night hunting for coyotes
 

I have hunted coyotes with some good results during the day but I have never hunted at night. I would like to try it some time. can anyone give me some advice about it?

RE: night hunting for coyotes
 

no but it sounds fun!

RE: night hunting for coyotes
 

yep it does sound like it would be cool.....but ive only hunted foxes and coons at night....

RE: night hunting for coyotes
 

Its pretty much the same, but you need to take a little more caution at nite, hunting partners and shotguns help on the ones that sneek in!. Check your state game laws, some states you can use lights others you cant, here in Georgia you can use a light of 6 volts or less. Also at nite I tend to tone down my calls when I start, sound travels farther at nite do to less activities, have fun and stay safe!

RE: night hunting for coyotes
 

You need to be awear of a bear or lion may attack you from behind

RE: night hunting for coyotes
 

download the night hunting seminar at Bark at the Moon Coyote Club

RE: night hunting for coyotes
 

Last night there were coyotes all around my house. I first heard them out back around 8pm and by 9:30 they were running all over my yard.I'm guessing they were after/smelling my rabbits I have out in my barn. Hard to count how many but I saw 6-7. I stayed up till around 2am listening and watching them.I'm getting my license now and a permit to hunt these punks at night. I know they have a den about 3/4 mile from me.I do hear them yelping quite often at night.I'm going to sit on my barn and use a tape I have of a rabbit in distress.Just need to check the laws first in Maine.It will probably scare the heck out of my rabbits.

RE: night hunting for coyotes
 

Personaly, if they are comeing around quite a bit, I wouldnt use a call, they will assotiate your call withgetting shot atand quit comeing to it. You probably have the best set-up already, I would shoot them like that for now and go to a call later!.

RE: night hunting for coyotes
 

Hunting coyotes at night is challenging but can be very rewarding. Totally disregard the comment about not using a call (total misconception). I've been hunting coyotes since I was old enough to hold a gun. Here are some sure fire techniques and rules to follow that will DEFINITELY help you out (tried and tested in many states in various areas).
#1. SCENT - make sure you are not emitting one that is easily detectable.
#2. BAIT - use a cotton tail, table scraps, almost any carcas will suffice.
#3. LOCATION - make sure you break up your sillouette if there is a moon out or other lights. Also make sure that you are not hunting down wind. And make sure that you can see for atleast 100 yards in the direction that you are intending to see the little boogers so that you can spot their eyes reflecting before they can pick up your scent.
#4. GUN SELECTION - I have found through the years that the best gun beyond doubt and question is a 22LR. If you go crazy with a large caliber it will scare off every coyote within hearing distance or atleast make them wary of coming in close enough for another shot. 22LR - not very loud, still effective out to 80 or 90 yards (used properly by a decent shooter/"hunter") and not very expensive.
#5. CALLS - USE THEM, THEY WORK CONSISTANTLY! If the coyotes get to where they won't come in for one kind of call change. The calles that I use are cotton tail distress, jackrabbit distress, fawn distress, woodpecker distress, quail distress, and sometimes even a turkey call at night (make it sound erratic like it just got pounced out of a tree by a bobcat) works pretty good.
I have more tips and information on where to find these calls and if you are interested just email me at: [email protected] and I will be glad to help you out any way I can.

RE: night hunting for coyotes
 

Did you read what he has for a set-up, running his yard all night! why in the world would you want to use a call and get them shy of it, you might kill a couple but the rest will soon spook because of the call and following shots. I would take advantage of the live rabbit odors to lure them in for now!, just as we do here from all the chicken houses. We only hunt a perticular house for one night then let it sit for a couple of days, they will try to come back in to a feeding type area very quickly, if they are not harrased they will keep comeing back!. I agrea, if you dont have a natural set-up, calling is the way to go, but just realize, too much calling is a bad thing also if you hunt the same area over and over they will shy away when they hear it, I lost one of my best set-up areas do to a guy that got permission to hunt an ajoining property, he broke out electronic calls, mouth calls and everything else except the kitchen sink, after close to a weak straight the dogs just quit comeing around.
You listed some pretty good tips though, but as far as just seeing 100yds where you think they will be comeing from is a big no-no at night, you need good visability 360 degrees around you when preditor hunting, depending on where your hunting is what other preditors will also be out there, panthers, lions, bears and what-ever, you need to know they are there pretty quick and you need to be able to defend yourself in that case, thats why a buddy and a shotgun come in handy!.

