Advice needed with coyotes.

[AdamSean]

Yesterday morning while I was turkey hunting, a coyote came out of nowhere and attacked my decoy. I was hunting with my bow which was in my lap as I was using my pot call. As soon as I saw the coyote, I set down the call as quickly and quietly as I could so I could get my bow up. He moved so fast to the decoy I had no chance. He knocked the jake decoy right off the stand and took off, obviously startled.

I decided to set up on a different tree today and was glad I did. If i was on my other spot, he would have run right at me and possibly attacked me out of fright. I have since gone back to the shotgun and will be keeping #4 buckshot close at hand. Maybe even in the tube after my turkey load.

Here is where need advice. Using a shotgun, where do I need to place the shot? Head or heart/lung?

[Panfisher]

Pretend he is a furry turkey and put his head right in the middle of the pattern, the laws of physics will take care of the rest as long as the shot size you are using is legal for turkeys it will kill a coyote. So I would say carry whatever you normally carry for a turkey hunt and if a coyote shows up and its legal, roll him.

[AdamSean]

I am keeping my Long Beard DR in the chamber with a #4 buckshot in the magazine tube next in line. That way if a coyote comes up, I can just pump, eject the turkey load and fire the buckshot.

[shortwave]

A Panfisher said, turkeys loads will do just fine on the yotes.

A head or broadside heart/lung shot just behind the shoulder will suffice.

[AdamSean]

Awesome. These Winchester Long Beard XR 3.5" are nasty on birds. I literally blew a turkey's beak off at 30 yards.

[Panfisher]

If you try to pump/eject the turkey load and reaquire the target (coyote) he is gonna be moving like greased lightning before you ever get that buckshot load chambered, them rascals has got some quick reflexes and can go from standing still with a "hmm whats that look" to turbo-dog escape mode faster than it takes to imagine it.

[AdamSean]

I don't mind if he runs away. Remember, I am not coyote hunting. I just want the best way to defend myself if it runs at me.

[Panfisher]

Yep then hit him with the turkey load, if in doubt hit him again he will never bother you again.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Put it in his head if you can but just plain old shoot the dang thing.

You're not going to be attacked by a coyote. Do a search. See how often it happens.

[AdamSean]

You dont hear about attacks much, but it does happen. Always be prepared. There are too many factors that can make any animal attack. They can be startled and defend themselves. They could have rabies. They could be starving and willing to take the risk. Never bet your life on the unknown.

[Goatwhiskers]

Lions! and Tigers! and Bears! Oh My! If you're scared, say you're scared. GW

[Panfisher]

A couple buds of mine got into an altercation with a coyote during a turkey hunt, seems the tough old 3 legged coyote was coming to investigate the calling and when one of them gave him a charge of #6s at a little too far off it sort of irritated him, then they had a slighty roughed up, bloody snarling yote coming for a piece of their hide. Of course the first shooter short stroked and jammed his shotgun whereupon #2 guy stopped laughing and started shooting, took a couple more turkey loads to stop him after he had decided to come for them. Granted had they not shot he almost certainly could have skedaddled in an instant.

[AdamSean]

Yeah, I would have stopped laughing too. The yote I had attack my decoy was less than 20 yards away and almost as big as my german shepherd. So yeah, my heart started beating rather fast. Its a wild animal, not your neighbor's poodle.

[fdf]

Instead of jacking shells in and out, just shoot the thing at 20 yards if you are worried about your safety.

Seems simple to me.

[TXAZ]

The Pizza king stated:

You're not going to be attacked by a coyote. Do a search. See how often it happens.

I respectfully disagree, but it might be location dependent. We lived in AZ for 2 + decades and remember many attacks on people. The caveat was most of those attacked either were with a small dog, child or the Coyote was later found to be rabid, diseased or injured enough to where they were desperate and went after most anything. I and many others I know carried open or concealed for that very reason starting about 2009 when walking around the neighborhood.

And to address the OP question, I understand a hit most anywhere on a Coyote will give them pause to reconsider, but a successful headshot on a closing dog should be a real stopper. I've also seen the noise from a near miss grab the dogs attention and stop them.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Point is, the odds of an attack are very low but more importantly irrelevant. Coyote are vermin. Kill it. It has already shown a propensity to destroy your property and you are afraid it could harm you. Make it be dead.

[fdf]

"I and many others I know carried open or concealed for that very reason starting about 2009 when walking around the neighborhood"



In all honesty, how did the coyotes respond to carried open or concealed in your neighborhood?

If things where that bad, I would be calling Arizona Game and Fish for immediate help.

Why walk your streets with loaded pistols to protect yourself when you pay taxes?

How do your neighbors treat gun shoots after dark next door?

[rickyrick]

Coyotes probably won't attack you...

If he is coming fast, make a noise... Chirp, whistle, bark, cough or short howl... He will stop long enough to make a shot. I personally use the loud click of the safety to halt him.

Chest area is a good place to shoot..

With a varmint caliber, shoot him between any two of the four legs and he will go down

[Paul B.]

1, In all honesty, how did the coyotes respond to carried open or concealed in your neighborhood?

With fear.

2. If things where that bad, I would be calling Arizona Game and Fish for immediate help?

Not their job. That goes to animal control. Game & Fish will respond to bear and mountain lion calls.

Why walk your streets with loaded pistols to protect yourself when you pay taxes?

Because we can. We live in a Constitutional state.

How do your neighbors treat gun shoots after dark next door?

If next door, usually take cover if you've got any intelligence. Haven,t had that happen although some gangbangers did try to take out a punk who lived at the other end of the one block long street I live on about 5 years ago. They missed but I'd bet 911 got flooded with calls that night.
We do have coyotes wander down the alley bejhind my house. Every dog that's out in their yard along that alley goes totally ape.

When I take my walk around the block I pack. Too many people own pit bulls and similar type dogs and sometimes they get loose. That's one mutt I have absolutely no trust in.
Paul B.

[TXAZ]

Well said Paul. There were enough coyotes, javalenas and big snakes in our desert neighborhood that many people carried, I expect the same for you too unless you lived in Downtown Tucson.

[shortwave]

I'm gonna shoot every yote I see for the very reason this whole thread (in part) was started for. Attacking turkeys.

Yotes in this area as well as many other areas are just simply out of hand. The turkey, as well as the deer and rabbit population has drastically decreased. Nobody's trapping anymore and there just isn't a natural predator around to keep them in check.

I'll do my best to make the yote DRT but if I know I got a good hit on a yote and it still runs off, I won't loose any sleep. And I sure as heck won't hesitate at slinging an arrow at one.

[Jay24bal]

I would shoot at a coyote (if legal in your state) with whatever I happened to have on hand. If you are bow hunting, then so be it. If you have a shotgun, even better. Heck, I have even taken my CCW weapon out and shot one while out squirrel hunting with a 22 lr.

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

No mention of distance between you two. But having a full choke or tighter I really don't think it makes much of a difference what you shoot at a dog. A turkey load or #4 buck. The shot string is going to be pretty tight. The yote may run off but won't go far with all that amount of shot concentrated in its rib and front shoulder area. Very damaging wound.

[kilimanjaro]

Shoot in the chest cavity, heart and lungs. This will result in a sure and certain death within a short time, assuming one shot is all you get.

A head shot with a turkey load may just cripple his jaws, throat, and eyes, ensuring a slow death and some possible danger to the next person or animal it encounters. The skull is tougher bone than the soft chest and may be turned at an angle that precludes immediate killing by penetrating to the brain.

[RCL]

In some states the game warden may take a dim view of having buckshot in your gun while turkey hunting.