A friend of mine has a farm outside of Van Horn and his livestock is being attacked by yotes. He asked me if I would go down there and try and persuade them to move to greener pastures.
How could I say no?
So this coming weekend I will be doing a three day hunt for coyotes on his land. I was wondering if anyone has any information about them in that area?
Also, any tips for a first time coyote hunter?

Thanks

Be "vewy vewy" quiet and still!! Coyotes are smart and have very good eyesight and very good hearing.

You will probably need some calls to get them to come in unless they come to attack the cattle every night.  Have fun!!  I wish I could find a ranch here in east texas looking for Coyote extermination.

Quoted: Be "vewy vewy" quiet and still!! Coyotes are smart and have very good eyesight and very good hearing.

+1

They are tough to hide from, however, they are aggressive and that works to your benefit.

Good hunting!

Don't forget to tie the carcass to the fence before you leave.

My Father and I have a lease out towards Imperial.


It's LOTs of fun.  But to maximize your fun you should try to go with someone who knows what they're doing.  


Calling takes some time and several attempts to learn to do right.  To see some critters the first time you'll need some practice.  Buy a call and a CD and practice in your truck.

You should be able to buy a varmint call at any sporting goods store.  Some are good, some aren't.  I use a turky diaphragm, but it's easier to start out on a reed-type call.  I don't know any professional hunters that use the electronic siren-looking calls that you see for sale in Cabelas.



Basically, find a good spot.  Sit still for a couple minutes, call for a half minute or so, then spotlight around with a red lens.  Be patient, could take a while for them to come in.  Make sure to concentrate your search area downwind of you, as coyotes will circle around and come at you from the downwind side.


And, last but not least, keep someone on the spotlight when you begin to drive away.  More than once i've given up on a position and seen a coyote or bobcat when i begin to drive away.

Electronic calls: you ever heard static or lousy sound quailty on your radio or home speakers?  Well, that sound is pretty much in every speaker out there (minus $500 each speakers), if yo hear it just imagine what the coyotes here. Stick with a reed call.  

Some tips I've learned:
if your doing a dying or injured animal call, remember that rabbit's lungs are alot smaller than yours.  so make short crys and whines.  Coyotes don't like things that sound bigger than them.

Place something out away from you in the open for the coyotes to focus on, i.e. stuffed toy (real colors, no pastel elmos), furry item on a stick.  They won't be able to make it out until it's to late.

Call from the ground not a stand.  If i heard a T-bone steak crying from a tree or stand I wouldn't want it either.

Call for 30 to 45 mins tops. maybe once every 10 minutes.  If they hear you and are interested then you'll know quickly.

Once you call with no results and move, go about 3/4 to a mile away and call again (depending on the terrain)  Remeber this,  even if they hear you at a mile away they can be on you within 5 to 10 minutes.  A average person can run a mile in 6 minutes (in shape person) and they are alot faster than us

FYI: i dont like hunting at night (In TN where I learned, it's illegal) so these things pertain to daytime hunting.  Good luck and have fun. Best feeling is seeing a dog running at you full speed drooling.
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Quoted: My Father and I have a lease out towards Imperial. It's LOTs of fun.  But to maximize your fun you should try to go with someone who knows what they're doing.   <snip>

I agree completely.  Though a buddy of mine from DFW can do everything wrong and still bag 'em, I'm a complete loser with 'yotes.  To me, they're all wiley coyotes, in the truest sense of the word (i.e. not the goofy cartoon sense).  But with my second job, I can never get my schedule to match up with someone who really knows the ropes.

I've been wanting to go 'yote hunting with my old roommate, who just moved back to TX from Arkansas.  He's not too far down the road from you (in either Midland or Odessa; I've been meaning to get down there and see him), if you'd like him to give you a hand.

Speaking of which, he's an old hand with 'yotes.  His family's got a 54-section ranch in New Mexico that they do sheep and cattle ranching, as well as guided hunts, off of.  So, he's been "guarding the inventory" since he was shittin' yellow.

Killed coyote/fox in Ozona, but never got as far out as Van Horn.

I love varmint hunting in West Texas.  If you've never been you should have a great time.

Contrary to what others have said, I have done just fine with electronic calls.  YRMV.  Get a squeaker (small hand call) to turn them around if they start to trot off.  Works like a charm.

Make sure your light has a (red) filter.  Call, scan for eyes, wait, repeat.  If you spot them, don't shine on them for too long.  Learn to recognise animals by the way their eyes move as they trot... coyotes lope, grey foxes bounce, red foxes stay low to the ground and level.  Know where livestock is and don't shoot that way.

