Coyote Hunting -- lt dan Variant

[Art Eatman]

lt dan, in South Africa, said in that other coyote thread:

"i went jackal calling since your post about toys? been caling them, with the toys, they answer but they dont come closer. i think the pitch is to high. i saw a bat eared fox. killing range but we dont shoot them. there is a cattle calf bleeding for some reason not 25m from where i called. i will return tonight to see if the devils dont go for the calf. how often do you call on the same farm/place, we beleive that you must give 30 days before you call again on the same farm. research has shown that they can travel 22km a night. the jacals/coyote are a pest over here. the farm i am hunting on lost a stud bull of about a ton to jacal due to the fact that he was sick and layed down. i will take any sugestions as advice and will give feedback. thankyou sir."

[Art Eatman]

If critters commonly travel 22 klicks in a night, it could well be that the one who's in range tonight was 22 klicks away, last night. Or out of earshot of the call, anyway.

I know that calling night after night in a relatively small area (two-mile circle, for instance) seems to educate them that Brer Rabbit is lying.

I have several mouth-blown calls. They all sound generally like a hurt jackrabbit, but the pitch/tone/timbre is a bit different for each. So, I'll vary which one I use in any one area over a few nights. But, generally, I don't try every night in the same area.

[lt dan]

thank you art. we did go back last night. we shot 3 jackal. the thing is: they are so many that when we drove around, looking for a place to call ,we came across them. this happened 3 times, and we shot 3. we later totally abandoned the red lense from my strike force spot light. we couldn't find the bleeding calf nor the sick bull, but we did find a cow in the prosess of giving birth. we shot one jackal not 30 yards from her. however there were a lot more nearby. thus i am thinking of combining calling with something they can smell. as calling by day is not common practice over here i hope the added smell will help to attrack them. do you guys have any experience of calling in combination with bait?

[Art Eatman]

Coyotes will eat almost anything but onion skin and orange peel and such. I've collected an evening's worth of restaurant leavings, set it out the next morning, and by the morning after that there's nothing left. Raccoons and ravens help, of course.

So old food scraps, maybe add a recently-killed rabbit or equivalent; that'll work for bait.

I set up in some sort of crosswind location where I'm going to be unseen, at least fifty or seventy-five yards away. Depends on terrain and vegetation. Elevation above the bait-site is quite helpful, day or night. After that, it's mostly sit and wait. It doesn't hurt, I guess, to do a minimum amount of calling, just to get coyotes paying attention. But, the deal is to let the wind do the work.

[UniversalFrost]

yes, shooting over bait (old scraps helps). Personally, I like to also add a decoy that is moveable (i.e. twitching rabit hide) and mabe some guts or meat. Then use the call. This will bring them in no matter what. A triple whammy.

Alos, I use an electrical call box and combine it with a mouth call, or I also can use a hand call (I like the fighting squirrel calls, plus I can do a squirrel fighting/agressive call with my mouth and the hand call). This brings in the squirrels and yotes, so I get my choice of what to shoot.

JOE

[ELMOUSMC]

Just a quick note to anyone up in my neck of the woods I was out wandering around today(sunny 74 and windy to around 40mph) Had my spotting scope with me to windy to shoot.Glassed a hill side and saw a female "yote" digging on the opposite hill side focused in and all her faucets were full so the pups are here time to change calls ELMOUSMC

[lt dan]

can you give me more info on moveable decoys? i have seen this on you tube , but never in real life. we have shot 10 jackal on 10 hunts, i believe the problem is my scope. so i have bought a new scope. but as soon as the moon goes dark(14 days from now) i will try calling with the new scope and the bait. so by then i will like to know more about decoys.


i see i have opened a hornets nest(in a thread) by sugesting to a new hunter to use ar15 or mini 14 to take coyotes. is there a stigma to this rifles in the usa that a outsider dont know about? i had extensive mil training and did some house penatration with colt commandos. a family member of mine hase a mini 14, i shot with this rifle a lot. in my limited exposure to this rifles i was very pleased with the results. i do favour the colt commando due to the pistol grip. we later started using h&k mp5's. but i still think a semi auto .223 will hunt coyotes good. i hunt jackal with a .308. but my dream varminter is a semi auto .308(7.62mm nato).

