# coyote tactics



## JxMAN25 (Apr 3, 2009)

so im getting my new .223 with in a week or 2, do i need to get a camo or is wood or composite ok. im obvioulsy new to coyote huntin in oregon theres mainly bursh and trees where i live, what is the best way for me to hunt them also what shuld i get as my first call (not digital) i dont want to spend to much money at first, Thanks jesse


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## fullmetalone (Jul 12, 2009)

doesn't really matter on the gun, can always get that neat camo tape that only sticks to itself. Id get a synthetic stock at least, holds up better. For calls get some sort of cottontail distress, and a howler. I use primos for both.


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## JxMAN25 (Apr 3, 2009)

so with my own reloaded shells is a .223 a good deer rifle as well


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## Kelly Hannan (Jan 9, 2007)

border line for Deer. Yes it will kill them with a well placed shot. If that is an issue go with a 243. I personally prefer wood to synthetic.

I agree on the distress, I personally would go with a couple different distress and not a Howler. I can't get the bast#### to come to a Howl, but I have killed lots with distress calls.


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## JxMAN25 (Apr 3, 2009)

well i was thinking about a .243 but are the shells very much more than the .223 price range whats the camparison in cost, thanks


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## fullmetalone (Jul 12, 2009)

pretty compareable, but you can find .223 dirt cheap sometimes because of the mil-surplus stuff out there.. I shoot a .243 and love it.


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## Mocsy (Jan 11, 2008)

when hunting deer with 223 i use remington umc 45 gran hollow points. i have had really good luck with them. would not use and full metal jackets. last ones i had wouldnt even kill a prarie dog if i didnt shoot it in the head


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## duckslyr (Nov 27, 2008)

make sure and check the oregon hunting regs before you use a hollow point for deer. i know it is illegal in Idaho.


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## kingcanada (Sep 19, 2009)

as to your camo question, i will say that it is more important to not be skylined. remember, a coyote stands 20" tall and what we don't see as skylined, he often does. stay well bellow the hill top and get a good bush or two behind you and you will be fine. i use a snow ghillie mostly now, but did kill plenty wearing carhartt coveralls with no camo for a number of years. a head net is helpful, especially if you are in the habit of being clean shaven.


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## JxMAN25 (Apr 3, 2009)

thanks so i got my .223 today and am woundering what i will gain if i handload my own shells can anyone help me out


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## kingcanada (Sep 19, 2009)

if you have the patience and time to work up a load, your biggest gain will be accuracy. if you know any target shooters, have them teach you the finer points of handloading. it would take volumes to describe every detail here. i will say that consistency in all aspects is of paramount importance.


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## JxMAN25 (Apr 3, 2009)

by the time i fill up a plastic container i have with used brass i shuld have enough money to buy the bullets and the powder and primer can anyone give me there recipe for hunting handloads for the .223


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## Goose Gitter (Oct 8, 2009)

in my area...calling with an interrogative howl with a distress call follow up...is the absolute trick in MN. you want calling tips go to the coyote doctors at www.huntingcoyotes.com


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## JxMAN25 (Apr 3, 2009)

Thanks for that link. So is an interrogative howl a bark and then a howl that is cut short. Thanks a lot that link answered a lot of questions.


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## kingcanada (Sep 19, 2009)

no, that is a challenge howl. the interrogation howl is the long, drawn out howl you often hear at sunset or sunrise. kinda like in the old western movies. the challenge is primarily used during breeding and when coyotes are denning. use it near a den during the spring and someone is coming to fight. during the breeding season, it will scare off young males, females will ignore it, but if you challenge the dominant male, he will likely come to defend his turf. it is a low percentage tactic best used when you know that a dominant male may be near or when one issues the challenge after your interrogation howl. be patient if that happens, these cussing matches may last 40 minutes. using the interrogation howl is a good way to help convince a coyote that another coyote is killing that rabbit and that they should come steel it. as a result i use a higher pitched sound to mimic a younger, more easily defeated coyote. a wimpy dog if you will. Randy Anderson/ Primos have a good dvd that goes into good detail about these sounds. check out the "truth" and "calling all coyotes" series with Randy, along with "the best of the quest"/ "predator quest" series with Less Johnson. you will love both. both of these guys really know their stuff and share lots of advice. most footage is also fall and winter stuff rather than summer (easy pups) footage. when a video shows the host regularly pulling in wised up, late season coyotes for the camera (one more guy and a camera to hide makes it tougher yet) then you need not doubt his credentials. be warned, you may become addicted to this sport.


