“I’ll shoot right, you shoot left.” Those were my simple instructions as a pair of coyotes ran toward our setup. As they closed the distance, the coyotes split as if they had read the script. One was right in front of me, and the other veered its path so it was headed toward my partner. You could not ask for a better opportunity to bag a double!
I was capturing the footage through my Pulsar thermal scope, as “my” coyote was about to pounce on the e-caller. Suddenly, loud gunfire permeated the air, and the coyote ducked and ran away unscathed. What the …. !? was the first thought that came to mind. I glanced to my left and saw the other coyote standing 50 yards to the left of my partner, who swung on and missed that one, too. Our easy double had turned into a hard-to-swallow goose egg!
This is not a faux anecdotal story to start this article. It’s a true account from the 2024 hunting season that still has me shaking my head. The hunt also made me wonder if I should return to my roots and hunt alone. After all, I like to be productive, and hunts such as these are anything but fruitful. It is no secret that predator hunting success may be accomplished by hunting by yourself, with a partner or with a small group of hunters. The question is raised: Which of these three styles is best? Since I do not claim to have the final word on this topic, I contacted others to explore the debate. First, information was gathered nationwide through an online social media survey. Then, I contacted a few highly successful hunters in the industry. The results of the survey and my conversations provided valuable insight into the burning question: Is coyote hunting solo or with a partner(s) better?
Solo vs. Partner(s): The Factors Involved
My goal was to get a definitive answer to the question. To accomplish this, I compiled a list of the most common factors mentioned in the survey responses and viewpoints from the phone conversations. I compared solo and partner hunting using these factors and a simple point system.
Thought Control — Many survey responses involved the mental aspect of hunting. Simply stated, most hunters want to be in control of the stand. When hunting solo, the decisions are left to the individual hunter. There will be no difference of opinion about what sound to play or how long to stay. No matter how competent, the solo hunter can carry out the stand as he wishes.
Tennessee hunter Chad Burke hammers coyotes year-round and echoes the sentiment of the survey data. Burke says that while he sometimes hunts with partners, he prefers to hunt solo and does so 90 percent of the time. He explains, “I work better by myself. Partners are often less patient on stand, and patience is key for success. Guys will want to break down a stand, and I like to wait to see if a coyote is on its way.”
Burke says that while hunting solo, he can think more clearly about the task and not worry about someone questioning his decisions. He clarifies, “I have my ideas on what to do, and my partner has his ideas. We both could be right, but we often do something in-between, and the results are often less than ideal.”
I scored one for solo hunting in this department.
Scent Control — One of the most crucial factors involved with predator calling is scent control. We all know predators live by their noses, and we cannot beat their sense of smell 100 percent of the time. A solo hunter stand will have 50 percent less scent emission than a partner stand. Add three or four hunters to the mix, and the odor is greatly magnified.
Foxpro’s Al Morris agrees that two hunters create more scent, but believes that good hunters can use this to their advantage. He explains, “Put a hunter downwind of the partner doing the calling, and the coyote will move downwind of the sound source and right toward the waiting gun of the second hunter.”
Jon Collins, from Foxpro Hunting TV, says that the scent from one hunter or several hunters should not matter. He said, “Scent does not matter because proper setup should have the wind in your favor and the coyote should not detect odor, whether from a single hunter, a pair, or even a small group. A coyote will smell a single hunter as easily as multiple hunters on stand.”
These viewpoints can make us think about scent control differently. The key is to set up accordingly to minimize the scent issue.
In scoring this factor, I assigned a neutral value because there is no actual winner.
Noise Issues — The issue of extraneous noise hunters make was prevalent within the survey responses. A solo hunter should create less noise during all stages of the hunt. It all starts while exiting the vehicle. I know it is cliché to mention the proverbial slamming of the car door, but I am amazed by the number of people who do it! Foot noise while walking to a setup is less when hunting solo. Am I the only guy who thinks his partner’s boots make way more noise than mine? Noise produced while on stand is also an issue. From talking, coughing, creaking chairs to noisy fabric on hunting clothes, the little details about stealth hunting start adding up. These are best reduced by hunting by yourself. Collins concurs, “When hunting solo, you can control your noise. However, more people will result in more noise, which can be bad.”
