Hunting warm-weather coyotes has many similarities to hunting coyotes during the prime-pelt months, but there are some key differences that could make your hunt more successful. The biggest difference you need to consider is the fact that both males and females are busy parenting a family. Because of these parenting duties coyotes have a different attitude during the summer and thus calls, set-up locations and the time of day to call should be adjusted.
Starting with calls, prey-in-distress calls work fine during the summer heat. Coyote parents have large shopping lists to fill every day so a dying meal often means an easy meal to coyotes within listening range. Your calls may also be heard by older pups taking a big step on a solo hunt later in the summer. They’ll also be eager to take advantage of something in distress, particularly if it doesn’t sound big enough to bite back. Good bets include dying rabbits, hares, woodpecker distress and even bawling fawn calls.
You also have the option of using coyote vocalizations, but be sure of your intended target and use the right call. If you feel an adult male or female is in the area use a dominant howl and sound like an invading coyote. This type of howl will likely scare the pants off of pups, but if you know of the approximate location of a den you can often lure the male or female into range because of their territorial instinct to guard the den.
That natural instinct also works in your favor when employing pup in distress calls. Not knowing if one of their own pups is in peril, adults often rush in to offer assistance. You may also spark a pup response using pup-in-distress calls, again in close proximity to any dens.
When using coyote vocalizations on setups be prepared to wait at least a half an hour or longer for a response. Even though adults are protective of their territory and pups, most still come in silent and circle downwind to size up the stranger before diving into a dogfight or a rescue mission.
Finally, summer temperatures control the main coyote movement. It’s not uncommon for temperatures to spike above 90 degrees by mid-morning anywhere in coyote country during the summer. Plus, you probably won’t see cooler evening temperatures until the sun sets. Plan your setups for dusk and dawn to correspond to the greatest coyote movement.
Try to make your first stand the moment you have legal shooting light and plan your last setup to end the second shooting light disappears. Not surprisingly, those are the setups that have the highest success when you plan a summer coyote attack.
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