B.  Equipment

Rifles:  If you talk to fifty different coyote hunters, you are sure to get fifty different opinions regarding the "best" coyote rifle, bullet and caliber.  I don't plan on getting too specific here but I will touch on some of the more important points.

More often than not, your shots on coyotes will be longer than the average game shot.  You will need a rifle and caliber that is a flat and accurate shooter.  Predator hunting is a far cry from deer hunting.  You'll need to be able to connect on a 10-pound fox at two hundred yards.  A shot on a coyote in the open west here could be 300-yards or better.  If your rifle (and you) are not capable of that kind of accuracy, you have some preliminary work to do.  You will need to accurize that rifle and get yourself to the range and practice, practice, practice.

Some of the more popular coyote hunting calibers are the .17 Remington, .223, .220 Swift, .243, 25-06 and what is probably the best overall choice, the venerable 22-250.

You'll notice that I left out the .204 Ruger and there is a reason for that.  From practical experience and from polling other coyote hunters, it seems as though the very fast and accurate .204 Ruger just doesn't have the knockdown juice for coyotes at longer ranges.  Coyotes are very tough animals and out of respect for them (and all hunted animals) they deserve a quick, clean kill.  We don't want any injured or wounded animals suffering because we used the wrong equipment for the job.  Use enough gun and place your shots to kill the animal instantly.  If you really want to shoot a .204, keep its limitations in mind and forget the long shots where this cartridge just doesn't do the job.

As far as the .17 Remington is concerned, it is an excellent caliber for coyote and bobcat if the range is not beyond 150-yards and your shot placement is right to the head or vitals area.  This caliber is a real fur saver.  There will be no exit wound and you will be hard pressed to even find the entrance wound.  That little high velocity 30-grain pill hits hard and when placed properly, turns the innards of the animal into Jell-O.

Place your shots in the vital areas for a quick kill.

Weight & Handling:  Most coyote hunters are hunting in the field or out of a specially designed hunting "rig".  For ease of handling, you will want to choose a rifle that is relatively lightweight and has about a 22" barrel.  A heavy barrel is not essential for an accurate rifle so make it easy on yourself and buy a quality rifle with a good sporter weight barrel.  Predator hunting is not like prairie dog hunting.  You will be lucky if you have to fire three shots in a row.  Most times, it will be one shot from a cold barrel.

Actions:  I live in the Nanny State of Kalifornia.  Kalifornia used to be part of America but now since we have a state house full of liberal, bed-wetting weenies, gun bans and restrictive firearms laws are a way of life here.  Therefore, most of our hunting is done with bolt-action rifles.  After all, bolt-action rifles don't look as scary as semi-autos and they are usually very accurate shooters.  The selection of predator hunting calibers and bullets is excellent and overall, the bolt-action rifle is hard to beat.

Predator hunters in most other states can take advantage of the modern .223 AR semi-autos.  They come in really handy when you happen to be lucky enough to call in a double or a triple on one stand.  The modern semi-autos are easy handling, lightweight and very accurate for multiple follow-up shots.

However, predators are successfully hunted with lever actions, pump actions and just about any other type of action out there.  The secret is to choose the right caliber and bullet for the beast you are hunting.  Know the ballistics associated with your chosen caliber and always keep in mind that old Wiley coyote has a will to survive like you've never seen before.  If you don't whack him in the right place with the right bullet and with enough foot-pounds of force, he will be gone when you get there.

Bullets:  We have such a varied selection of excellent, accurate bullets today that it is very difficult to make that final choice for your personal coyote load.  Of all the great performing coyote hunting bullets out there, the most popular are the polymer tipped variety.  Nosler ballistic tips and Hornady V-Max and A-Max are my favorite choices and most of the coyote and predator hunters I know use them too.  The rapidly expanding polymer tipped rounds transmit major shock to the animal and really tear up the vital organs.  The modern hollow points from Sierra, Berger and Speer do a fine job too but the polymer tipped death pills are really hard to beat for bang-flop performance and long range accuracy.

  Red's Tikka 25-06 vs. Coyote, Tikka 1-Coyo 0

Scopes:  Fitting a good rifle scope to your predator hunting rifle is essential.  Fortunately, there are some really terrific scopes on the market today that are very reasonably priced.  I own Burris, Leupold, Mueller, and Tasco scopes and even though there is a considerable price difference between these brands, all of them do an excellent job. 

For predator hunting, here are a few features that you will want to consider when purchasing a scope.

