ORIGINAL: Howler
Unless you're an excellent tracker with snow on the ground, as the blood trail will be scant at best!! I keep hearing about "head shots"! The coyotes I call in don't stand around much, so I have a hard time beleiveing that there are that many guys that can pull off "head shots" on a regular basis. And why carry a rifle that "limits" you to about 100 yards, and even then it's iffy. Why not use something that you can take the shot when the shot presents itself, pick up the fur ball and go to the next spot!!
I use head shots with the .17HMR only when i have the .17 with me at one time. I do pull off head shots with both my .17 and .308, and have no problem with pulling them off on a regular basis. I prefer my .308 for my normal yote gun, but like I said there has been times where I had only the .17. I do not take body shots with the .17, only with the .308. And as you said " Why carry a rifle that limits a 100 yard shot", sometimes that maybe the only gun a person purchased, had that day, or preferred was the tool that was available to him/her. For me, its not my first choice by far in a normal yote gun. And again, head shots can be preformed on a regular basis if needed as for the caliber of the gun. I don't think I have ever had a problem not having head shots taken on a normal basis.