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## kingcanada (Sep 19, 2009)

that dvd with all of the sounds, descriptions, and tactics is called "mastering the art". i just saw a copy of it in the classified section for $8. well worth the price indeed. it will get you a very good knowledge base to start from. before too long you will have them coming on the run! :run: :run: :run:


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## SaberX01 (Sep 25, 2009)

kingcanada said:


> ... ... ... Randy Anderson/ Primos have a good dvd that goes into good detail about these sounds. check out the "truth" and "calling all coyotes" series with Randy, along with "the best of the quest"/ "predator quest" series with Less Johnson. you will love both. both of these guys really know their stuff and share lots of advice .. .. ..


My brother, who's a big guide / outfitter in KS/NE, is neighbors with Les Johnson, he's an unbelievable preditor caller. Will be seeing Les at the coyote calling workshop Conrad MT in December. I've got a couple of his DVD's (I should get the rest, as they are awesome) and all of his Ruffidawg reed calls. Im not much into the electronic stuff though. If your not familiar with reed calls in general, thay can take a bit of getting used too, but once you've got the hang of them, there amazing to use. I started on the Coaxer doing allot of simple Mouse / Simple Rabbit calls to get used to it, I just wish I was 1/10th as good as he is with the things.

I'd highly recommend any of the Preditor Quest "Best of The Quest" DVD's for both the novice and salty dog callers. There's a wealth of informaiton in them.


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

Yeah the videos are good. I prefer Andersons or the Verminators videos. Les Johnsons are way to set up and cheesy with the camera work. I just dont like to watch them i guess, even though i have them. I like a more accurate depiction of the hunt, without all the soundtrack stuff.


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## kingcanada (Sep 19, 2009)

both can be cheesy, just listen to Randy's jokes! :lol: but i would rank both guys as top tier coyote hunters who have very good knowledge to share. their videos are so much better than the summer pup stuff that just shows lots of easy kills. i respect both men.
i agree about the e-callers. i don't mind using them, i just prefer a mouth call. heck, i even make them. my problem is that i already carry 2 ghg fully flocked crows for decoys/ distractions and my heaviest rifle weighs 17 lbs. if i get a double on a stand, that's a lot to carry back to the truck already. i used to carry both a shotgun and a rifle on stand too. you can get too much stuff to carry real quick. coyote hunting success often depends on mobility, no one calls 'em in at every set. more sets = more coyotes. an e-caller is however, extremely helpful if coyotes are making a habit of winding you at longer ranges. the do usually circle down wind. i like to call cross wind with my rifle pointed down wind. get you gun on an approaching coyote when he goes through a low spot or behind a bush so he doesn't bust you when you move.


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## JxMAN25 (Apr 3, 2009)

Wow that sure is a lot of info. So I went on my first coyote hunt this morning. All I had for a call was a howler and I didn't call any yotes in. So I think I will go to the store and get a cottontail distress call because we have lots of them around. Does anyone have any advice on what kind of call to get?


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

kingcanada....17 pounds thats a lot for a calling rifle!!!!

JxMAN25 if you don't know how to howl properly yet don't do it as you may do more harm than good on these young coyotes. Just get any distress call. Closed reed is best for a beginner but eventually you want to evolve to an open reed for more variance and stuff.


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## JxMAN25 (Apr 3, 2009)

ya i was planing on geting a cottontail call is there a brand you woul recomend to me


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

For closed reed the Dan Thompson PC-1, 2 or 3 are hard to beat.