One more for solo hunting.
Movement — Going undetected by predators’ eyes is essential for success. Great care must be taken to remain hidden during an approach to setups and beyond. This is true whether hunting day or night. It stands to reason that more people on stand could mean more movement and increased odds of being picked off by predators. Not surprisingly, our survey revealed that less movement by solo hunters was a major benefit of hunting solo. Morris thinks differently: “Two hunters can approach with the same stealth as a solo hunter,” he said. “As far as moving on, by the time a coyote sees me move, he’s dead!” Regarding movement on stand, Collins said, “If movement is a big concern, hunters are better off solo. Two hunters mean twice as much movement, and three hunters mean three times as much.”
Again, I scored one for solo hunting.
Covering Ground — No predator hunter would argue that spotting a predator before it spots you is a good thing. Coyotes and foxes have the uncanny ability to show up where they are least expected, despite our best attempts to play the wind. For this reason, having more than one set of eyes watching the terrain is advantageous. While solo hunters might struggle in this area, a partnership (or group of three to four hunters) can flourish.
The dreaded feeling of getting taken by surprise, common among solo hunters, can be minimized while hunting with a partner. Strategic setup tactics can have hunters watching different areas of the landscape to cover more ground. Then, simple communication can alert the other hunters that a predator is coming to the call.
Burke supports these thoughts. “I primarily hunt thick hardwood areas, and coyotes can show up from any direction,” he said. “It helps to have a partner or two to detect coyotes so you do not get caught off guard as often.” Collins agrees, adding, “More eyes are always better. They can help you spot coyotes from afar or coyotes that appear at close range. In either case, it is always best to get eyes on the coyotes as early as possible.”
Score one for partner hunting!
Shooting — We can talk about proper setup and selecting sounds, but the most essential part of any hunt is making lethal shots. After all, missing the predators we work so hard to call in is no fun. While most hunters consider themselves respectable marksmen, most say they shoot better when hunting solo. This phenomenon must be a mental issue. Thoughts such as, “Is my partner going to shoot before I do?” and “Do not miss this shot, Steve is going to mock me for weeks!” might slip into mind as a coyote moves into range.
Morris advocates that the mental mind games of shooting with a partner can be abolished by having a pre-determined plan for shooting. He said, “Garvin Young and I pick out landmarks and establish shooting zones. We always know who will shoot, and it does not matter who kills the coyote.”
Collins says the level of marksmanship is the real issue. He explains, “If a solo hunter is a good shot, he may be better off alone. When hunting with a partner or small group, you are only as good as your weakest link. If the weakest shooter takes most of the shots, the results will be bad. The worst thing I notice is that with a small group of people, folks tend to rush to take the shot, and the result is often a miss. This causes friction and arguments and a less-than-positive experience for all.”
Morris adds, “When one hunter has trouble making a shot, the stand may be blown. However, with two shooters, you may be able to salvage a bad shooting situation.”
Given these insightful viewpoints, I applied a neutral score in this area based on the variable marksmanship issue.
Getting Multiples — Getting a coyote is great. Getting multiples — two, three or even four — is fantastic! Our survey respondents frequently mentioned that shooting doubles and triples is more likely when hunting with more than one person at the stand. Surely, pulling off a solo triple is possible, but more guns mean more opportunities to accomplish the task. Assuming that both hunters are adequate shooters and that shooting guidelines are clearly established before the moment of truth, having a partner to shoot with you will increase the odds for success. Some hunters like to have one partner carry a shotgun while the other holds a rifle to make the task more manageable.
Morris shares his strategy of bagging multiple coyotes that approach the call. He explains, “We always try to let the first coyotes get shotgun close and shoot the farthest ones with rifles first. Then, we start shooting the close ones with shotguns.”
Score one for partner hunting here!