Watch the wind.  Stay warm.  

And bring beer (if you don't have a long drive afterward)....

Have a ball and take pics.

i've found the best call is a pet store rabbit hung upside down makes a hell of a squall call

Quoted: i've found the best call is a pet store rabbit hung upside down makes a hell of a squall call

<blazing_saddles>
"You brute, you brute!"
</blazing_saddles>

Quoted: i've found the best call is a pet store rabbit hung upside down makes a hell of a squall call

When you hear a real rabbit squeal it will raise the hair on the back of your neck.



Heh, i was out with my buddies one night and we decided to try to catch a rabbit.  

So, we spot a little cottontail and he jumps out of the jeep and chases after it, head down running full out across the field.

He's dodging cactus and tasaheea when BAM!  He laid himself out backwards by hitting his head on a low hanging branch.  

I'm laughing so hard i can't get out of the drivers seat of the jeep to see if he is ok.  I thoughtfully brought him a beer, and pulled the cactus thorns out of his back.  

That ended our efforts to chase down rabbits.  From then on we decided we'd call the regular way.

you CAN, by the way, catch a rabbit on foot, I've done it, but it took a couple of people.  Just had to keep the little sucker running until he was too tired to run.  In the end, he was so tired we just snatched him up by the back of the neck and stuck him in a sack.  Be careful, however, they can bite/scratch the living daylights out of you.

EDIT:  it is easier to just shoot them and get it over with.

Quoted: you CAN, by the way, catch a rabbit on foot, I've done it, but it took a couple of people.  Just had to keep the little sucker running until he was too tired to run.  In the end, he was so tired we just snatched him up by the back of the neck and stuck him in a sack.  Be careful, however, they can bite/scratch the living daylights out of you. EDIT:  it is easier to just shoot them and get it over with.

Gotta have the right tools for the job.

A small fishing net is ideal for snagging those wascawy wabbits.  Just stick it down in front of them while they're running away from you and they'll go right into it.

Quoted: you CAN, by the way, catch a rabbit on foot, I've done it, but it took a couple of people.  Just had to keep the little sucker running until he was too tired to run.  In the end, he was so tired we just snatched him up by the back of the neck and stuck him in a sack.  Be careful, however, they can bite/scratch the living daylights out of you. EDIT:  it is easier to just shoot them and get it over with.

I switched to showing hogs in 4-H for exactly that reason.  Sorry bastards.

Thanks for the advice. I am eager to get out there. I honestly would never had thought to try it until my friend mentioned his problem.
It sounds like it should be great fun!!! I will let you all know how it goes. Since it is my first time I will be happy if I just get one, however I am hoping to at least get the ones that attacked his livestock.  I don't know how much it will really help in the end, but it will make him happy and give a good reason to keep hunting all season long.
Thanks again and I will let you all know how it works out.  Keep the advice, or funny stories coming.
Reminder to self: don't chase rabbits on foot!

I hunt them alot, and have hunted them in both Albany Tx and on my place in nebraska, tips, well

first be covered up, head to toe, sit still and stay at a stand for 20-30 mins, the sneak in, keep the wind in your face, and also, watch for cats, bobcats, they can sneak up even better then yotes.  Personally i use my turkey hunting leaf-a-flage suit, because it breaks up the outline of human uber well, will staying under 100 bucks!  Also, and if you get into the sport of yote hunting, you will want to invest in a foxpro, used or new, they work wonders!

Also, for hand calls, you cant go wrong with the "tally-ho"  as well as the new split reed yellow "psycho tweety" both calls are around 10 bucks after tax from cabelas. and work great for the amature to the pro, they make a good sound, even if your not used to blowing calls at all.  GREAT RASPY distress and the spycho tweety makes a awsome HIGH pitch witch really drives em wild for miles!

www.predatormastersforums.com


this is where I go for all my predator hunting info, great guys and many PRO yote guys who put up ALOT of fur per year, and also

www.accuratereloading.com


great hunting info sight as well, believe it or not, if you have any more questions let me know if I can help!

I went hunting for coyotes once near Lake Fork with my uncle. He is the type who likes the electronic calls. We used the squelling rabbit call that night. We heard coyotes all over but I think our mistake was we were out in the open field sitting under a lone tall oak tree. But I can say we got the crap scared out of us when a owl swooped down at our heads as we were sitting on the ground.

It was something to laugh at the next day.