For open reeds I like the Crit R Call and Verminator call lines.


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## JxMAN25 (Apr 3, 2009)

I just got a cottontail distress call and I don't know how to use it any advice would be appreciated, I have never herd a rabbit make a nois like that befor have you


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

Get one of the videos mentioned on here and try to copy what they sound like. As long as you sound like something having a crappy day they will come in (if they are in the mood :lol: :lol: )


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## 308 (Jul 10, 2007)

:lol:


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## JxMAN25 (Apr 3, 2009)

awsom im goin out again tommorrow morning and again befor dark to. thanks for the awsom advice


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## kingcanada (Sep 19, 2009)

17 pounds is still lighter than the coyote! and the coyote doesn't come with a sling! that gun is built for 2 things, long range work (400-700yards) or high winds. it is exceptional for both. my average dog gun is 9-11 lbs. complete, but i have a couple light ones too. the little martini cadet i built in college is about 6 1/2 lbs. with scope and sling. i don't use it much now days, but it was my only yote rifle for nearly 10 years.
i agree completely with the "crappy day" comment. rabbits usually aren't worried about holding a tune when they are being the main course for a coyote luncheon. try your sounds in front of an audience, if they beg you to stop, then you probably got it!


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## SaberX01 (Sep 25, 2009)

kingcanada said:


> both can be cheesy, just listen to Randy's jokes! :lol: but i would rank both guys as top tier coyote hunters who have very good knowledge to share. their videos are so much better than the summer pup stuff that just shows lots of easy kills. i respect both men.


I think Les has made his with more of a commercial mindset (and ya dont see the ones that got away like in Randy's), and Randy, more of "the hunter next door style". My brother has vid's more like Randy. I could also do without the Saturday Night Hadbangers Ball music from Mr Johnson's vid's. I picked up Randy's Calling All Coyotes II yesterday, and it's pretty good, showed many differnt types of calling based on the time of the season, which I found very informative, and he made a real nice 500+ yard shot at his place. I wish he'd do more shooting though, as I think, from what I saw, he looks to be a very good shooter.

Watching Les, you have to really pay attention, as he drops good advice, but it's spaced out a fair bit, but man that guy can make some shots.

I did notice however, he changed his tune on bullet types a couple times. For a while, it was 40gr/45gr Balastic Tips and then 52gr / 55gr BTHP's. May have been from the sequence of when things were shot v.s. where they ended up in the vid. The other thing I noticed was, he is "very" consistatent when getting into a set. The way he looks around, folds out his gun & positions it, shotgun placement, then call sequence. It's almost like its a replay somtimes, but it's not.

Either way, these guys are great callers, and know their buisness well. If I could ever call half as good as they do, I'd be a reall happy hunter.


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## JxMAN25 (Apr 3, 2009)

well ive gon calling every afternoon befor dark and most mornings and i havnt called one in yet can anyone give me some advice.


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## gsehnter-bloms (Dec 16, 2007)

I just started about 2 years ago and if I were you I would buy some coyote hunting dvd's as they can help a lot and also practice calling but most of all just keep trying hard at it. I have made tons of stands where we see absolutely nothing but the times that you do makes it all worth it.


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

kingcanada said:


> most footage is also fall and winter stuff rather than summer (easy pups) footage.


Or late winter/early spring pairing season footage. :wink:


