Yote Question

[Guest mds3d]

I want to learn to hunt Coyotes sometime in the next year. I feel like I need to find a place to hunt first. How do you go about finding a person that needs a coyote problem controlled?

I thought about going up to one of the WMA's that allows Centerfire after deer season is over, but I was hoping to find somewhere closer.

Also, I have no experience calling. Is there any harm in going out and practicing calling? I haven't chosen my rifle yet, so I would be going unarmed.

Thanks

[Howler]

Talking to people is the best way to gain property to hunt. Last weekend I was driving down a road near the lake. I pulled over and talked to a fella fixing fence. In about 20min or so I had a new place to hunt. Now it's not the best property, but this guy knows everyone around him. This may help with other land owners.

Check the regs before hunting WMA's. For most WMA's if deer season is out you are limited to rimfire and shotgun.

If you want to practice do it at home. If you call in hawks, crow, dogs, etc. you are doing it right. Scout your hunting areas before calling.

[ShaunM]

Talking to people is the best way to gain property to hunt. Last weekend I was driving down a road near the lake. I pulled over and talked to a fella fixing fence. In about 20min or so I had a new place to hunt. Now it's not the best property, but this guy knows everyone around him. This may help with other land owners.

Check the regs before hunting WMA's. For most WMA's if deer season is out you are limited to rimfire and shotgun.

If you want to practice do it at home. If you call in hawks, crow, dogs, etc. you are doing it right. Scout your hunting areas before calling.

Exactly, most land owners don't mind if you coyote hunt on their properties. I have a few properties that I started out coyote hunting on and now I can hunt deer and turkey. As far as calling, the old saying goes practice makes perfect but also getting into the woods and calling is the best way to learn. With coyote hunting you have to have patience and not get frustrated when it takes you 2 months to call in a coyote. I have gone a month without calling one in and the next week call in 5 or 6 killing 1 or 2 of them. Also I wouldn't just go out in the woods to practice calling without actually hunting them, coyotes can get call shy and like dogs are very smart most of the time.

[DaveS]

You're on the right track. However, practice calling at home. You may make an animal "call shy", meaning that he becomes very skittish of calls or ignores them all together. Maybe "Hunting 101" will chime in on this one. I feel he's the resident "yote" expert, and can be of more help to you....good luck, and safe hunting!

[DaveS]

101, you were about 2 seconds ahead of my comment. Please feel free to delete if you choose.

[Krull]

I hunt yotes year round (except breeding season). Shoot me a PM will steer you in the right direction.

[gregintenn]

I get plenty of sport shooting them from my deer stand.

[Guest mds3d]

Thanks for the advice so far. I may not be able to get out during this Deer season, so that may limit me away from the WMA's. I am going to try to find out if anyone around knows people to ask. I think I want to know a little more about what I am doing before I ask someone I don't know if I can hunt on their land. I think I know a guy who manages some deer leases that might let me hunt yotes there after deer season is over.

Also, I hear a lot of people avoid certain times of the year (when they are breeding or when they are likely to have pups to take care of). I am not sure I am opposed to hunting during the beginning of breeding season, but I would like to avoid the times when they might have pups that are still dependent on mom. Does anyone know what times the coyotes breed and birth in this area?

[ShaunM]

You're on the right track. However, practice calling at home. You may make an animal "call shy", meaning that he becomes very skittish of calls or ignores them all together. Maybe "Hunting 101" will chime in on this one. I feel he's the resident "yote" expert, and can be of more help to you....good luck, and safe hunting!

Thanks wd-40 I have been hunting coyotes a very long time well over 15 years. I get questions all the time and love passing what I know and learning new techniques. Sometimes I just stay in a groove that works for me, I guess old habits dye hard ha ha but always willing and ready to learn new things. Heck if I new everything then hunting wouldn't be as fun. I guess what I'm trying to say is the best way to learn is to listen to others and do a lot of research and not afraid of trying new sounds and tactics. I have a video that I found one day. I get asked all the time what sound to use so I have this little video to share.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpE6UxzHLDQ

Edited November 25, 2010 by Hunting101

[ShaunM]

Coyotes usually breed from January through March. Coyote pups usually are out of the den in October into November, but I have seen them as early as last part of August and as late as the end of November.

Coyotes will have any where from 3 to 6 pups.

[Erik88]

I've never had a desire to hunt before, but lately I've been wanting to blast a yote.

[ShaunM]

I hunt them year round even through breeding season. I don't think it has a big enough effect on them. I have killed plenty of coyotes during breeding season and in the same areas I still see plenty of coyotes throughout the year and through the years after that. Some people choose not to hunt them and that's perfectly fine, there is no right or wrong in doing so. I think if there were more coyote hunters out there then I may only hunt them a few times during breeding season, but since there are not many true coyote hunters out there then it's game on. I also just don't hunt coyotes I consider myself a predator hunter which includes foxes, bobcats, coyotes and crows.

[gregintenn]

I think shooting them in breeding season would be a plus. They are a nuicance and need to be eradicated.

[Krull]

There is nothing wrong with hunting during breeding season. Just my preference would hate to think something starved because I killed it's momma. The alpha males are just as responsible for feeding also.

Edited November 25, 2010 by Krull

[my82cam]

i think we need to make a sticky about yote hunting and general info.

[gregintenn]

There is nothing wrong with hunting during breeding season. Just my preference would hate to think something starved because I killed it's momma. The alpha males are just as responsible for feeding also.

O.K., now I understand what you meant. My wife accuses me of being cold hearted. Turns out she's right.

[Guest tnxdshooter]

I want to learn to hunt Coyotes sometime in the next year. I feel like I need to find a place to hunt first. How do you go about finding a person that needs a coyote problem controlled?

I thought about going up to one of the WMA's that allows Centerfire after deer season is over, but I was hoping to find somewhere closer.

Also, I have no experience calling. Is there any harm in going out and practicing calling? I haven't chosen my rifle yet, so I would be going unarmed.

Thanks

Find local cattle farmers in your area. See if they have lost calves to yotes (i never have even though I see em around). If they have offer to take the yote problem off their hands. You know it is open season year around on em and if I remember correctly you can kill as many as you want.

[Krull]

Young coyotes are the most harmful. They injure livestock and leave things to die because they can't quite close the deal. It's not cold-hearted to kill them year round. I'm just a softee I guess )

Edited November 29, 2010 by Krull