Camaraderie — Hunters cite camaraderie as a significant bonus of hunting with a partner. Having someone to talk to in the truck cab between stands is fun and can also help make necessary adjustments to hunting tactics for subsequent hunts. While it is always rewarding to have success, having a friend along to share the excitement of the hunt can create lasting memories. Many hunters also mentioned it is nice having someone present should things go wrong, such as getting a vehicle stuck or a personal injury.
Burke, Collins and Morris all echo the sentiment of the survey responses. They all told me that coyote hunting is supposed to be fun, and having family and friends along to share the experiences is what makes great memories.
I easily scored one for partner hunting in this category.
The Final Score and the Final Answer
As I prepared and wrote this article, I realized that I had done it using components of a research paper. The survey and interviews acted as a research methodology, and the results were derived from the responses. Here we are at the conclusion and discussion components to answer our questions about the best hunting style.
When I assigned a simple value point (or a neutral value) to each of the eight relevant factors, the final score surprised me. Solo and partner hunting styles each scored three points! As you read, two of the factors were scored as neutral. The result was a tie! Neither of the two hunting styles stood out as a clear winner. Frankly, I wanted to see a definitive answer, but I did nothing to sway the results.
If these results do not sit well with you, that is OK. We all have our ways of enjoying the sport. The results in this article certainly support this notion. When discussing various predator hunting scenarios, I often say there are few absolutes and use the phrase “It depends” or “It is situational.” Again, this article supports the use of these phrases. I suppose it truly depends upon your intentions and goals as a hunter. Solo hunting is better if you want to make all the decisions, take all the shots and be 100 percent responsible for the hunt’s outcome. Partner hunting is better if you desire maximum opportunity to see all approaching coyotes, put more fur in the truck and make memories with friends.
And the Survey Says
The participants responding to this survey were representative of all regions of the country — 54.2 percent from the Eastern states, 20.8 percent from the West, 12.5 percent from the Midwest, 8.3 percent from the Southeast (and 4 percent from Canada).
When asked how they preferred to hunt during the daytime, there was a relatively even split, with 52.2 percent indicating solo and 47.8 percent selecting with one partner. There were no responses for hunting with a group of three or four hunters during the day. The same question for nighttime preference revealed that 47.6 percent of the respondents said solo, 47.6 percent marked one partner and 4.8 percent indicated a group of three or four. These numbers surprised me because I assumed solo hunters were a rarity these days! Based on what I see on social media, almost everyone has more than one person in their success pictures. Would more surprises lie ahead?
When asked when they are most productive (kill more predators), 58.3 percent said when hunting solo, 41.7 percent said when hunting with a partner, and there were no responses for when hunting with three or four (or more) hunters. Again, based on the photos I see, this was a surprise. When asked what percent of their hunts are done solo, 44 percent of the hunters said 75 percent. Thirty-two percent of the hunters responded that 25 percent of their hunts are done solo, and 8 percent indicated that they go solo 50 percent of the time. I was surprised that only 8 percent of hunters reported going solo 100 percent of the time. Reading into the responses tells us that, for many hunters, being productive might not be the sole reason for predator calling. — Andrew Lewand
Safety First!
Whether you’re hunting solo, with a partner or in a small group, safety in the field should be a high priority. Having more than one hunter present magnifies the issue. The same goes for nighttime hunting when vision is limited. Standard gun safety guidelines apply, such as pointing a firearm only at an intended target and knowing what is beyond your target. Additionally, be aware of your muzzle direction, because no one in your party wants to be staring down the barrel of a gun. When hunting with others, knowing where each person is set up is vital, and not moving from that position without affirmative communication is vital. Be safe and enjoy your hunts — from beginning to end. — Andrew Lewand
Pick the Perfect Partner
I was surprised that the “quality” of the hunting partner was never mentioned in the survey responses. Success on the stand will vary greatly depending on your partner. When partners are in sync throughout all phases of a hunt, the results will be favorable. However, when you butt heads during a hunt, the pleasure principle will fly out the window. Pick a partner that you genuinely like and want to spend time with. If the person is new to the sport, be a mentor and do not get frustrated with inevitable mistakes. The perfect partner will share the same goals, hunting styles and common outside interests. When partners share these traits, success and enjoyment will be maximal. — Andrew Lewand