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## kingcanada (Sep 19, 2009)

sounds like getting set up may be the problem. if your calling sounds like brief moments of pure misery for some critter, then i would rule that out. i will go through some of my routine here. 1st and foremost, coyotes can not know that you are in the area. a quiet truck is important. driving in and parking unnoticed is a must. if they see (or hear) the truck, you're outta luck. next hurdle is to sneak in to your stand unnoticed. walking along or over the sky line will get you busted. approach through a draw or high brush, trees etc. next thing is to keep in mind that coyotes like to get down wind. if they have a ravine or washout to use for that, they will wind you and leave without being seen. draw them out into the open and watch out for that down wind approach. be sure to sit were a 20" tall coyote can't see your head sticking up above skyline. this is tougher than folks realize. with their eyes so close to the ground, most things are on the horizon. in recent years i have traded some visability to solve this problem by sitting at the base of a hill instead of the top. things do sometimes happen faster though! be ready if you try it. i usually call sporadically for about 15 minutes, longer if i think i am in real good country, kind of a gut feeling. if snow is deep i call for 20 minutes since the yotes can't travel as quickly. a howling session may go for 30 minutes and is generally more difficult and drawn out since you are appealing to different instincts. a great way to call in dogs is to use your howler to make pup whines and squalls. just sound like a small dog getting run over by a car. it's a sound that has even surpassed the rabbit for me. it however can scare off many yotes during the breeding season. the smaller dogs are already tired of being chewed up by the dominant males at this time and don't care to get another helping.


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

SaberX01 said:


> I picked up Randy's Calling All Coyotes II yesterday, and it's pretty good, showed many differnt types of calling based on the time of the season, which I found very informative, and he made a real nice 500+ yard shot at his place.


Calling All Coyotes II is still my favorite video of all time. He did that one before getting wrapped up in the Primos stuff.


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## JxMAN25 (Apr 3, 2009)

wow thanks. canada. so does it help much to set up in the shade and is it a big deal if you dont :sniper:


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## kingcanada (Sep 19, 2009)

sitting in the shade helps immensely, i should have mentioned that! getting the early morning/late evening sun behind you works wonders too. i try to set up this way when i can. sometimes it would mean calling directly downwind or to the wrong direction, so it's not absolute. if i need to call a creek bottom and will face into the sun as a result, then i try to stay as low as reasonable with some good sized sage around me to break up my outline.
another note: creek bottoms. valleys and creek bottoms with a variety of habitats and good cover will hold more food and therefore more coyotes. i don't know if you have studied about riparian areas in school yet, but these hold the highest concentrations of coyotes when they are on the hunt. midday will have them back up in the hills resting.


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## JxMAN25 (Apr 3, 2009)

thanks that is good to know, by creek bottoms you mean dried creeks right?


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## _Addicted-_-to-_-Hunting_ (Oct 11, 2009)

Fallguy said:


> SaberX01 said:
> 
> 
> > I picked up Randy's Calling All Coyotes II yesterday, and it's pretty good, showed many differnt types of calling based on the time of the season, which I found very informative, and he made a real nice 500+ yard shot at his place.
> ...


just watched calling all coyotes V and wooly had 700 yard shot with no rangefinder and another guy had a 615 yard one


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## Marine Sniper (Aug 23, 2009)

i like a primos **** Squaller and a distress call both have made good results


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## JxMAN25 (Apr 3, 2009)

ya im gona go out again tommorrow and tonight maby ill get lucky


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## JxMAN25 (Apr 3, 2009)

nope nothing, is there anyone in oregon that would be willing to take my dad and i. or offer some advice


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## kingcanada (Sep 19, 2009)

JxMAN25 said:


> thanks that is good to know, by creek bottoms you mean dried creeks right?


both. dry creeks come in 2nd place to active streams. water means more food, that means more coyotes. look for whatever food source is most plentiful in your area. usually it is some type of rabbit. find the highest concentration of this food source and the coyotes won't be far away.


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## JxMAN25 (Apr 3, 2009)

cool thanks so is it ok if i set up in a place that there may be coyotes behind me


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## kingcanada (Sep 19, 2009)

if others are hunting the same area try using a pup distress or something other than the rabbit. if coyotes are sitting out in the distance barking at you,you've been busted. keep at it and keep us posted. you have acquired an audience! :beer:


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## JxMAN25 (Apr 3, 2009)

thanks, i sighted in my .223 dead on at 110 yds shuld i make it higher or is it ok how it is, i will totaly keep you guys posted on my failing calling hunts lol


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