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10 Ways to Kill More Coyotes

10. Locate Coyotes by Listening

Coyotes are among the most vocal predators. They use howls to proclaim territorial boundaries, to let other coyotes know where they are and, in summer, sometimes just to make noise for the fun of it.

Howls pinpoint areas where coyotes are bedding or loafing, so pinpoint the origin of the howls. If you can’t get the coyotes to howl, which can be difficult in some East Coast locations, use firsthand scouting to find hard evidence of coyote activity.

9. Hunt Early in the Season

Don’t put coyote hunting off until after the holidays. The best coyote hunting takes place as soon as furs prime in late October for northern locations and November for the remainder of the country. If you’re hunting strictly to reduce coyote densities in an attempt to increase fawn production, begin calling even earlier.

Why hunt early? You want access to the young pups that haven’t heard a call or felt the pressure of predator hunters. As the dog days of summer disappear, coyote pups become more brazen and bold, exploring on their own without the watchful eyes of mom and pop.

8. Include Confidence Calls in Your Series

To overcome a coyote’s predisposition to paranoia, include confidence calls during a calling setup. My best confidence call is simply a long, drawn-out howl that says to other coyotes, “I’m over here.” After waiting a few minutes to see if a coyote will respond, I begin with a series of prey-in-distress calls, finishing the setup with a final howl. Sometimes the addition of opening and closing howls is all that’s needed to bolster a coyote’s confidence level.

7. Choose Your Hunting Days Wisely

Most of us only have limited spare time to devote to coyote hunting, so check the forecast and choose your hunting days wisely. Instead of wasting fuel and time on days when the wind is forecast to howl, I trust The Weather Channel to direct me to the best days to be in the field.

Try to avoid windy days, but if it’s your only option, set up in canyons, coulees and dense cover to increase the distance your calls will carry. Call in severely cold conditions. Coyotes, like all animals, require more calories to stay warm in the midst of a cold spell. If you live where temperatures plummet below zero, use the cold to your advantage. Deep snow can have a similar effect, particularly when combined with subzero temperatures. All predators have to work doubly hard to acquire adequate calories to sustain themselves.

Check out Tips 6, 5 and 4 on Page 2 >>

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