I understand coyotes are on the top of the food chain in my neck of the woods (except for me ) but anyways, they have been really putting stress on the deer herd and other wildlife. A few weeks ago, my dad saw a pair of coyotes chasing a little doe across a hayfield. 3 days ago I found a rooster pheasant that was eaten and just last night, we heard a bunch of them howling not too far from the house... So I've tried hunting them in the past with calls and no luck.. I understand theyre smart dogs but I need to get rid of a few of them. Any help?
I am in the same boat in the Northwest area of Kane Co. IL. Last Friday I had a yote behind me that I almost had a shot on and a half hour later the biggest damn yote I have seen was out at about 100 yards with another good size one and what looked like three pups from this year. We are planning on taking them out with some AR's after this weekend with some calls or maybe a carcass if we get lucky this weekend.
I asked about trapping them a few weeks ago and got no response at all. I don't care how I get rid of them but, I wan' to whack as many this year as I can. It seems we don't have that many coyote hunters here.
Up my way we run em with hounds. I know a couple groups of guys that are out everyday. One group killed over a 100 last year.
Well trapping season is basically over here. And I'd have to agree, dont see too many people that go after coyotes.
One things for sure about coyotes,they ain't easy to kill.But ( IMO )rank right up there with big mature bucks and long bearded tom turkeys when it comes to hunting fun. Use the same scent control you would on a buck,complete camo,hunt the wind. Make your set so that you'll get a shoot at any dog that circles down wind ( because that what they do 99.9% of the time). It'll also help to tie a turkey feather to some thread for a decoy.That'll help pull their eyes from the caller and focus on where you want them to go.Make 20 to 30 minute sets then move 1/2 to a mile and make another set. It also helps to use either a siren or howler to locate em,then move in and set up. But be careful.Once you get one or two to come to the call,you'll be addicted for life. I'm headed outta here in the morning for some coyote hunting in middle Tn. Got my 22-250 ready to go with some Berger 55gr. hollowpoints:D Yeah,I tend to travel more for yotes than anything else.
Well, thank you for that Yote, I have one problem though. I have about 45acres to hunt them on and thats it. I guess I will have to try 1 hour sets at a time.
if they are not coming into calls then go on stand. wait for a road kill deer, call the dnr to get a carcass tag and cut off the quarters. put one quarter out per night for three days. sit on the last quarter on the 4th evening. i don't know on your laws for lights but if you can use lights then use red.. if not then wait for some snow and a bright moon. they will show up
I hunt them in the early morning or early dusk. Here in michigan we found using green film on our spotlights to scan doesnt scare them off. Calls can be tough and they are really smart and tend to stay in the woods. Ive also found that farmers and land owners if they know they have a predators on their land will almost always grant you permission to hunt them over deer. Ive never hunted over bait but have found alot of carcasses in the areas i set up. Good luck man and make sure you have your gun dead on out to some longer ranges. The chest on a average coyote isnt but 7 to 8" tall under all that fur and at 300 yards thats a hell of a target to hit.
one thing I'll add is a couple crow calls mixed in won't hurt as it usually means easy on the ground snack...I also wire up a crow decoy nearby and many times the yotes come in either looking at that crow or what the crow is lookin at...SCENT will be your biggest problem and movement second.
They say a coyote can pinpoint a mouse squeak from 1/4 mile away to within 10 feet, and have 1000 times better olfactory sensors than a whitetail. So being camo'd up and well hidden is a must, along with hunting the wind. Try hunting crosswinds and keeping the sun at your back if possible. Use a good backdrop behind you so they can't daylight you. If you use an electronic call, put it a little upwind and about 30 yards out. Bring a rifle and a shotgun. Take them w. the rifle if they are standing still and use the shotgun if they are on the move.
just go over to predatormasters forum and you can read all day long. Those guys know what they are talking about. P.S. that site also loads faster than this one. LOL
Surround a carcass with a circle of traps. I've had luck getting two or three in one night, but they get wise to it quick.
This is what i was thinking, I will set up a call and a decoy about 40yd north of me. I will sit in a tree stand on the west fence/property line about 25-30 feet up. The tree i want to be in is perfect with a spruce right behind it. The wind will be blowing in from the East North East which is our normal wind here. The pasture is cut green alfalfa with the decoy being in the edge of the next pasture that it grown up. The alfalfa pasture starts off about 10yd wide on one end than widens out to around 75-80yd in the middle then narrows back down to around 50 yd. They always seem to come in from the south here. I will have a field of view around 200yd to the north and about 400yd to the south so about 700yd total. I would like to get some with the bow but, may just pick off as many as we can with rifles then break out the bows later. Guess we will see if it works.
No offense but surrounding a carcass with traps is a POOR idea, not to mention illegal in many areas. Your Non target catches will be very high and a great way to catch birds of prey! You can use a carcass but your setting traps or snares where legal on the trails they will use into these baits back away from the bait proper. Predator control is not a 2 month deal it takes ample time and effort to keep coyote numbers in check. Early spring March and april a great time if legal to take out bred female coyotes. Also when they are on dens with pups and those pups get wenaed they will be after deer fawns. Summer time locate dens and use coyote vocals and deer fawn sounds and call and shoot. Try to locate those dens and take care of those pups. Good predator control is 9 months out of a year and takes alot of work and knowing of coyotes and seasonal changes. Snares are a deadly tool if Legal in your area, foot traps, calling use as many tools as you can and don't over use one or the other, as they will wise up in a hurry. Calling small areas too many times and not knowing where those coyotes are can lead to headaches, a trap is a tool that can take any coyote around. Coyotes are the ultimate predator we face, because they adapt quickly. Dens will be close to water, that is key to locating them early in the denning season. Close meaning within a couple 100 yards.
