed to get anything big. Not likely to happen around here without going up a tree and that's not happening. But my wife keeps telling me to just go have fun shooting in the backyard.

In that they are a non-game animal the waste rule may not apply but I don't know ask them I would like to know what they tell you.

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Chief, I know you Navy guys like your comfort, so if you see me sitting on the ground instead of a padded seat, don’t worry — that’s just how we did it in the Army. Just a friendly poke my friend.

 

[Billm]

I’ve only hunted coyotes up here in upstate NY, and all of mine have been at night, so I can’t speak directly to southern daytime patterns. But their instincts don’t really change with the clock. They’re extremely wary of movement, shape, and especially scent. They’ll almost always try to swing downwind of you or the caller, no matter where you hunt them.

For callers, I’ve got a FoxPro and a cheap Icotec GS300, and both have brought coyotes in. For me, the brand hasn’t mattered nearly as much as placement, wind direction, and keeping my scent under control. If the wind is wrong or the caller is too close to you, they’ll bust you no matter what sound you’re playing. I usually put the caller out front and off to the side so they’re not coming straight to me.

If you’re hunting during the day, a cheap ghillie suit can help break up your outline. Coyotes pick up on anything that looks out of place, and they’ll spot movement fast. They trust their nose first, eyes second, and they’re smart enough to circle the sound if they can.

I could go on about this stuff — every time I go out, I learn a little more. They’ve probably beaten me more times than I care to admit, lol. If I can help you in your hunt, feel free to ask. I’m in no way an expert, just sharing what’s worked for me up here.

Thanks, great information