[lon371]

Where I live, AR15 are common for coyotes. Most guys use what they have. Alot of people think you need a fancy special rifle for varmits. Those are the same people that have a special gun for each type of animal they hunt. Some have dont think military style rifles are good for anything but military functions. Some people are just crazy

[Art Eatman]

From a gazillion discussions about the Mini: The fly in the ointment is that the thin barrel heats up with firing and the result is large groups compared to other rifles.

The first shot from a cold barrel, in my experience with four of them over a twenty-year period, is for a hit right where I expected. By and large, the Mini does quite well for three-shot groups. One shot, one coyote, has pretty much been the case for me.

I always used a Weaver K4 on mine. Quite satisfied with the package.

[hogdogs]

I think the stigma stuck on folks heads regarding the AR platform is the same one that cost an outdoor writer his job... last name started with a "Z" is all I remember of him. I frequent some outdoors/hunting forums and see alot of guys using the AR as long distance (200+yards) varmint rifles. If a semi auto can be relied on for shooting tiny prairie dogs at these distances it is a great firearm. Folks need to get off their high horse and open their peepers to other platforms for an enjoyable effective trip hunting...
Now I got myself wanting me a UBR ...
Brent

[Art Eatman]

Jim Zumbo.

There are many variables and variants of the AR platform. "On average" they're not good for such as prairie dogs, at least not out at any great distance. However, the target versions can be very good. I had a Bushmaster Match Target (9.5 pounds) which would hold 1/2 MOA all day long. But, if I don't shoot rapid fire style, my seven-pound Ruger light sporter will, as well. I'd rather tote seven pounds than 9.5 pounds.

Art

[hogdogs]

Dats him, Art... as you may wella figgered I ain't no magazine readin' feller at all... The ones I read of have a longer barrel than often seen, cool sounding companies build them and fancy scopes adorn them. But from the income levels of some of the owners, they ain't too terribly much more $$$ than a plain one. Darn I gotta get off this AR subject as uncle sam is sending me enuff to get one but I doubt it would make a good pillow and I know momma would crap a ball bat and use it on me!
Brent

[lt dan]

what then is the difference between the colt commando and the ar-15 family? as far as i can see the ar looks the same as the colt i was issued with.

i still want to know everyones take on movable decoys. can i make this myself? is it manual operated?

[hogdogs]

One device is a childs toy that is a ball that wiggles and jiggles sporatically. A piece of rabbit hide cut in a long strip tacked to a post with a piece of fish string laced thru mid way... tugging on it from 20-40 yards would entice a yote from a long way out...
Brent

[10-96]

+1 on what Hotdogs said.
I got to look at a mechanical battery operated jiggling device at a local store- geez, I've driven military vehicles that didn't make as much un-natural racket as that thing! What would be the chances of luring in a deaf yote?

I'm thinking a floppy piece of fur (even faux fur) pulled over a pop bottle stuck on a sharp stick jabbed into the ground just a smidgen above grass level or in a clearing with a few drops of urine cover scent is in my immediate works. Set it out with 40' or so of fishing line whould do the trick.

[squibload]

I have a friend that hunts Coyotes. He told me he uses an electric radio controlled car that he put a rabbit skin on. He just drives it back and forth and around in a circle. The coyotes see that and come running. SO make a few rabbit in distress calls and run the car around a bit and I bet you get you coyote.

[Loaded4yote]

A bird feather (Turkey here) works also. Take a stick that's about 24" long or so. Tie a piece of string to the tip and tie the other to the feather. If the wind isn't blowing very hard the feather will wave about in a manner that the critters can't stand. If you've got a stiff wind it doesn't work so well. Might put a small swivel in between the feather and the stick somewhere or the string will twist right up on you. Kinda takes away from the effect.

Took my first bobcat last fall using this decoy. My buddy and I were in this small ravine. We put the call and the feather in the bottom then climbed opposite sides so that we were looking down over the call. We were there for probably 20 minutes and I happened to glance down at the call and there was a bobcat sniffing the feather not 20 yards from me. It was one of those oh s**t moments.

