MaddHatterAZ

Hello everyone.

I am new to hunting and am looking to go with a friend(who has not hunted either) this weekend for some coyotes here in Arizona.

Since this is our first trip, we are hoping for the best but know that we very well may come back with nothing. But its all a learning experience anyway

So some questions I have are:
*Animals have keen noses, so do people smoke when waiting for their targets?
*Calibers can be too small to humanely use, but can a round be too big(say you are not going to keep the hide or whatever)?
*Would you recommend I get a digital caller for my first couple times, a reed caller or something else?
*Any tips you want to offer to help me be more successful?

Thanks everyone!

Howler

FIrst thing when hunting coyotes is that there is an exception for every rule! With that said, when you set up to call a coyote, try to sit in a spot that allows you to have the best vision of anything that ends up downwind of you. Coyotes will almost always end up downwind of the sound. If a coyote gets to the point that it can smell smoke form your cigarette, than it is obviosuly also downwind of your human scent, the smoke won't keep your scent from being detected. If you're not saving the pelt, then use the caliber that you shoot the best. Actually, sometimes larger cal. guns with heavy big game bullets won't do as much damage as one would think. The heavy bullets just won't expand as rapidly without heavy bone to hit.
I'd guess that more coyotes are still called today with hand calls compared to Ecalls. I'd suggest a couple of hand calls for starters. If you find that you truely do enjoy calling and want to get "deeper" into it, then you could spend the money for a high dollar Ecall. For starters, a jack or cottontail rabbit distress will do just fine.

A couple of "tips", try to get set up in a position that allows you to see well, expecially your downwind side. Try to get into the area undetected, and make sure any approaching coyote can't see your vehicle. Wear good camo, sit in shade if possible. Don't move around a lot while calling, don't be talking to your friend while entering the area that you're going to call to. Have fun. Don't sit in one spot calling for more than 30 minutes. Don't get frustrated for the lack of action. Expect the un-expected. Did I mention, Have fun!!

reckling42

*Animals have keen noses, so do people smoke when waiting for their targets?
I dont while yote hunting.
*Calibers can be too small to humanely use, but can a round be too big(say you are not going to keep the hide or whatever)?
Yes
*Would you recommend I get a digital caller for my first couple times, a reed caller or something else?
I would say just pracitce on reed calls
*Any tips you want to offer to help me be more successful?
Remember what Howler said about the down wind thing. always be looking downwind, and play the wind.

Good luck and have fun!

millagerobert

All good advice, you might invest in a decoy, they can help distract a coyote to give you a little more time for a shot.

A11en

A few years ago I decided to hunt coyotes. I read everything I could get my hands on. Got on the web sites and downloaded several mp3 sounds to create a CD. I took a CD player, my camo, and my .243 and headed to our hunt club. I set-up the CD player in the center of a 100 yard X 300 yard field. Then sat on the field edge on a cross wind (expecting the coyotes to come from down wind).

I started the CD player (with 6 minutes of silence to allow me to get to my stand). After a challenge bark and a hurt pup sound, a largecoyote trotted onto the field about 200 yards away. I was so excited, I ended up shooting over its back and watched as it ran across the field and into the woods. I was felt sick for missing, but thought - calling them in was way too easy. I've set-up and called another 15 times since and have never got another shot. I've only seen two other yotes and just got aglimpse as they spotted me first and ran. I live in the east and calling the in wooded areas is challenging. I haven't given up, but its not easy hunting yotes in the East. The morale of the story is- Don't give up!

While in Colorado last year. I saw 4 yotes... they're everywhere. I've shot one and did a full mount.

MaddHatterAZ

I, Myself am not a smoker, so I dont really worry about it. My friend however is. Should I just restrict him to smoking between stands? Last thing I want is to have my chances reduced.

And you can only carry 1 long barrel gun correct? But you can have a pistol sidearm with a longbarrel gun right? Im in AZ if that matters at all.

Also, how far should I move from one spot to the next? Would that distance be different if I shot at all?

I got a mouth call from the bass pro shop. I wanted a digital caller, but I think that a mouth caller would prolly give me more control in the call. This one came recommended by someone there. I was reading some things about how to use a closed reed call, anyone have any reading they could suggest for this?

The gun I was going to use is my Mosin Nagant with the 7.62x.54r round. I know its a little on the larger side for coyote, but it should work to see how I like hunting coyote(which I think I will really enjoy) The only thing is I don't know if my friends are as patient as I am. I'd be able to go out for hours and try but I fear that my friends will want to call it a day if we get nothing in the first 2 or 3 hours.


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Howler

Most coyotes will show up with in 10 minutes, so just sit on a stand for 15 minutes and surely your friend can skip smoking a sig. for that long. Two of ya hunting, no reason to carry two guns each. One gun a piece should suffice.
There are several factors to concider when deciding how far to move between stands. If you're in an area that is loaded with coyotes, 1/2 mile might be enough distance, even if you fired shots. BUT if the coyotes are far and few between, then move far enough to find more coyotes, hopefully you can look at the terrain and have an idea if it looks good or not. How windy it is also comes into play when deciding how far to move from stand to stand.
It's been said to "mimic a crying baby" with your call. That's a fairly decent dicription. Blow for a 30 sec. to 1 minute series, and sit and watch for a minute or two, or less, or more, and repeat several times until something shows, or until your friend needs a smoke.
Many a veteran coyote caller has had days that they couldn't/didn't call a coyote, no matter how good they are or how hard they tried. Don't be surpirsed if you get skunked your first time out. If your friends can't stick it out any longer than 2 or 3 hours, go with out 'em, take your camara and show'em what they missed.

yodeldog3

Oh yeah, Some of the best days i've had calling dogs have been alone. An extra set of eyes is always good , but the wishes of your buddy never comes into play when your alone. If you do get a dog and kill it , keep calling for a bit, thay do come in twos often, and if you kill a female the male may hang around for a second shot.

Howler

That's a good point yodeldog, that just because a coyote comes and you shoot, no matter if you kill or not, it's a good habit to keep calling, especially if the first coyote showed up with in the first couple of minutes. Les Johnson has some footage of a stand that they kill 4 coyotes, and each coyote came in seperately, over the course of about 20 minutes. In other words, a gun shot does not mean that the stand is over.

garbsie

A rifle round can never be too big as long as you have a safe backstop and you are not planning on keeping the hides. all you need is a .223 rem to drop him.