Had a neighbor ask me to kill coyotes on property.

jonb10 · May 11, 2000, 10:43 PM

Today I had a neighbor of mine(who knew I would try to hunt about anything) ask me to come over and try to get rid of some coyotes that were killing his newborn goats. I have never seriously hunted coyotes before. I have purchased a cottontail distress tape but I only have a hand held tape recorder to play it over. How much amplication do I need?

[This message has been edited by jonb10 (edited May 11, 2000).]

R&H · May 11, 2000, 11:21 PM

I would try about in the same range as a baby's cry for the max setting on your recording. Well, my son's crying is pretty loud so think of a loud baby. Maybe a little louder sometimes or maybe softer other times. If the coyotes haven't been hunted before they shouldn't be that hard to call in. If they have been hunted a lot, maybe they will and maybe they won't. You might have to experement a little.
I like the calls that you blow into. We usually start out kind of soft, get louder and then kind of soft again if a coyote is coming. In my experience coyotes usually come pretty quick. If I haven't seen one in 30 to 45 min I usually move on. I wouldn't sit in the same spot for too long.

Art Eatman · May 12, 2000, 09:05 AM

Using a tape deck and a rabbit tape, I've always started out a bit loud, turning it down after the first 10 or 20 seconds. My reasoning is that it will attract coyotes from further away, and then sound more realistic. What coyote is really eager for a 400-pound rabbit?

In the dark of the moon, full nighttime seems to work better. During the full of the moon, late afternoon from, say, an hour before sundown or so works well, as does the period from first light to maybe an hour after sunup. My theory is that with a lot of moonlight, prey animals have a better chance of escape and predators have to work harder for a meal. So, they're up and moving for longer periods. Damfino; it works.

Coyotes tend to come in on a call and then at 50 to 100 yards out, circle to get downwind to smell the rabbit. To counter this, if you set up at the edge of a brush or tree line where the wind is blowing along the edge, you force the coyote to quarter in, across an open area. He can't smell you, then, and you have a more open shot.

If you use a spotlight or flashlight, don't shine it directly in the coyote's face. Catch his eyes in the edge of the beam, after you've identified him. Using some sort of red lens-cover helps. I use a Q-Beam with a red cover; works well. Even a hand-held 2-cell flashlight is okay at closer ranges, if you're not concerned about somebody's pet dog.

There are tapes of a baby goat sounding unhappy; you might use one of those, with a carcass of a coyote-killed goat out in front of you...

Good hunting!

Art

M1911 · August 1, 2000, 08:51 PM

Art:

But how do you shoot him while you are holding the flashlight? Do you mount the light on your rifle? What kind of sights allow you to see the coyote at night?

Jared

Art Eatman · August 1, 2000, 10:22 PM

I use a scoped rifle; either my .243 or my .223. I've gotten used to holding either a Q-Beam or a Streamlight (prefer the latter) against the fore-arm with my left hand. Takes a bit of practice. (Poaching makes perfect?

) Overall, at night it's all better with two people; one on the gun, one on the light and take turns.

I took a piece of cardboard to make a tube around the Q-Beam to reduce glare into the scope...

You can mount a light onto the gun, with a pressure switch to activate with your left thumb, but most flashlights that can be fitted with a pressure switch don't have all that much range.

A light on your head screws up the scope, but can help if you just have iron sights--but it lights up the whole gun. And, proper alignment is a hassle...

Hope all this BS helps.

Art

Glamdring · August 3, 2000, 06:18 PM

Hmm so if I mount a Leopard light on my Steyr Scout and load it with the 110 V max I might have a decent coyote night rifle?

May 11, 2000, 10:43 PM	#1
jonb10 Junior Member Join Date: June 28, 1999 Posts: 7	Today I had a neighbor of mine(who knew I would try to hunt about anything) ask me to come over and try to get rid of some coyotes that were killing his newborn goats. I have never seriously hunted coyotes before. I have purchased a cottontail distress tape but I only have a hand held tape recorder to play it over. How much amplication do I need? [This message has been edited by jonb10 (edited May 11, 2000).]

May 11, 2000, 11:21 PM	#2
R&H Member Join Date: February 21, 2000 Posts: 48	I would try about in the same range as a baby's cry for the max setting on your recording. Well, my son's crying is pretty loud so think of a loud baby. Maybe a little louder sometimes or maybe softer other times. If the coyotes haven't been hunted before they shouldn't be that hard to call in. If they have been hunted a lot, maybe they will and maybe they won't. You might have to experement a little. I like the calls that you blow into. We usually start out kind of soft, get louder and then kind of soft again if a coyote is coming. In my experience coyotes usually come pretty quick. If I haven't seen one in 30 to 45 min I usually move on. I wouldn't sit in the same spot for too long.

May 12, 2000, 09:05 AM	#3
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Using a tape deck and a rabbit tape, I've always started out a bit loud, turning it down after the first 10 or 20 seconds. My reasoning is that it will attract coyotes from further away, and then sound more realistic. What coyote is really eager for a 400-pound rabbit? In the dark of the moon, full nighttime seems to work better. During the full of the moon, late afternoon from, say, an hour before sundown or so works well, as does the period from first light to maybe an hour after sunup. My theory is that with a lot of moonlight, prey animals have a better chance of escape and predators have to work harder for a meal. So, they're up and moving for longer periods. Damfino; it works. Coyotes tend to come in on a call and then at 50 to 100 yards out, circle to get downwind to smell the rabbit. To counter this, if you set up at the edge of a brush or tree line where the wind is blowing along the edge, you force the coyote to quarter in, across an open area. He can't smell you, then, and you have a more open shot. If you use a spotlight or flashlight, don't shine it directly in the coyote's face. Catch his eyes in the edge of the beam, after you've identified him. Using some sort of red lens-cover helps. I use a Q-Beam with a red cover; works well. Even a hand-held 2-cell flashlight is okay at closer ranges, if you're not concerned about somebody's pet dog. There are tapes of a baby goat sounding unhappy; you might use one of those, with a carcass of a coyote-killed goat out in front of you... Good hunting! Art

August 1, 2000, 08:51 PM	#4
M1911 Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 2000 Posts: 4,055	Art: But how do you shoot him while you are holding the flashlight? Do you mount the light on your rifle? What kind of sights allow you to see the coyote at night? Jared

August 1, 2000, 10:22 PM	#5
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	I use a scoped rifle; either my .243 or my .223. I've gotten used to holding either a Q-Beam or a Streamlight (prefer the latter) against the fore-arm with my left hand. Takes a bit of practice. (Poaching makes perfect? ) Overall, at night it's all better with two people; one on the gun, one on the light and take turns. I took a piece of cardboard to make a tube around the Q-Beam to reduce glare into the scope... You can mount a light onto the gun, with a pressure switch to activate with your left thumb, but most flashlights that can be fitted with a pressure switch don't have all that much range. A light on your head screws up the scope, but can help if you just have iron sights--but it lights up the whole gun. And, proper alignment is a hassle... Hope all this BS helps. Art

August 3, 2000, 06:18 PM	#6
Glamdring Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2000 Location: MN Posts: 1,388	Hmm so if I mount a Leopard light on my Steyr Scout and load it with the 110 V max I might have a decent coyote night rifle?