Hunting coyotes in the “off-season,” is the best way I know of to quickly develop most of the skills necessary to be a good big game hunter.
You may only get a week or two every year to hunt deer/elk.... but you can hunt coyotes for most of the year. Coyotes do many of the same things that game animals do, they live in the same places as deer/elk, and often hunt them too. You can call them, spot and stalk them, ambush them from a hide on known travel route, spot one running across the road and Chinese Fire Drill it off the hood of the truck, etc. They’re small, they move pretty quick.... and they’re aweful tough to hit if you don’t have your wits about you, or can’t adjust shooting positions on the fly.
All that stuff translates to big game hunting. I can’t think of a shot I’ve taken at a big game animal, that I haven’t taken several times at a coyote.... including the CFD off the hood of the truck.
PS..... learn how to not use a bi-pod.