RE: night hunting for coyotes
 

Ok, I'll take the hits for not totally explaining everything for those WITHOUT common sense.
Yes, by all means always make sure you can see all arround you for as far as you deem necessary. All I was pointing out is that distance can be your friend and 100 yards is nominal (a good idea in other words). Other predators can be on the prowl and can be quite dangerous. However, have you ever heard of a secondary weapon (I carry one any time I'm hunting, fishing, hiking, or any outdoor activity - it's just a SMART thing to do, you know, to protect yourself - duh!).
As for the calls, don't listen to this nut, evidently he didn't read everything.
I don't suggest or imply that you should use the same call all the time - they do get wise to that kind of misuse of a hunting call. I use calls all the time in the same location all the time (sometimes with and sometimes without bait/carcass) and I can tell you right now that, now pay close attention, USING DIFFERENT KINDS OF CALLS (different animal sounds of distress -all of mine are NOT digital or recorded, I do them all manually so I have control over the sounds, intensity, pitch, etc...) IS VERY, VERY, VERY EFFECTIVE. I try one call for about 30 to 45 minutes, if I see nothing, I move on to the next call (that is why some dumb butts don't think they work is because they use only one call all the time). They might come in for one call one night, or 3 nights, or for several weeks. The next time it might not work at all - so try another kind of call, don't get stuck in a rut. The "manually" operated calls are also cheaper than the recorded or digital calls (usually).
I don't know if the person criticizing my input actually has any professional standing for which he based his comments (sounded more like a shade tree weekend warrior to me), but I worked with and for several professional trappers who also specialized in vermin control (fancy for varmit killers). I live in an area where there are lots large ranches with lots of cattle and the ranchers pay good to have their large money cattle protected from predators (in other words I did and do this for a living - and a dang good one at that). Since I started with one of the ranches they have had no cattle loss to predators. I have spent lots of time doing my research on this and I can tell you for sure what works and doesn't (I have done this in more than just one small area or even one state). The only thing that really makes it hard is terrain and visability, all the rest you just have to experiment with the things I told you, have some patience, and don't get stuck in a rut with your methods. I may hunt the same spot/area night after night, but that doen't mean that I sit in the exact same spot or use the exact same method every night. Try picking several good spots to set up at to hunt an area. Use the one that puts the wind in your favor (if there is more than one, just pick one you like) and use it one night. The next night you might try another spot. The key thing to remember is to keep the wind in your favor and watch your back. Oh yeah, don't forget to carry a secondary firearm/weapon (large caliber pistol, short range large caliber rifle, sluggun/shotgun, or a really big knife).
Just for the record, I just got back from hunting again tonight (without bait and only with my calls to get them in) and I killed 16 coyotes, 2 bobcats, and 1 mountain lion.

RE: night hunting for coyotes
 

You sound like you watch too many hunting vidios from what I read, AND BY THE WAY! I GOT YOUR NUT! you jackass!, evedently you didnt read or understand the guys post I was responding to, so here it is for the reading impared!,he has never hunted them, and he has them comeing in for supper!. If you got them comeing into your back yard already, whats the sence of calling them!, why make them call shy after the first couple of times!, he is talking about shooting them in his back yard! not going all over the county. And some out there have never preditor hunted befor, they probably hadnt thought about critters comeing up behind them, esspesialy cats and bears, dont you think that is some pretty good info!. Im not a professional varmint hunter, never claimed to be, Ive just been doing it for 33 years!.

