Coyote hunting tips
 

I've never done this before, but I want to hunt coyote in the summer for a number of reasons:

1- It's not cold; I hate the cold and only put up with it for deer hunting and competitive shooting.

2- It gets me out hunting when it isn't deer season.

3- It's fun.

What pointers do you have? Is scent control as important as when deer hunting?

Consider that I am really only a marginal coyote hunter but I can offer this much advise. You'll get out of it what you paid for it.

1. In CO the best coyote hunting for me has been from Nov to the end of March.

2. Avoid big game hunting areas during big game seasons.

3. Find a mentor or friend who has some experiense.

4. I would suggest starting out with simple mouth calls like rabbit in distress.

5. If you are looking for nice pelts summer is a poor time to go.

6. I have only hunted coyotes in the summer at night, private land, with lights over bait.

7. Best places in CO to hunt coyotes for me has been the eastern half, but I know the eastern half much better.

Up to this point, I've only gotten one, but have called up a couple others at the wrong time; just playing with the call or all I had at the time was the .22. One thing seems to hold true, at least here in Indiana, they are where you are and will readily come to a mouth call or they are just not in the vicinity. I haven't worried about scent due to I always hunt so that I'm downwind and stay well hidden and very still. Here we have enough cover that camoflage isn't usually needed as long as you hold still. These are the methods that some of my co-workers and the local farmers have used for years. There is also a group that uses dogs, but the hunt can stream accross two or three different counties and you would need a four wheel drive truck. I haven't tried that--they are telling me also, that the coming winter months are the best time of year due to the coyotes are hungrier and more willing to come to a call-------John

mac - where you at in CO ?

dude you live in CO and you hate the cold ? ya see that right there is a problem LOL

Its kind like the faucet in my old sink....we have hot and we have cold. There is no handle in the middle.

Colorado is balmy compared to where I grew up! I'm in south central CO near FT Carson.

Scent control is not needed, BUT knowing where your scent cone is going is very important. The wide open spaces of eastern CO. allow a guy to set up a stand so that the wind is such that you can kill the coyote before he reaches your scent cone. In other words, kill'em before they get a chance to smell you.
You would probably find calling coyotes in the winter to be more successful for a couple of reasons. Less food available for them to eat and colder weather forces them to eat more and more often. Both lead to coyotes that come to the call more easily.
There's plenty of winter days that aren't cold, and deer hunters are easily avoided on the eastern plains.
The hot summer days are better for sitting under an umbrella shooting priarie rats.

^Wow, it's been awhile since I heard sound logic. Thanks for the sound logic!

But what tips do you have besides do it in the winter? How to call? When to call? Decoys to use? Etc.?

If you've never called coyotes before, I'd suggest buying a predator calling dvd and listen to the sounds and cadence of the sounds so that you have an idea of what you need to sound like, especially if you'll be using hand calls. There's not a hand call made that won't call a coyote, but some are better than others. If you'll be using an electronic call, try about any distress sound that it has. Sit in one spot and call off and on for at least 15 minutes, and longer if you get a vocal response from a coyote. Get in a spot where you can see any approaching coyotes, and kill'em before they smell you.
In the winter, I call all day long every chance I get because they will respond at all times of the day. In warmer temps. during spring/summer, mornings and evenings will be your best bet because they won't be nearly as active during mid day.
I don't mess with a decoy for the most part. A decoy is a piece of gear that's simply extra weight. It might help sometimes, but it'll spook'em sometimes too.

Fence lines and the edge of woods,Lil Dog is a good reed caller but takes practice also a digital call is nice if you can afford one i.e FoxPro Spitfire(cant see spendin more the a couple hundos on a call) is what I use now with Jack Attack decoy..Now that there is snow on the ground I'll get out again after BP is over in a week..Late Fall I zero'd my 22-250 in at 200 yrds but that all depends on what ya shoot,then I shot 100 and then 300 yrds to know were Iam at......I also use scent free spray to cover my odor up,other then that go out and see what works for you..Psssssss.I have a Prairie Panther .223 on my Christmas list(its on layaway) heeheehee.......I've seen more Yotes in late afternoon around here but thats not to say the early mornin is'nt good around here its just that I havent had my 3 pots of coffee yet.....

Good luck and shoot-em all............