Anyhow it's worked pretty well for us.

[lt dan]

whats the popular mesurements for scopes you use for coyote hunting? i am sure it differs from something like a 223/ar-15 as to a 308? do you use different scopes for night hunting vs day calling?

i am in the proses having a 300H&H custom build, i was thinking of a leupold scope for this rifle, but we heard a rumour over here in s-africa that the us military stoped buying leupold and switched to schmitd and bender.

do you guys know about this or is this just a rumour?

p.s rest assure i am not going to shoot coyote with the 300H&H, well at least not all the time.( i use a 308)

[UniversalFrost]

yes, the military over here switched from the Leupold to S&B for purchasing, but the Leupold is still in use.

The S&B scopes have great light gathering capabilities, but they also have a HUGE price tag compared to other scopes.

My own personal favorite for hunting rigs is the Bushnell Elite line of scopes (3200 or 4200). My varmint rig is a 98 GEW Mauser custom build (krieger barrel, yadda yadda) with an Elite 3200 4-12X40 A/O with the BDC . This has great light gathering at dawn or dusk. I also like the Nikon Monarch UCC line of scopes as well.

[lt dan]

a 98 mauser with a kriegel barrel! now there is something you dont see every day. what is the calibre on this rifle?

man i would be to sorry to take such a rifle for varmint shooting. over here allmost every action is a 98, but almost all are copys and not real mausers.

[Art Eatman]

For any likely shot no more than maybe a hundred yards or so on smallish critters, 4X has worked as well for me as any. That's with variable scopes in the 3x9 range.

Prairie dogs? Squirrel sized critters are a tad different, and the ranges are easily out to 300. So, I'm up at 9X.

My Leupold scopes are the older Vari-X II models. I have a 2x7x32 on my pet .243. It has been my primary night-time coyote gun.

As a generality, field of view has been more important than high magnification, for about all my hunting except the prairie dogs.

[Wildalaska]

Here is my incipient coyote rig



WildoicantwaitAlaska ™

[UniversalFrost]

my original 98 GEW mauser was "accurized" by Krieger and chambered for .243 winchester with a medium heavy sporter contour and just got my walking varminter laminated Boyds stock in the mail (according to the UPS tracking number). Previously it had a walnut boyds monte carlo stock and I had ordered a B&C stock, but they back ordered on my and i opted for the boyds due to it's availability and my past excellence with Boyd's ( I used to live a bout 50 miles away from their shop).

I had thought about rechambering for 6.5x55, but I think I will just pick up a nice 96 small ring carl gustav for that project

oh and wild, you suck! just kidding!

I have thought about dragging out the surgeon rifle, but i have yet to get a photo op for the gun and I am now TDY to denver until june so no pictures.

Anyway, Lt. Dan it really doesn't matter about the gun, but more on the shot and ability of the shooter. Most guns are more accurate than the shooters will ever be. For the few of us that are "blessed" that is when you need to invest in better gear.

my brother uses a cheap old stevens bolt action in 220 swift that he bought used about 20 years ago and the thing has taken many many yotes and vermin, plus if it gets lost or damaged he would be out a whopping 150 bucks, while my custom mauser would top the $3k range and the surgeon with the glass would be in the $7.5k range. You really need a rifle you are comfortable with and can shoot acurately and repeatably. whether it cost 200 bucks or 10, 000 is up to you.

JOE

[lt dan]

w-alaska!!! what the hell is that? calibre? the rounds look like 223 or 243.
what is the story on that scope? i have never seen a rifle like that. i am in love. what is the price?

[UniversalFrost]

Lt. Dan that is a Blaser R93 LRS and it appears to be in 6.5x55

Wild just happens to be a dealer for the Blaser rifles, so I am sure he didn't pay retail for it

For more gun porn check out the surgeon rifle factory link http://www.surgeonrifles.com/surgeon...medy--1-25-10/

The gun in the link is almost identical to mine, but I have a different McMillan stock.

Wild's (Ken) gun looks "cooler" but mine shoots just as well (if not better )