RE: night hunting for coyotes
 

For states like mASS. where you cannot use artificial lite.

So I finally got out last night. I had planned for night hunting this week cause of the full moon coming. The nights you can see at night are so few I never had to think about it much. SO I never payed attention to the moon rise times. I just thought when it dark the moon is out. It was so bright mon & tues I said I better get out wed. Well I went out and there was not a moon to be seen. SO after and hour or so I went home and looked at the rise time, 6:14 PM, well then it has to get up in the sky, which it did but not until about 9 or 10 for casting good light. SO next time I will know but that won't be until Feb 16th or 18th (only 3 day of good night lite) so plan for then if you want to give it a shot. It will be your last until next fall. The moon rise is approx 1 1/4 hrs later every day, not like sunrise.

And why didn't you guys tell us this earlier, shame on you I assume many have little experience with this no artificial light night hunting. So now we all know.

And don't forget. In MA, you can hunt until 12:00 Am but after 9:00PM only .22 rimfire rifle or smaller or .38 cal or smaller pistols from 9-12.


Off to NH next wkend to try it, we can use lights up there. Well my AR has a light, Illum Reticle, and red laser so I think its ready for any and all night encounters.

RE: night hunting for coyotes
 

Ahh!, but I did mention abouta light in my first post, cant get me there!!!LOL. As far as with any kind of hunting you need to check your state regulations. You might want to invest in a night vission scope if you cant use a light, some of the new 1st generation night vission has came a long way, and still affordable!,

RE: night hunting for coyotes
 

Us poor bastards that are unfortunate to live in a anti gun state (mASS[:'(]) have to hunt by moonlite when the few occasions occur. Nite scope is nice but if I can't see it coming in w/ my eyes I doubt a night scope will help me except empty my already barren wallet.:(

RE: night hunting for coyotes
 

Ok, you dingle berry! even if they are coming in without a call at first you will kill a few and then they'll catch on to that. I'm giving advice on more than just the here and now (like some other near sighted idiots) I give advice that could benefit more than just one night or one person. I don't care where you shoot them from. if you set up in the same spot every time they will come to expect it. Oh, YOU are the one who brought up the fact of critters coming up from behind them, all I offered was a common sense solution. And I have been at this for more than 40 years not like it matters anyways.

For everone else that may read this:
I don't know where your house is, I don't know the city you live in, I do know how to hunt coyotes (I do it a lot and make a living at it). The primary key with coyotes is to be unpredictable and patient. It doesn't matter what you use (guns, bait, calls, scent, etc...) don't get stuck in a rut and teach the coyotes what you are doing, be unpredictable and keep them guessing. Change your hunting patterns and you will be twice as successful at it. If you are shooting out of your back door to kill a coyote in your back yard, next time try shooting from a window or a side door (give it a try and you'll notice that you catch them off guard), just don't get a routine going or they'll catch on. Oh, and by the way, after you kill the first few and without a call (when they quit coming in) you can thin down the population even more if you will try calling (if you are at home you have time to try to do some calling - it can be lots of fun).

RE: night hunting for coyotes
 

Well now thats a whole lot better than how you started," totaly disreguard the comment on not useinga call! or as for the calls dont listen to this nut!". My advice is tried and tested also, and your right, coyotee hunting can be fun and it takes different technique's to keep them comeing in, its just my advice was for the guy that had them comeing in his back yard because of his rabbits.

RE: night hunting for coyotes
 

We have no choice in Jersey about a fairly quit gun like the 22LR.
We can only use 10 or 12 gauge shotguns at night.
Shotguns, .44 cal muzzle loader, and compound bows in the day.

RE: night hunting for coyotes
 

It's great down here. The only thing is, in South Carolina you can not carry a gun higher than a .22 mag at night... bummer.