I saw six at one time crossing a field, only four made it across and one of them chased a deer back across the field 5 minutes later. It never got across the field again

howler, i don't want to start a peeing contest, but i feel i should explain some things.

first, when i said that if the coyote is within 300 yds its dead, yes. it is. i do head shots. i don't risk any chance of runaway's. regardless of what caliber i may shoot (204, 243, 8mm Chec Mauser). if the animal presents me with an open head shot its over.

i may not have all of the experience of some other forum members, but that doesn't mean that what is said is false. yes, 50 coyotes may seen like an unbelievable number, and if i had a way to get you to my farm i would show you in person what its like to be in the middle of two coyote packs working over a couple of deer gut piles with natural food sources (rabbits, squirrels, mice)depleated, heavy snow, and near zero predator hunting practices.

on an average, i'll see (this time of year) anywhere from 5 to 15 coyotes in a pack converge on a gut pile out at the farm. the most i have ever had is the 50. if i posted a pic there would be someone who would say that it was doctored, merely due to the fact that all you can see is a sea of faces, eyes, and body parts.

in my odd years of experience i have seen a variety of calibers fail to bring down a coyote from 200 to 300 yard ranges (17, 204, 22-250, 223) and i feel that i may not have been completely the caliber as shot placement.IE: a 32 gr V-Max was used on the coyote i shot in the rib that ran 5 yds before collapsing. however, a 34 gr winchester jhp in the rib at the same range (243yds) droppeda coyote of similar weight with only one extra step.

we shouldn't be arguing which caliber is best when nearly all calibers discussed (17, 204, 22 lr, 22-250, 223, 243, 25-06, 30-06, 308, 7mm, 8mm)will be, can be, could be, might be, maybe, if the wind is right.. . . . effective in killing a coyote. to each his own.

InMy Honest Opinion, (an opinion is like a skunk, everyone has one lying around their house, and every skunk stinks) a good penetrating round and good shot placement is two main ingredients in killing a coyote.

I still, and always will, question that you ever saw 50 coyotes on any one dead animal. 15 is one thing, BUT 50. How could you even count them all!And your "head shot" only remark at 300 yards and less is also questionable. Why in the world would you only aim for the head, when it's the smallest "kill zone" on a coyote, and don't tell me that if you hit the head it's dead, because faact is, if you miss the brain, it's not dead. BUT then you say you shot one in the side, hit a rib, so which is it, head shots only or where ever you can hit one?

If you can't tell, I am having a hard time swallowing your statements, and from here out, I will take any thing you say with a grain of salt!

Ditto!

The 222. is a nice gun for yotes out to 200 yards..I use an old remington 721 i can cover the groups with a damn at 100 yards...

i'm done. my last post for this discussion.

howler, think about what the 204 does to an animal when it is struck. the impact can often bust the inards. the same goes for the head.

i have taken a couple of shots in the body when i first started coyote hunting. i have made a decision that due to the fact that the rifle is extremely accurate, why not aim for the head.. . . the hide won't be damaged. . . .

and if you wish to take what i say with a grain of salt. . . do so. . . i'm not offended. i know there is no way tobackupmy statements over the forum.. . . unless someone see it for themselves, any post can be speculated.

when ever ya get the chance to travel to southern ohio. . . .adams, brown, highland, and scioto counties. . . november thru january is usually the best for the coyotes (rabbit population is down) drive some of the back roads and talk to some of the local farmers. . . they will tell ya all about the coyote problems.

too much salt can spoil the meat. . . .

Why not aim for the head? Well since it is the smallest kill zone on the target,, you tell me why!! Aiming for the smallest kill zone on a target that is going to give you plenty of time to aim is one thing, such as ground hogs or prairie dogs, BUT coyotes don't stand around long!! Pelt damage with the .204 is not going to be an issue, because the likelihood of a pass through, or a total blow because of a pass through, is not likely! So don't give me that logic!
I'd like to do a poll with guys that enter calling contests to find out the most popular caliber used. Any bets that it's not the mighty .204. Why would that be? And in that same poll, I'd like to ask them how many of them aim for the head? I'd bet 0!! It must be because none of them use "accurate" rifles!![]

howler, calm down. i'm not trying to stir up a revolt against the larger calibers. goodness no. when you do your poll, everyone will probably say 223 or 243. i understand. this mole hill has sprung into a moutain.

i think there is a difference between aiming at the head of a ground hog (baseball sized or smaller) and aiming at the head of a coyote (between a softball and a kid size basketball, cantelope, two grapefruits). take the coyote head and lay it next to the lungs of that same coyote. how much smaller is the head vs the lung area? look at the inside of the coyote skull. what fills up the largest area of that skull. soft tissue. a key part of the CNS. controls the involuntary actions of the body such as breathing and heartbeat. a car with a mortally damaged motor won't go too far. (if ya really want to see a good shot do a head shot with a jhp 243. . . . head? what head?)

i don't want you to think that a head shot is a MUST. i have found FOR ME that it is a quick response when hit. i simply rotate the gun on the tripod and when the crosshairs touch the head. .. . pop.

everyone has their own methods, and just because one guy holds his nose while fishing doesn't mean everyone should hold their nose while fishing.

what i do may not make sense to you, but it somehow works for me. its not that the coyote doesn't give me time to shoot. . . . i use the mentality that i don't want to give the coyote time to run. it's hard to run with no head or brain.

howler, you've made some good points. lets stop beating this dead horse and move on. i'm done.