Furs are prime across the country and with the major hunting seasons closing faster than car doors owned by paparazzi-pursued celebrities, it's time to get serious about coyotes. Do you want to know another reason to get serious about predator hunting in general? Fur prices are expected to be good again this year and the weather forecast for China, the largest fur consumer market, is projected to be cold. With that in mind I've been pondering ways to increase my coyote take this season and I don't mind sharing some of my fur-taking ideas.

1. Branch out. Like all wildlife densities coyote numbers fluctuate annually in localized areas. Instead of trying to hunt coyotes that may or may not be there, I located several backup areas within a reasonable drive of my home. If the coyotes in my backyard don't want to play I'll pump some fuel into my truck and take my cache of Hornady Superformance Varmint ammo to the coyotes.

2. Bring a partner. For years I hunted coyotes alone. The reason was simple. My freelance work schedule was flexible allowing me to call coyotes while others were constrained in a cubicle. Now that my son is older he and I are teaming up whenever possible. I also have a couple of friends ready to go on weekends. That delivers two sets of eyes to every setup and a way to stop any backdoor coyotes from escaping.

3. Go hog wild. You can literally go hog wild or simply use the pig in distress sound on your digital caller. In brief, try a new sound. Dying rabbit squalls work fine, but so do the other 100 sounds on your caller so try a fighting raccoon, a squawking jay or a housecat in distress. You might be surprised at the results.

4. Select the right stand. I irritate some of my hunting partners by taking too much time in choosing a stand site. I like visibility. I like a good backdrop behind me. I like to shoot prone. Those are the things I look for and I take an extra few minutes, or hike a few yards farther to make sure my setup needs are as perfect as possible.

5. Time is on your side. Lastly, I always try and stay on stand for at least 30 minutes. If I lived in a region of the country overrun with coyotes or where they weren't pressured I'd go with the standard 15-minute set. That world only exists in my dreams. Looking back I've killed as many coyotes on the 30-minute mark as I have on the 5-minute mark. Longer is better.

If you have any other notions on how to increase your take this fur season, please share the ideas with our readers and good hunting!