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Coyote Hunting

4K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  luv2safari 
#1 ·
I am new to the world of rifles, I am a shotgun guy (deer and pheasants), however I really want to try my luck with coyote hunting. I live in Iowa and I hear there are plenty of them around and farmers want them gone, so finding spots to hunt isn't a problem. Anyways I am just curious as to which rifle and scope I should get and in what calibur. I don't want to spend much money because I am new to this so just something inexpensive and reliable. Thank you.
 
#2 ·
About any centerfire 22 caliber cartridge will do, most common are the .223 and .22/250. The first is the cheapest to shoot while the latter is faster and hits harder. Probably the cheapest way to get started is to pick up a Stevens 200 in .223, the appropriate scope base and mounts, and a 3x9 power scope with 40 millimeter objective. Look at the Cabela's shooting catalog or their website and pick one in the in the $100 range. I like Simmons though Tasco has some that work and I am experimenting with BSA. When you have the brand and model picked out, look at other websites to find if you can get it for less. Good places to check are MidwayUSA, CDNN Investments, and of course Cabela's Bargain Cave. With a bit of careful shopping you should be able to pick up the whole set up for around $400 including tax. For another $50 you can get a similar set up from Savage as a package. Wal-Mart can have the best prices for these and can order them if not on hand. You can also find them on sale at the various chain sporting goods stores like Gander Mountain for the same price or even less. Add a sling and maybe some shooter sticks and you are ready to shoot. For ammo I get the Winchester or Remington bulk packs of 45 gr hollow points (HP). These do a good job of anchoring a coyote out to about 200 yards. The 55 gr soft points (SP) from Federal, Black Hills, and some others can be found for not much more than the 45 gr and work better on coyotes beyond 200 yards. Of course you need someting to attract coyotes and a handful of calls and in structional tapes/CDs will set you back another few dollars. An electronic caller can be a shortcut but they start close to $150 and extra tapes, discs, or cards can set you back some more dollars. Predator hunting is a fun and addicting sport, it is easy to get hooked and you will find ways of spending money like any other junkie.
 
#3 ·
Ok i've done some more research and i've decided on a bolt action 22-250. Who makes a decent rifle for a decent price, and also I found a Tasco 3-9X40mm scope at walmart for $40, is this worth my money or do I need to go spend $100 to get one thats any good.
 
#4 ·
The Stevens comes in 22/250 and can be had at the Gander Mountains in Minnesota for $275. This appears to be the old style Savage action which is a pretty good one. The current Savage rifles are a bit more, closer to $400 or a little over. You might still be able to find a Remington ADL in 22/250 in the $350-$400 range but they have been discontinued and are getting hard to find.
I have a couple of these Tascos (typically the Pronghorn or similar series) and it should work minimally. The problem with them is they are not the best at gathering light during the half hour or so before dawn and the last half hour or so after sunset when coyotes (and other predators) are most active. They also do not have the visual clarity to make use of the range abilities of your particular cartridge. I should have clarified my choice of Tasco scopes to the World Class series and mostly on the .223 for that matter. I think the World Class are the top of this brand though still rather cheap in glass and coating quality. I have moved the Pronghorn type Tascos to my rimfire rifles as I do not demand as much from them. I'm not saying a Tasco Pronghorn type won't work but they are not the greatest. If one must scrimp on a rifle set up, it should not be on the scope as it can always be moved to a different gun.
For the 22/250, I would look more towards the $150 or so range (as priced in the Cabela's catalog) from Nikon, Leupold, Bushnell, and Simmons, etc. as a start. Find a model you like in this range and then go shopping. One can often save 20% or more with a little searching.
 
#6 ·
The members must think I'm nuts, as I use a 416 Rigby to shoot 'yotes. It keeps me sharp with that rifle, a rifle that might save my life sometime. :idea:

A good 223 is a great choice, IMO. They are inexpensive to shoot and are exceedingly accurate. Nicer than the big bores to shoot all night, too!! :lol:

L2S
 
#8 ·
Coyotes are most active from an hour or so before sun up to mid-morning (9:00 or 10:00) with the activity dropping off the longer past sunrise you go. It picks up again about an hour or hour and a half before sunset. Hunting at night is good but you either need artifical light (check game laws, it may not be legal), a full moon with snow, or night vision equipment (again, you may not be able to use a scope capable of throwing an ifrared ray if lights are illegal, check game laws). Dying rabbit sounds are commonly used and one can use either a pre-recorded tape, CD, or digital tape or mouth blown calls. I use all the above, some days one works better than the others. Mouth calls take a bit of practice but they are nice in that you can vary the calling sequence to appear more "natural" and the call can be tuned to sound different from the others. I also find food noises to work best after snow fall as it allows mice plenty of cover to escape predators leaving them hungrier than normal. Starting the end of Janurary and going to about March, coyote howls work much better than rabbit squalls as the dogs have been educated on them and the mating instinct takes over. As coyotes pair up, intrusions onto their home range by other coyotes is not taken lightly and the pair will often come out to chase off the interloper. this is where I like to use my one setter as he is easy to get to howl and being "real", it brings in the coyotes very well. Hunting during the sring, summer, and fall months is tough as there is a lot of natural food for coyotes to utilize and the tall grasses and leaves make it difficult to spot coyotes coming in. Plus their hides are very poor and most dealers will have nothing to do with them. Hide values are not what they once were but a prime hide (late Oct. to March) can bring $15 in the round and double or so for one stretched. I also don't hunt them much in the spring as they do have young to care for. I just don't like taking a parent and make life more difficult for the pups than it already is or both of the parents and leave the young to starve. I co-own a small wildlife control business and this time of year is one of the most depressing for me.
 
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