The Do's and Don't of Coyote hunting

Don't grab your loaded 6.8 magazine and your .223 rifle when headed out-or vice versa!
Do stay alert even when the stand becomes seemingly unproductive.
Don't look up to watch a v formation of honking geese in the middle of a set-coyote didn't look up but was staring at me.
Do pay attention to alarm calls from crows or other small chittering birds.

I've made most all the mistakes it seems and then I make a new one or repeat an old one. However I have never stuffed an apparently dead coyote in my backpack-yet!!
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Do not sit on the ground and use fawn distress with the ecaller 30' away in the dark with deer in the area. See the need for azz wipe above.

Do learn to tuck and roll if you sit on the ground and use fawn distress in the dark

Do make sure your tree ladder stand is firmly mounted to the tree before getting in it at 3am with your wife telling you "you are going to fall out of it" when you left the house.

Do not call your wife at 0305 am because the d@#$ thing rolled around with you in it cause you know she will say I told you so.

Do learn how to get the stand back up right while your sitting in said tree with your rifle now on your back so you don't have make said phone call to come get you out of the tree

Do not shoot skunks when you are downwind

Do not try to come in the house after shooting a skunk(s) and get in bed with your wife

Do not try to spook a coon away when it is coming to check out that thing behind the tree and is 10' away it may run towards you and night vision does not help when it is on your rifle and your now running
 
Always tell somebody where you are gonna be...at least general area'
I had a stroke the day I DIDN'T go coyote hunting.......had it not been for my son wanting to come over and shoot bows for a bit...I would have gone....and no one would have found me..
God has a plan......dont forget to thank Him every day for every little thing you think is not important.......it is .....
 
How true--and we thank you for that reminder. Happy Hunting to you and God Bless America!!Originally Posted By: SandcountryAlways tell somebody where you are gonna be...at least general area'
I had a stroke the day I DIDN'T go coyote hunting.......had it not been for my son wanting to come over and shoot bows for a bit...I would have gone....and no one would have found me..
God has a plan......dont forget to thank Him every day for every little thing you think is not important.......it is .....
 
I'd like to hear more about this fawn distress in the dark situation



Originally Posted By: IhateyotesDo not sit on the ground and use fawn distress with the ecaller 30' away in the dark with deer in the area. See the need for azz wipe above.

Do learn to tuck and roll if you sit on the ground and use fawn distress in the dark

Do make sure your tree ladder stand is firmly mounted to the tree before getting in it at 3am with your wife telling you "you are going to fall out of it" when you left the house.

Do not call your wife at 0305 am because the d@#$ thing rolled around with you in it cause you know she will say I told you so.

Do learn how to get the stand back up right while your sitting in said tree with your rifle now on your back so you don't have make said phone call to come get you out of the tree

Do not shoot skunks when you are downwind

Do not try to come in the house after shooting a skunk(s) and get in bed with your wife

Do not try to spook a coon away when it is coming to check out that thing behind the tree and is 10' away it may run towards you and night vision does not help when it is on your rifle and your now running
 
Don't go call coyotes with mouth calls when you have the flu...judging by my experience there is a 173% chance you will throw up through your open read call.....then on your pants....and on your gun.

Shelton
 
These are all great..

Make sure you check to see if you can break the lugnuts on your truck. Make sure to throw a small piece of plywood in the back of the truck to put the jack on. Jacks on mud don't help.

I carry a small solar pannel for the truck, just in case you are listening to the radio while skinning coyotes and accidentally run the battery dead 20 miles from a paved road.

make sure you have a set of pliers and a way to start a fire incase you sit on previously mentioned cactus, and a way to make a fire incase your battery is dead and you are waiting for the battery to charge for a few hours.

Make sure you have a set of bolt cutters set to cut fence if needed. You don't want to drive 40 miles in and then come back to find that you are locked in and don't have a way to get out. If you are nice you can just cut the link on the chain, if you are mad, you can cut the middle of the chain or the lock. If you are really mad, you can just cut the fencing. If its fish and game locking it, becuase it's supposed to be open, but they don't want to patrol the area.. Well you can come up with a good combination or a few extra.

I have learned a lot of these lessons from these two pages on my own. Except the coyote in the backpack.. I think that i would have laughed myself to death seeing someone have that one happen.

After learning these lessons, i went to Home Depot and got a 50+ gallon storage container for 20 bucks and put all of the hunting gear in it. Everything that i have learned that i should have. I also got a funiture dolly and put the tote on that, and roll it into a spot in the garage. Then when i want to go, i roll that over to the truck and load up. I don't forget anything, and when i think of something new, it gets added.

Please never go anywhere in the winter without a sleeping bag in the truck. Making a fire with sticks, and using cedar tree branches to stay warm in 20 degree weather is not the ideal hunting trip.
 
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I was at the deer lease and decided I would go out to an area we were not hunting and call some coyotes at night using a PVS14 mounted on my AR. At that time I had a hand held thermal unit and could see deer in the area and in the mesquite trees. I set up my caller and moved about 30' away and set up my low chair. I had no idea the deer would get that mad and charge my caller from all directions including behind me. Well when I set off fawn distress & coyote vocals I think every deer within earshot came running to protect the "baby" that the mean "coyote" was getting including from behind me. I could hear the hooves charging from behind me so I got small really quick and rolled over behind a mesquite tree next I heard the snorting and blowing and then feet heading in the other direction. I figured after I cleaned out my pants that I was done hunting coyotes for the night.
 
turn the ringer off your cell phone when calling.

never sit upwind of a barbwire when you know coyotes come in from downwind, which causes you to miss a chip shot as you cut the lower strain in half.

always scan with binos before getting up.

and ALWAYS make sure the WOLF is dead before you hug it up in your arms for hero photos...

