O/T coyote hunting info required

[ottawacats]

Hello,
A buddy of mine and I are looking at getting into hunting Coyote's. So I have beening reading some stuff online and in magizines. As you can guess the info makes in confusing as some many different opinions come up, so I figured I would ask here what you all use. So here are afew general questions we have.

#1 - type of gun - .22/.22lr/.17hmr etc.......
#2 - type of calls/decoys
#3 - ground blind or tree stand
#4 - time of day
#5 - clothing

We will be hunting afew tree lines that open up in to open fields, distance is maxed out around 250 yards till the next tree line.

Thanks,
Matt

[Gewehrhund]

I prefer any centerfire .22, that being said I have a Remington 760 in .243 that hates every bullet except 60 grain sierra hollow points. They are pushing 3800 fps. and put quite a wallup on coyotes. If you guys are hunting together one of you should have a shotgun. Those things can sneak up on you pretty well. I like any turkey load or waterfowl loads work well too!!!

[Xbowkiller]

What magazines you been reading?

[Farmer]

For a rifle i have used 22 -250 , 220 swift and have now settled on a heavy barrel 243 . The 243 can be loaded light 60 grain all the way up to 105 or 110 grain bullets. If you reload brass is easy to find and there is a great selection of bullets to chose from for varmits right up to deer .

[muskyman454]

i use a 22-250 foxpro call and full camo hunt early and late but anytime that you can go is a good time.

[Pydpiper]

There is no substitution for good old time in the field, scouting. As for times, morning and evening stands are always popular choices, coyotes move a lot at night so catching them at one of those times seems to work for a lot of people.
I am a firm believer in solunar tables when it comes to coyote movement. If the weather is fairly consistent I have my best luck hunting off the tables. I have had some very productive hunts at 1 or 2 in the afternoon.
Caliber should be determined by your surroundings, distance of shots, proximity to structures/people and sound level should all be taken in to consideration. I have hunted them with bows, .22LR, .204, .17HMR, .17 Rem, 22-250 and a 220 Swift. I ended up focusing on the .204, it was best suited for the areas that I frequent. I needed the low report of the caliber combined with the fact that it wont ricochet. I typically hunt small parcels where caution is used on both the safety aspect of a non-bouncing bullet and quiet enough that I don't disturb too many people.
If I were in a more desolate and open area I would choose the .220 Swift, it is the only factory bullet that exceeds the .204 in speed, and does so with a heavier bullet. Both are inherintly accurate.
Camo is very important with the coyote, they know when things are out of place and will avoid it. I use my 3D turkey suit over whatever I happen to be wearing, but am considering a ghillie suit for future hunts.
Hand calls are the most rewarding, but the electronic calls out there today will give a tremendous advantage, mostly because they can produce sounds that can't be done with hand calls, as well as being able to keep the sound away from the hunter. That advantage can allow you to hunt in wind directions that normally can't be hunted. That sort of applies to your question about treestands vs. blinds. If you are hand calling it is best from a blind, but a treestand can produce if you are using electronic caller and keep the sounds on the ground. Coyotes are pretty bright, they also have awesome survival skills, the odd dumb dog will come to a distressed rabbit in a tree, but most of them know that isn't normal, and will avoid it.
Decoys, pretty much anything that is moving and looks like an easy meal will get the job done. I use a $10 rabbit that just sits and spins in circles, works like a champ! I recently modified it to plug in to my Foxpro to toggle with the aux switch.
My advice is to put some serious consideration in to a .204 with good glass, a cheap decoy and some hand calls to get started. Don't over hunt an area, these things are dogs and like any other dog they can be easily trained, mostly to simply avoid you. What sounds like a free lunch the first time, will sound like danger the second. Watch the wind, stay still and shoot safe!

[awshucks]

Good advice from the Davy Crockett of Canada, he killed one once w/ a knife in a fang to hand battle.

[Pydpiper]

Darned coyotes..

[Normous]

The Varmint Hunter Magazine is the best source of info on guns, accurate shooting, hand loading, coyote hunting and hunting techniques for all varmints. It is a quarterly and worth ever penny. I have been a subscriber since 1992.

http://www.varminthunter.org/

[Pydpiper]

..oops..

[j.krug]

Great info there Pyd, very helpful. Thanks

Enormous, I just checked out that link. Looks like a great magazine and a nice website too. I subscribed to the magazine while there. Thanks

[ottawacats]

thank you all that posted, some great info there for newbies.Going to be getting some stuff this coming week so we can give it a try next weekend.

matt