Help Me Understand the Coyote

[UTGrad]

I have never hunted coyotes, but it sounds like a way I can hunt when no other animals are in season.

How good is their scent

How good is their vision?

Are they dumb, smart, timid, easily tricked, etc?

What are some of the best ways to hunt them?

Just the basics will help.

 

[Yotehntr]

Prepare yourself for the most difficult hunting. I've seen them about turn themselves inside out when they caught my scent downwind...about 130 yds away. I had showered in scent killing soap/shampoo. And washed my clothes with the same...I don't bother any more. You just have to "play the wind" Their vision is good...but can be fooled. As predators they "key in" on movement. Stay very still,... I mean don't move. When you see them coming don't move until they look away... don't worry, they always do. It's on of the strength's and weakness's they check their surroundings constantly. Their hearing is...well you know they are wild dogs. You have to be very quite. As far as...
"Are they dumb, smart, timid, easily tricked, etc?"
They are animals...and individuals. Some are some aren't, the young of the season getting away from "mom and dad" are pretty easy. Mom and dad are harder to trick.

 

[THE ONE]

Prepare yourself for the most difficult hunting. I've seen them about turn themselves inside out when they caught my scent downwind...about 130 yds away. I had showered in scent killing soap/shampoo. And washed my clothes with the same...I don't bother any more. You just have to "play the wind" Their vision is good...but can be fooled. As predators they "key in" on movement. Stay very still,... I mean don't move. When you see them coming don't move until they look away... don't worry, they always do. It's on of the strength's and weakness's they check their surroundings constantly. Their hearing is...well you know they are wild dogs. You have to be very quite. As far as...
"Are they dumb, smart, timid, easily tricked, etc?"
They are animals...and individuals. Some are some aren't, the young of the season getting away from "mom and dad" are pretty easy. Mom and dad are harder to trick.

Like YOTE said prepare yourself for the hardest hunting of your life! Also i think moon phases have alot to do with there feeding process! No moon reaction goes up big moon they become more nocturnal!

 

[Joe Stephenson]

What they said.....

They really are hard to hunt sometimes, but I feel they are the most rewarding animal to hunt because they are such a challenge.

Good Luck!

 

[Plateau Hunter]

It goes something like this:

A feather fell from the sky; the hawk saw it, the owl heard it, and the buck smelled it. Only the coyote did all three.

They are smart and wary. PH

 

[1 good shot]

a coyote hates foxes and will go out of his way to kill one
when i lived in wyoming we used to drag scent pads with fox urine down to the water holes and set up where we could a good shot and it worked more times than not
i used fox scent here as a cover scent and had coyotes trail me to my deer stand so it works here too
they can detect movement visually up to a quarter of a mile away and you hardly ever see one standing still
so if you are heavily camoflaged don't move your weapon until he is in a position for you to get a shot because he will zero in on you to see what you are and will usually stop till he figures you out.so move your gun into position to stop him and shoot quickly
coyotes know turkey like to roost near water and they like to travel creeks anyway so a turkey call works really for me especially at sunrise and sunset
right now the female are feeding more as they are nursing and if you hunt along water in the deep woods you should get more frequent opportunities
there should be an abundance of puppies this year because they breed according to food supply and with so many deer dying the last couple of years from EHD food was readily availiable
they have a genetic switch in lean years limits the number of puppies
the year after yellowstone burned there were so many injured animals that did not survive the cold weather that the coyote population boomed . my buddy killed a female that had 11 puppies
they live a lot longer out west because heartworms are not as bad there. normally here 2 1/2 years is an average life
chicken that has gone bad really draws them so hope this helps and good luck

 

[TN.Frank]

http://varmintal.com/coy5-20.htm
Here's a pretty good link. From what I've read they've got a heck of a nose and hearing isn't too bad either. Eyes are about like ours and they are pretty smart.
I've been woke out of a sound sleep at 2a.m. by a few of em' yippin' away in the field behind the house. One of these days I plan on getting in the barn and callin' em' in so I can put a broadhead thru em'. Don't want them getting my barn cats or messing with the grandkids dogs.
You can download some of the mp3's and burn a CD then play it thru a small boom box ran by batteries to lure em' in if you can't find or don't have a call.
Anyway, good luck and if you get one post some pics. Talk to ya' later.