I didn't have this opportunity... just thought I'd remind you wolfers....
 
Make sure the coyote is really dead not just knocked out before going under a barb wire fence while dragging him under with you and having him almost get the back of your leg.

Make sure to tell your buddy to put a shell in the scatter gun when calling a coyote into 10 yds on the ice and hearing click....shiiiit

Maybe I should of put the coyote in my back pack...
 
Make sure you have more than two shells for your rifle before setting up. I'd been calling a field one morning with no takers so had walked out. While driving past the field on the way back to town I see a coyote headed across the field toward where I had just been calling from. I turned around and drove to the end of a fencerow I could use to sneak back toward where the coyote was headed. Grabbed my now unloaded rifle and hauled azz to get set up. After walking a half mile and hurriedly setting up I realized I only had two rounds in my pocket as I'd left my call bag in the truck. Loaded my rifle and called the coyote out for a 100 yard shot that put it in a spin. Second shot missed as it drug itself into the bush. I crossed the field to find a very alive pissed off coyote up under some brush. Had to walk back to my truck, get more ammo, then back and finish the coyote off.
 
Do not beat yourself up over the inevitable missed easy shot
Do some practice dry firing the night before, so as to get your muscle memory on target with your gun trigger.
Do know estimations of range...they always appear a lot closer (or farther) than they really are
 
Make sure the shooter with you has loaded there gun, and the other shooter can cock his Encore with his thick winter gloves or it could cost you $3000 in a calling contest. The pain is still there.
 
After reading this thread, I find that somewhere thru the years, I have made about 90% of the previously mentioned mistakes.....sometimes more than once. Hahahahaha


I'll add a couple....

The afternoon before heading out for a day of hunting, DO check all automotive fluids; check the air in every tire (including spare); and top off the fuel tank.

DON'T buy a new toolbox for the bed of your pickup, then NOT put anything in it (tool-wise) before you go hunting next.
If you have an empty toolbox, and you leave your wrenches/sockets/screwdrivers/hammer at home...don't complain when you break down 50 miles from home & need a tool.

DO remember to keep a tow rope, chain, or come-along (or all 3) in aforementioned toolbox, even if it hasn't rained of snowed in weeks.
Trust me....if you sometimes think that your 2wd truck is a 4x4....it IS possible to get stuck on a road that is marked "unimproved/travel at your own risk".

DO also remember to take a shovel, or other digging tool. You just never know.

DO remember to keep your inhaler in your pocket, if you are an asthmatic.
Leaving it in the truck proves nothing when you are having an attack 1/4 mile from the truck & the inhaler is in the glovebox.

While "on stand", DON'T be thinking about the next stand location. Keep you mind on the one you are currently calling.
I can't count the number of times that after 20 minutes of seeing nothing, my mind drifted to deciding where to go next. Only to snap back into reality, and realize there's a coyote staring at me from 100 yards away....and I had know idea how long he'd been there.

If you even THINK that you might need to pee before walking away from the truck, DO so.
DON'T wait, and then 5 minutes into the stand, decide that the cup of coffee (or in my case, a cup of water) that you drank earlier, has an immediate need to be relieved from your bladder.
 
Those who use vest instead of backpacks like me check to see its coyote hunting gear callers, decoys, extra shells, and what not rather turkey gear, sucks driving back home a puts you behind.. Know land owners boundaries, sucks being chased and shot at, from going over one too many fences... Do remember the way to the truck and don't let your partner tell you he knows a shortcut(short my butt)... Pick a target and focus and shoot don't get so excited on multiple targets that you miss everyone( never happen your hunting,but has turkey hunting)... If hunting farms makesure no llivestock is behind attended target( buddy shot one of his dads cows) he was ticked off...don't blame him
 
Do keep an extra 5 or 10 round mag or two in your calling coat pocket in case the one in your gun disappears while walking to your first stand in the dark.

Do poke another hole in em if they so much as flinch after hitting the ground.

Do check your ecall remote before turning your caller on and setting it down and hearing pup distress 3 (Preset #1) played on volume 40. (did get it shut off quick, got set up and called in a pair shortly after, but YMMV)

Don't try to pop the head off a dead snake by whirling it over your head like a bullwhip to impress your brother and have it wrap around your neck. Another need for the poop tickets mentioned in this thread. (Yes, I was young - 20 yrs ago. No it hasn't happened again.)

Don't have a preconceived notion of how things are from limited experiences or what you hear regarding predator hunting. You will often be proven wrong.

Thus DO try new things often.

 
Make sure that if you are walking into a stand and you hear what sounds like a cottontail distress over the terrace that you take the gun off your shoulder as you go and investigate there might just be a yote there having breakfast.
Also make sure that if a hawk is circling the decoy stop it from moving. Otherwise you may be chasing the hawk down through the field.
And finally make sure that if you put your cell phone in your pocket and it is on vibrate to put it in a pocket that will zip fully shut. Loosing a cell phone in a foot of snow takes awhile to find when you walked a 1/2mile into the stand and then walked out a different way. I have since cured that by switching my ring tone to coyote vocalizations or jack distress. It sure does make the office people mad when I forget to switch it off them.
 
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