When Hunting Coyotes do you need to cover your scent and would a shotgun be a good gun to use?

Question

We have coyotes in our back and I am worried about our dogs so I want to shoot em what is the best way to go about it

Answer 1

When i go coyote hunting i never cover my scent. For a gun you have to use a long range rifle. I always carry a shotgun with me just in case they start charging you. One key thing to coyote hunting is you should have some kind of call with you. I use a distressed rabit call and some times a coyote howl.

Answer 2

A shotgun does have enough to knock them dead (12 gauge)
but the coyote is a very careful animal like the dear. If you are stalking or have a nice little blind or hiding spot i would not use the shotgun. Just not enough range with a shotty. Unless you are shotting a rifles barrel with a dear slug in it. In which case the coyote might turn inside out like in the cartoons. Hmm... Now you have me wondering. Nevermind about that. I would suggest, (find what works for you) A .270. 308. (both too big, but always go too big and powerful instead of too small and underpowered. I mean seriously, we want to kill. just maiming an animal is crueal and irresponsible) even a .223 would do well. Yeah. .223

If they are coming into your back yard a 12 gauge or maybe even 16 with dear shot would change their minds or drop them dead.


Be honest with how you intend to use the gun and be mindful every load has a specific purpouse with a lot of engineering and design behind it.

Good Question, dude. Let me know what you decide and how it works out... Screw Canada

Answer 3

if you live in an area that is safe to shoot just buy a $10 coyote call from Big 5 or your local sporting goods store. (wounded rabbit works very well) They are spooked very easily at close range, which is where you need to shoot one if your gunna use a shotgun.You have to worry about sight and sound more than smell. Be very quiet and hide out of sight with your shotgun pointed to shoot without moving it. Just sit in your back yard and use the call and they'll come right to you. 00 buck shot will make mincemeat out of a coyote. #4 shot works well too.

Answer 4

just as an aside here in my area the coyotes got so bad one year that the game wardens gave permission for a night shoot and spotlights (illegal in my state) the hunters and landowners lined up 10 to 15 cars and trucks on a hill overlooking a field then used baits and calls to bring in the animals when the warden gave the word (yes he was there too) all the headlights and spotlights came on at the same time and everybody used whatever gun that they had brought to thin out the coyotes some. -- for you non-hunters this was necessary because the coyotes were desimateing the native fauna as well as beginning to hunt domesticated animals young and old-- this will not help you and answer your question but it is one way to clear out a problem pest

Answer 5

go to an outdoors store such as academy, bass pro shops or cabela's, buy a spotlight and a varmint caller. this is basically a speaker system that plays a tape of a particular sound to lure in the animal in question. for your particular situation i would advise buying a rabbit in distress tape and a female coyote tape. set it up in your backyard at night. play the tape. spotlight the field sporadically. it usually works best to have at least 2 people doing this. 1 for the spotlight and 1 as a shooter. i would use a low power rifle. i have a .17 hmr and it works great for this type of stuff

Answer 6

I hate to shoot them, but, some people I know are forced into this situation. Many use a rifle with scope for a clean quick kill. Not matter about scent as they usually 100 yards away. I had them coming around my horses and they even look toward the house at me. I would just "pop a cap" over their heads with a .22 and then they go somewhere else. They are pretty animals to me, but, I figure the ones I ran off, somewhere down the road got nailed.
If, you need to know how to sight your scope, ask, I tell you how it done with two shots. Actually one shot work, the second just verifies.

Answer 7

shotgun is fine as long as you don't want to keep the pelt. cover scent and movement and learn to call. use audio if legal. 22 works just as well also. good hunting! by the way, use low buckshot if you are going shot gun. or use slugs

Answer 8

A shotgun doesn't have the range.

I know some swear by the .223 round, but anything under a .50 BMG would be fine.

Your going to have to get a rifle

Answer 9

If they are in your backyard, a shotgun will probably do the trick, as long as it's not a .410. #4 buckshot should do the trick. If they are coming into your backyard, you probably won't have to worry about scent, because they should be used to people scent, by now.

Answer 10

cover scent might not be a big deal in your situation if you can catch them by surprise a 22rifle a shot gun #4 shot should do the trick and the do make slugs for 410 shot gun