OK, you saved up your money and vacation time and booked a once-in-a-lifetime big-game hunt with an outfitter. You practiced shooting all summer and drove hundreds of miles to get there … and then you shot a nice buck or bull the very first morning! Good for you! But now what? Pack up and drive home and get right back to your nine-to-five job? If you’re like me … not bloody likely! 

The good news is that many outfitters will let their guests hunt coyotes once their primary tags are filled for little or no cost. Same goes for do-it-yourself hunts. Why not double the fun by adding a coyote hunt to the tail end of your big- or small-game pursuits this year? Not much needed in the way of additional gear. You already have most of what you need: rifle, camo, scent control products, and you’ve already spent the money to get there, right? Just remember to pack your predator calls!

While many big-game outfitters see red when they encounter coyotes on their property — perceiving them as a threat to cash-crop game species — some see green, the color of money. And many are adding predator hunts as a bonus opportunity for their clients for little or no cost, and as a means to control predator populations. So when you’re booking your hunt be sure to ask the outfitter about adding a few coyotes to the itinerary.

And while outfitters might not let you hunt coyotes in their prime whitetail, mule deer or elk honey holes, they might have more marginal land specifically set aside for this purpose. If you’re hunting public land, same thing goes. You can avoid the big-game masses by hunting those fringe areas where coyotes hang out.

The bottom line is this: Wherever you hunt big-game species, you can bet there will be opportunities to hunt coyotes should you fill your tag early. Most public land sees very little pressure from coyote hunters during big-game seasons. And if you can find those secluded areas where big-game hunting pressure is light you should be able to scare up a few coyotes.

So, remember. When you’re packing for your next big-game adventure, don’t forget your calls!