Utah Wildlife Forum banner

Calling All Coyote / Predator Hunters!

3511 Views 19 Replies 16 Participants Last post by  HighNDry
Please share any knowledge that you have about where to hunt coyotes, how to call coyotes and other predators or varmints. Like fox, bobcat, and even badgers. I'm very interested in learning to hunt predators / varmints but have noone to teach me and no where to start but here. So please leave any and all information you have on hunting these predators here in Utah. Like best places to find these animals, what kinds of calls are recomended, What guns may be used, if licenses are required, and anything else you may come up with. I know there are people like me interested in learning but dont know where to start so help us out! Thanks Alot!
1 - 20 of 20 Posts
Good luck thats all I have to say
What part of the state do you dwell in?

You will need a small game license, a rifle that is flat-shooting, and a number of different calls, and lots of patience. There are several caliber of rifles that will work, I prefer a .243 myself. Pick a few different types of calls, calling preds is similar to calling turkeys and elk. Camo is vital. Get where you can see them coming from along ways off. Be mindful of the wind, and consider using decoys.

Good luck and welcome to the world of pred hunting.

PRO
proutdoors said:
What part of the state do you dwell in?
You will need a small game license, PRO
No license needed for coyote, red fox or striped skunk.
I use a .223 or a 12 gage shotgun. I personally like to call where I can see them coming along way off but the success rate is much lower. I have had better luck in the thick stuff with junipers. Coyotes can be any where in Utah. They are very hard to call in Utah because there are a lot of people doing it. So if you want to try it go where there are less people calling. Most people call in the west desert and in the winter. If you just want to shoot them try March thru October. It will get progressively harder to hunt them as it gets closer to winter.

The easiest time to call them is in the summer when they are feeding pups. I just couldn’t bring my self to kill them at this time. I however have taken my kids out this time and showed my girls what they look like up close several times.

When calling coyotes the best advice I can give you is you have to get to your location without being detected by smell, sight or sound. If you can do this your success rate will go up probably 80%. Other than that call often and at different times of the year and you will learn the like to hang out. Or what type of terrain they like to hang in the areas you hunt.
See less See more
Coyotes can be hunted anytime of year and there is no season. On the other hand....to hunt bobcats you will need to apply for a bobcat tag (You can purchase up to 6) and you will need a furbearers permit, and you will have to follow season dates. Good luck
reb8600 said:
proutdoors said:
What part of the state do you dwell in?
You will need a small game license, PRO
No license needed for coyote, red fox or striped skunk.
If a license is required....I'm in trouble.. :shock: ...and non required for jackrabbit !!!!
Can you howl like a dog howling at the moon? You can sometimes locate coyotes by howling. They will answer you with their howl. Once you hear their response, you can move to a good spot and use the predator call.

Have fun!

James



I shot this one with the Sony.
See less See more
Badgers

Now badgers are something else. I have had them come right out of their dens to challenge me when I approached their den. If you approach a den, be pointing your rifle at the hole as you come up to it. The badger may come out to challenge you. Badgers dig a good sized hole for a den and throw a lot of dirt out in a mound around the hole. These dens can sometimes be spotted just by looking for those mounds of dirt which are pretty obvious when viewed from a distance.

Badgers hunt at night. You may find success by watching the den at dusk. I have never tried to call them. Once my hounds got on a badger. Now that is a circus. The badger is a prettty tough customer.

Other than that, if you spend time in the field, you may just happen on one sometime.
I have seen them out in the daytime a couple of times while I was driving tractor tilling the soil or mowing hay.

Good luck!
Re: Badgers

James said:
Now badgers are something else. I have had them come right out of their dens to challenge me when I approached their den. If you approach a den, be pointing your rifle at the hole as you come up to it. The badger may come out to challenge you...
I've been challenged by these onery buggers myself. A fur bearer's license is also required to take badger in Utah. As well as the fact that they can only be taken during certain times of the year. Unless, of course, said badger is making itself a nuisance. Otherwise, a conservation officer may come out to challenge you. :wink:
Badgers can be called in the daytime also. Here are a couple from my hunt with my kids on Sat.

See less See more
Reb....what do you do with the badger's pelts??

And, Jeez...you are in bad need of a shave..... :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
reb8600 said:
Badgers can be called in the daytime also. Here are a couple from my hunt with my kids on Sat.

Nice job Reb.
reb8600 said:
Badgers can be called in the daytime also. Here are a couple from my hunt with my kids on Sat.

Freakin awesome!
Did you take those with your .204 Reb?
One good strategy on several species is to find a decent population of rabbits. I've had my best predator success very early in the mornings or towards dusk, but you can locate rabbits anytime and have fun in the process. If you find a healthy quantity of bunnies, show up very early or towards evening in full camo. Hit your calls sparingly. Use a flat-shooting rifle like a .223, .204, .22-250, 220 Swift, .243 etc. etc. (it's fine to use your deer rifle in bigger calibers too). Call, wait a while, call again, wait. If you don't see anything move about a mile. Lather, rinse, repeat.

For 'yotes, the same thing goes for areas with lots of deer. Locate the prey, and then call and move around a lot.
The best advise to start with is get the calls you can afford both hand calls and electronic calls work good. The one advantage you have with an electronic call is if you buy a foxpro call or one that has a speaker attached to it and you can get it away from yourself the coyotes eye are on the noice and not you, were if you use hand calls that coyote is coming to you. Coyotes are located all over the state of ut you just have to look for places to go. Were about in ut are you located at. The thing you want to do are get on high advantage points so you can see the dogs coming alot better. Don't get disappointed if you set in several different stands and don't call nothing in, sooner or later you will call one in and you will see how big of a rush it is.
.45--I am not sure if I am going to sell these 2 or tan them for my 2 daughters to have. My wife wouldnt reconize me if I shaved.

NHS- The fox was hit with the 204. I shot one badger with the 22-250 and the other with my AR 15. My wife has taken over my 204. I need to get another one.
reb8600 said:
Badgers can be called in the daytime also. Here are a couple from my hunt with my kids on Sat.

BADGERS!!!!!!! WE DON'T NEED NO STINKING BADGERS!!!!!
The best coyote callers are very secretive about their techniques. Not that they are being snobs, it's just the nature of the sport. You can learn the basics from the tapes and books, but until you go out and try different sets and different sounds and techniques, you will have limited success at best. The main secret is to be sneaky, I mean sneeeeeaky! The next secret is to not give up after a season of no success. Many a coyote hunter has given it their best shot and then quit because they get bored sitting out in the wasteland without seeing something. Some guys just don't have the patience for it and before you know it, the itch to pull a trigger gets the best of them and they start blasting away at rabbits. You have to get into a zen mode of thought. Blend in as if you are not really there. Learn to SEE. By that I mean looking without moving your head much and try not to focus on things too much. When you first sit down, wait a while and scan the area mentally noticing how things look. As you call you may notice a new shape out there, or a bright spot, or a different color. Check these things out they could be a coyote starring at you. Or, you may have one just run right up to you out of nowhere and have to turn and blast it by pointing the barrell of your gun at it. Quiet! Quiet! Don't move. I see one standing right behind you!
See less See more
1 - 20 of 20 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top