Dead coyote= success. Live coyote= failure. But I'm simple that way. Sure, I'd prefer a 40 yard charge but I take ALL opportunities when it's obvious they aren't getting any better RIGHT NOW. Shoot a 22-250 or a 220 Swift if you have to but take the shot. Tomorrow will worry about itself. You could get t-boned by a semi on an icy road on the way home then what of Mr. Smart coyote that you let go? I say shoot at anything semi reasonable when it comes to coyote hunting. Hell I killed one at 450 yards with a Fireball. Only time I've ever shot that far with it and it worked. If it was big game it'd be different, but it's coyotes. Take the shot.
Well said,
I hunt mostly for fur and recreation on public land but I do have get called a few times a year to kill “troublesome” coyotes. I think most of us agree that we’d rather call them to our boot laces but that’s not how it works every time. If one stops at 400 and refuses to come in closer the last thing I’m going to do is stand up and walk away. I’m a firm believer that coyotes get educated, meaning when they come into a call and see you, wind you, a miss etc that they will begin to associate a memory with humans.
IMO you get a few chances, distress calls(switching distress sounds might work, but is rare), if you screw this up you can return with coyote vocals and if you screw that up things just got MUCH harder.
This is all based on experience in trying to kill specific coyotes. I want to kill the coyotes I call in. Period. Whether it’s with a shotgun or at 400 yards, I’m doing my best to make it happen.
If I show up to the cafe and one of my landowners ask if I’m killing his coyotes and I tell him I passed because killing coyotes at longer ranges isn’t fair, he will find someone who will.
This is all getting harder now that every a$$hat (who doesn’t have a clue about coyotes) has an e-caller.
