Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints Summertime Coyotes

Okay, maybe it's not officially summer, but it's felt like it, with temperatures close to 90 most of the week. A friend asked me to go to his parents farm and kill some coyotes. He claimed they were killing some calves, and being so bold that they were scaring people. He said that at night there were packs of at least a dozen howling right by the house.

Now, 2 coyotes can sound like a dozen at night, so I had my doubts that they were really plagued with coyotes, so I'd been putting it off. First, it was turkey season, then farming got me busy, and besides, I just don't care for hunting coyotes this time of the year, and it has nothing to do with the fact that pups are still too small to take care of themselves. I look at the coyote as a pest that needs to go, regardless of the time of year, but I just don't care for hunting them now. It's too warm, and besides, everything is grown out and you usually can't see very far. But, Thursday, the friend called and said that if I couldn't come and hunt them, he'd have to find someone else, as his parents were getting concerned. So, I'd just finished tedding some hay, and had a few hours to go look at the place. I'd never been there, as it's about 30 miles from me. He showed me the farm, and the property lines, and I saw a couple of good places to make a stand.

I get up yesterday morning, make the drive up there so I can get there at first light. Using a FoxPro pup-in-distress sound, and a coyote pair sound, I call in a male at the first stand. I thought he was going to run over me, and finally stopped him at around 50 yards or so., before I shot him. Went to the second place, and hay field with over knee high grass, and climbed up on a round bale that was left from last year, so I could see better. Used the came calling sequence as at the first stand, and called in coyote number 2. When he stopped to look over things, he was about 150 yards away, and all I could se was his ears, and nose through the tall grass. I used that to figure out where his chest was, and killed him.

I was using a Remington Model 7 Predator 22-250, with a 40 grain BT at 4000 FPS. This rifle has become my go to coyote rifle. It will kill a coyote as good as if it'd been run over by a train. I'd always used 223's and 243's for coyotes, but I'm becoming more and more a 22-250 fan.

It's always good to help a friend.

Nice shooting!

I understand where the parents are coming from. We free range a few chickens and are concerned something will have them for dinner. I've shot 5 coyotes from the porch or back yard in the last month, more than I normally shoot in a couple of years from the same place. And that does not count the coyotes I've seen but were unable to shoot for various reasons.

I'm sure some of those that got away ended up being shot later on but the fact new coyotes fill in so quickly surprises me. I don't know if I am being more vigilant looking for coyotes but I don't recall ever seeing as many during daylight as this year. I can't speak to the night hours as I did not have a decent spotlight and could not readily identify a coyote from a deer. I now have a 2 million candlepower light and it seems half the "eyes" glowing back are something other than a deer.

There is an old saying - "Kill a coyote and two more show up for his funeral".

As soon as there is a vacancy it seems it gets filled.

drover

I have no problems killing a coyote anytime of the year, and that includes pups. But, normally I quit calling around the first of April, and don't start back until early fall. I just don't like dealing with ticks, mosquitos, gnats, and the heat and humidity. This place where I went Saturday is in the extreme north part of the county I live in, and has plenty of copperheads and rattlesnakes, something I don't see here where I usually hunt. It's heavily wooded and doesn't have a lot of open land, so I'd much prefer hunting after cold weather gets here. I'm going to go back periodically during the summer, and then concentrate on the area when fall and winter gets here.

Hot weather is very productive - from now through september is a great time to reduce their numbers ..
Mid august i'll call anywhere that is open enough to get a shot - shot a lot of young dumb ones and maw/paw miight come along to .

Hunting over bait - road killed critter anything will have maw&paw laying their gut full anytime - broad daylight .

22-250 is the standard issue coyote cartridge , model seven 22-250 = very nice .

You saved a trainload of deer/turkey/etc./etc. .

I'm in the same train of thought on not liking to call as much when it hits this time in the south....like JamesJr, mainly because of heat and bugs....but I kill as many in the summer as any other time.

GA actually has a Coyote Challenge that runs from March to August (I think). Here's a link from last year...prizes can be a lifetime license, etc. I'm not sure about this year's challenge.

https://georgiawildlife.blog/2018/02/21/georgia-coyote-challenge-need-to-know-info/

Going to try to call a couple of days this week if I can get caught up on chores.

Like others here, I am not big on hunting coyotes in the summer and for much of the same reasons. I am generally a "live and let live" guy but I shoot them if I catch them on the house side of the drainage ditch which is my line of demarcation with predators.

What surprises me is the number of coyotes I've seen out during daylight hours. The past 20+ years I could count on one hand the number of times I saw a coyote from the house during the day; this year I have shot more coyotes than I typically see and the year is still young. I am not sure if it is low prey numbers or an abundance of coyotes but the result is not normal.

I also find it odd that new coyotes are moving into the opened area so fast- sometimes a mere hours after a pair was removed. Past years has shown a break of at least a week with a couple of weeks or more to be then norm. Especially this time of year when territories have been more clearly defined due to pups being born.

I guess I'll continue to keep the rifle handy, I doubt the coyotes are going anywhere on their own. If I see one it will be shot if possible. I wish I could shoot them at night but that is illegal at this time. If it ever becomes legal the coyotes will have a harder time around the home.

The biggest challenge to hunting here in the summer is finding a place where you can see more than a few yards. This is farming country, with lots of corn, wheat, and soybeans. There are quite a few cattle pastures, but most people are not real keen with the idea of someone shooting close to their cattle, and I'm one of them. About the only opportunities are hayfields when they are cut, and hunting when the crops are small, and you can still see over them....which is a small window of opportunity.

But, it's actually fairly easy to call coyotes now, as they're very protective of the young. I'll go again here in a week or so, just don't like over calling a place.

JamesJr.: Good for you on the summertime Hunting!
We stay after Coyotes year round here in the Rockies and indeed there seems to be a never ending supply of them.
Enjoy that 22-250 - they indeed are a Coyote harvesting "machine".
Keep after'em.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Nice shooting. The bugs, heat and ticks can make it unpleasant now. You did your friend a big favor. Now go get some more.

I hunt them year around.. In May and June they are killing fawns.. Just this last week I saw a pair that had killed a doe antelope's fawn.. She spent hours looking for it.. I know they have to eat, but sorry Charlie, I like antelope and deer better than coyotes, and I love the little devils.. Just cant deal with they actions all the time.. Nature I am sure.. My nature is to drop the hammer on them anytime I can..

Hey......I didn't say anything............

Kidding aside......I sell the fur so I don't kill em in the summer but I don't pass judgement on those that do.

Truth is......winter or summer......we'll never put a dent in their populations with rifles let alone kill em all.

New Hampshire House Bill 442 no coyote hunting april through end of august - that'll make coyote problems better .

Field, when I said Charlie, I didn't think of your name.. Just an expression.. Glad you didn't take offence !!!!!

I knew that buddy.......I was just funning ya....

Thanks!!!