Know the Coyote
I always think it is important to know as much as you can about the prey you are hunting. I have been hunting my whole life. My father, himself a wolf hunter in the 20’s, taught me to hunt when I was a boy and I have been learning ever since.
The more you know about your target animal the better you will get. It also helps if you respect them. And trust me, the more you know about the coyote the more you will respect him.
Coyote Populations Growing
Unlike most of the big game in North America, the coyote has actually expanded its range as people have moved in. As wolf populations have declined the coyote has moved right in to take over the niche. They are more comfortable living around humans than wolves so they can adapt to the changes that people have brought. Their cleverness and adaptability have served them well and their numbers are growing.
This means there are more and more of them to hunt.
Often there will be a bounty in your area for coyotes when the population gets too high and they begin harassing local livestock or pets.
Once they are in a suburban or even an urban setting they get to be much smarter and less afraid of humans. So if you are ever doing a cull in these areas it isn’t so tricky to get close to them.
Hunting Coyotes in the Wild
But out in the wild they are very wary of people and unless you know how to call them, you will have a hard time. Their hearing, vision and smell are so good that sometimes I swear they have a 6th sense for people. Sometimes it seems they will bolt if you just think the wrong thought.
But there are some things you can know that will help you in “out-cunning” these guys.
They are territorial and they usually have a family. They tend to hunt in pairs but there will usually be a family unit of up to 6. So when you want to get their attention you want to make them think that another family has moved into their turf.
The Right Kind of Call
Your calls can be male, female and young. This will kick in the territorial behavior of the coyotes and they will start to check things out and see who has moved in. By now you should be moved into your stand and scoping things out.
Again, they are clever as heck, and if you forget that they will get the better of you. They will be checking you out and a lot of times, if you aren’t careful, they will see you long before you see them. So learn all you can about their behavior and habits. And don’t ever underestimate them.
When you need them to come in closer you can use the other calls to make your distressed prey calls. If you get them in a territorial mood they will be that much more interested in coming in to get a meal but more importantly to check out the intruders.
Learn all you can before the hunt, and learn all you can from any mistakes you make during the hunt. You can never know too much about your target!
Happy Hunting!
Dan
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