What is your hunting routine?

B

BJJ223

New member
I call the high deserts of Southern California. Lots of hills and lots of brush. All public land. All my spots are a 3 hour drive from home. I leave at 2:00am. I start shooting 30 minutes before sunrise and usually stop before noon. Drive home by 3:00pm. Beer and steaks by 6:00pm. I usually go coyote hunting every 2-3 weeks.

I use a 16" AR15 with a TA-110 ACOG with an offset RMR.

I use a Foxpro Fury and Sceery handcalls 50/50. I enjoy handcalling more than the Foxpro. I use the Sceery with the wind at my back and the Foxpro when the wind is in my face.

I get more kills with the handcalls because the coyote is running right at me. I usually hit them on the run in the chest at 25 yards or so using the RMR. I can't remember the last time I missed a coyote that came in by handcall (Because the shots are easy. I am just an average shot)

With the Foxpro, it seems like they come from every angle possible. Shots are longer and tougher and usually made with the ACOG. At least half of the coyotes don't stop regardless of barking or shutting down the call. I use the Foxpro for variety because the blowing a handcall all day starts to drive me crazy.

My shooting strategy is to use the ACOG on coyotes that stop. I roll to the RMR on close and/or moving targets.

I started in 2006.

What is your routine?
 
I'm shameless, I'll call anywhere, anytime...that's legal. I've hunted coyotes in AZ, NM, CA, TX, NV, UT, WA, ID, OR. I hunt the most in AZ. I also hunt foxes, bobcats, badgers and mountain lions in AZ.

I can usually be found with one of my AR's, normally my 308 or my 6.5 Grendel but I am also a big fan of my shotgun.

I run my FoxPro CS-24B and throw in a hand call from Casey Carver.

I usually set up with the wind across one shoulder or the other, so that I can watch the downwind leg. I normally place my caller out 50-75 yards when using my rifles, maybe out as far as 45 yards when I am running my shotgun.

Do I miss? Who doesn't? I don't miss as much as some, but more than others. But, to quote Big Al Morris, "if you aren't missing then you aren't calling in many."

2021 is going into my 17th year calling.

My name is Mo, and I am an addict....
 
I hunt public land in Colorado, both Eastern Plains and our mountains.

Normally, I don't get out there until 8-9am and hunt until dark.

Hand calls are used 90%+ of the time, and rifles 100%, usually a 222Remmag or 243, sometimes the Hornet, while my son uses a Browning 223wssm.

My calling sequence is: call for about 20-30 seconds, then stay quiet for 3-5 minutes. If nothing, call again for 20-30 seconds, quiet for 3-5 minutes. Repeat until I think/feel nothing is coming.

Most of the coyotes come in on the 2 or 3rd sequence.
 
The majority of my hunting was done in the 80's and 90's. Same location though, socal. Hunted mostly high dez and central Nev but sometimes low dez.

We'd usually hunt every few weeks. Tried to hunt near a dark moon. Mostly Sept thru Jan.

We'd leave after work Friday, sometimes drive 5hr before hunting. If the night hunting was good we'd hunt until sunup and throughout the morning then nap until 2pm or so and start up again. I enjoyed the solitude of the open dez so I was in no hurry to rush back home. I really enjoyed night hunting and usually saw more stuff at night. Once we got to Dec-Jan though it was usually too cold to be comfortable at night. When it's really cold I did better on coyotes during the day anyway.

We didn't own electronics back then. The ecallers back then were nothing like today.

I shot various calibers. .223, 220 Swift, 17 mach 4 and a few others. Mostly used the Swift.
 
Go early stay late when possible.Lucky Duck Revolt with Tikka 22-250 or 223 with the old Leupold Vari XIII scopes 3.5 x 10,did take a shotgun today for first time in a loooong time.
 
I really wish this board had a Like button so I could just "like" tawnoper's post.

There are variations on my routine, depending. Most recent hunt, over New Years, fairly typical though.

Either leave early in the morning to be wherever by first light, or, leave after work the night before and sleep near the first stand of the following morning. Whichever. On New Years Eve we left early the morning of - not going very far.

Hunt all day. Let it take me wherever it takes me. Slow down and pound out stands to skim the cream when I find it. Put some miles of dirt under the wheels looking for the cream if I haven't found it.

On New Years Eve, we didn't find any cream. Put a lot of miles of dirt on (snow, actually, but...). Got into some good sign late afternoon though. Like to make camp early this time of year, so, we did.

Where me and Tim spent New Years Eve.

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Routine is, ribeyes for dinner, go to bed early, get a gloriously long and peaceful nights sleep.

Get up the next morning, have camp broke and stowed, breakfast ate, coffee for the day in the thermos, sitting in the Jeep puffing a nice cigar, sipping coffee and Bailey's, waiting for it to get closer to shooting light before easing the Jeep into the first stand.

Hunt the rest of the day.

On a good trip, pitch camp again and repeat above. On an okay trip, head for home when done hunting for the day.

On New Years Day, we were in just a little spot of the cream. Had called four and killed two (don't ask...) before noon. Then we headed home and had dinner with our families.

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That's pretty much my routine.

- DAA
 
Most of my coyote hunts are within an hour of home. I try to get up early so I can be sitting on my first stand before it is light enough to start calling.

Mule deer hunting was an obsession of mine before coyote hunting and helping deer was a big motivation in killing coyotes initially. It isn't uncommon for me to have mule deer tags in at least 2 or 3 western states each year. I often call some coyotes on those hunts if I tag out early or just get into a spot that looks too good not to call. Pronghorn hunts are another good opportunity to call coyotes. I've never done a multi day trip for coyotes far from home but I could see myself doing some trips in the future.

I have multiple guns I've used for coyotes. Most of the time I'm packing my bolt action 223 rem or AR 223 wylde. I also have a 22-250 that I occasionally use and a couple 6mm Creedmoors that work great for coyotes. I also almost always have my shotgun on my lap while calling. Today I used the shotgun on a couple coyotes in defense of my decoy that they were after.

I bring my Foxpro on most stands with me but like to use hand calls often. Sometimes I'll start with the handball and then switch to the Foxpro to direct attention away from my location.

I called in my first coyote around 1999 but the last 6 years I've spent much more time calling coyotes than when I was younger.
 
I walk 100 yards out to my outbuilding garage and shoot out the back window over the bait pile.

Love the pics DAA. Spent 2013 deployed out in Utah and loved it out there. Beautiful country
 
Originally Posted By: Burnsome...I walk 100 yards out to my outbuilding garage and shoot out the back window

I could do that. Once. Then, I would be on CNN.
 
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