Damn Coyotes!!!

We have a problem with coyotes, howling close by (within a few hundred yards), at night. I just bought a 22-250 for them...but 90% of the time they come in under cover of darkness.

Are those red spot lights any good? I don't really want to spend $$$ on a night vision device...just for coyotes!

Thanks!!!

I don't like the night vision stuff. I'd rather hunt by a bright full moon; over in the high desert east of here, it's bright enough to hunt rabbits and coyotes especially with a hat to keep the bright out of my eyes and a good, low power scope on my rifle.

You might also consider calls and decoys. While the coyotes might not normally come out in the open uncoaxed in daylight, you should be able to 'talk' them out, give them something to go look at.

If you don't have your neighbors' Fido' running around, try taking some large dry sponges and soak them in bacon grease and put them on the trails they are running. That will take care of the howling. I have them close to my house too, but I kind of enjoy the chatter. Todd Smith

Bait them out during the day time. They should be out of their dens by now with young pups in tow. The yakking you hear at night is how they tell each other where they are when they can't see. You don't hear them during the day cuz they use all their other senses. You just think they are not around. That's why they call them Willey Coyotes. Scent can be picked up at any trapping store that you place on a rag and lay it where you want to shoot them. Use a call to coax them into range of the scent. Of course, this is not very 'sporting'. But for depredation purpose, who cares? I assume you're needing to thin them for reasons other than the yakking at night or fear created by the cartoons your children watch. Otherwise, leave them be and make sure your neighbors are not dumping their meals in your back yard. Yotes go where they find easy meals...that's just what they do. And any that you shoot will just increase the litter sizes next year to compensate. Remove the food and they will just relocate. Shoot them if you enjoy shooting live, moving targets. But you're wasting your time if you think you're going to get rid of them with a 22-250.

You might want to check state law before you do anything. There may be restrictions on shooting after dark or using a light. I think the .22-250 is an excellent choice. The guy who got me interested in mine shot and trapped for a living and used the Hornady 52 grain match bullet to good result. George in Las Vegas

Also consider hunting them with a caller in the morning. When you hear them at night plan a hunt for sunrise. About a 1/2 hour before sunrise, go out and set up a spot to be and put a remote controlled caller (I recommend a Dennis Kirk electronic caller) about 100 yards from you. At sunrise, start up the caller. (Using a pup in distress or cottontail in distress call, there is no need to use a locate call because you all ready know they are out there.) When the coyote hears the caller they will go after it using easy ways to get to the caller, like getting as close as they can using a fence line or a trail. When they come out in the open to get the caller make the shot.

For more information go to www.coyotegods.com and good hunting

Steve Crozier

Hello John:

You asked about using a red lens. I haven't seen that question answered here yet, so here it is.

A red lens cover on a bright spot works great. That is, as long you don't burn the 'yotes' eyes with the direct light. You use the light by, pointing it up, about a 20 degree angle above the ground, then rotating it back and forth, always being careful to keep the main beam above ground level. You will see the glow of the coyotes eyes quite easily, as they almost seem to look similar to some sort of reflecting tape. Have your buddy shoot between the eye's, and case closed.

Good luck,

the tapetum lucidum

I couldnt imagin shooting at eyes being all that safe. What if someones camping?

Oh, Please!

I do a lot of deer hunting. I have wondered about putting red lenses over my headlights for going out in the morning, to alert the deer less (I know that is not proper English).

Does anyone do that?