Variable or fixed power?  That is the question.  To be honest, I have variable scopes on every one of my predator hunting rifles and 99% of the time I leave them set on the lowest power (3, 4, or 6).  I may dial up more power for something seen way out there but this is usually not the norm.  I can tell you about more than one hunter that forgot to check his variable scope setting and when the coyotes came charging in, all he could see was blurry hair in his scope (Who me?). 

For all practical purposes, all you should need is a fixed 4 or 6 power scope and you are good to go.  Since you won't be tempted to be play around with all of the magnification settings, a fixed power scope will help you become better at range estimation.  Keep it simple, buy a fixed power scope and save yourself a few bucks.
 
Reticle:  Keeping in mind that you will be doing some low light and night hunting, avoid the fine wire reticle or you will be hard pressed to find your cross hairs when the action starts.  A better choice is what is called a duplex reticle.  Duplex reticles are much easier to see in low light and you will be able to get on the animal much faster.

Another alternative, if you can afford it, is the illuminated reticle scope.  A red LED illuminates the reticle and the user can adjust the level of illumination by a small knob at the back of the scope.  One caveat.  Some inexpensive illuminated reticle rifle scopes flood the scope tube with red light when turned on.  Try out any illuminated scope in a dark place before you buy it.  Only the cross hairs should be illuminated.  If the scope tube walls are illuminated, put down that scope and choose another.

Hunting Light:  If your state allows night hunting, a serious predator hunting light is a must.  The light must be rugged, dependable, have the proper beam width, and preferably be able to project a red and a white beam of light.  It is also desirable to have light intensity control by having a built in dimmer control.  Having a lightweight light with custom features allows you to own the night.  The Predator Magnet Custom Predator Hunting Light (U.S. Patent Pending) is like no other.  (See my PMGC Ultimate Hunting Light Page for details)

Bipods & Shooting Sticks:  Bipods and shooting sticks are essential tools for the predator hunter.  Both of these tools have their good and bad points but each fills a need for the predator hunter.  Many times I'm hunting in open country where there are no trees so I'll be hunting in the prone position.  Lying low is perfect for a bipod.  However, you will need a bipod that is versatile and flexible.  For instance, you'll want it to be able to swivel and adjust quickly if you have to change positions suddenly to get on a varmint.  Flexibility is the key here and if a bipod is the old rigid/fixed type, it may be too slow for this sport.

Shooting sticks are the latest rage but the truth is that shooting sticks have been around for a long, long time.  Buffalo hunters used shooting sticks to rest those heavy Sharps rifles for long accurate shots.  Sometimes the simple things are best.  There are all sorts of great shooting stick products available to us today and you are sure to find a set that will work well for you. 

Shooting sticks are fast to set up, fast to adjust and if the coyote begins to move you can pivot and stay right on him.  Your sights stay level and the wide "V" rest gives you lots of freedom of movement.  I don't think they're too good for prone shooting (unless you are on a steep hillside) but for sitting position shooting even on uneven terrain, they're great.

Since most of our Kaliforniastan predator hunting is desert hunting, it is unusual to find a natural rifle rest.  Shooting sticks and bipods really fill the bill when that long coyote shot requires a steady rest and accurate shot placement.  I believe that after practicing with shooting sticks, you won't want to do without them.

Shotguns:  Coyotes, bobcats and other predators can also be taken with shotguns.  If you are hunting in an area with heavy cover and your maximum range is about 50-yards, this is a good method to use. 

This plan calls for complete camo (make sure you cover your face and hands) and a major effort in scent control on your part.  You will be calling from a spot with very limited visibility and the action will definitely be up close and personal.  Expect the coyotes to move in to within a few feet of your location and there is a good possibility that you will be within spitting distance.  The down side is the animals will be coming in so close to you, you'd better not make any mistakes regarding your set-up.  If you fidget, make noise or smell like a human, the jig is up.

When the action is this close, speed is required to get the shot off and when it comes to speed shooting, a shotgun is hard to beat.  Since a shotgun does not require the same marksmanship skill as a rifle, getting your first, second and third shots off will be very quick.  It's not aim and shoot it's point and shoot.  You should be familiar enough with your scattergun to point it instinctively and nail your target. 

If you are hunting with a partner, caution and pre-planning are the watchwords.  Chances are, once you are hunkered down and calling, you won't be able to see each other.  Before beginning to call, make certain you and your partner have established exact "field of fire zones" to prevent the possibility of shooting towards each other.  When the coyotes mystically appear right in front of you, the adrenalin will be pumping hard and all you will be thinking about is taking that shot.  That is why it is especially important to establish your field of fire before beginning to call. 

Sometimes the best method is hunting back-to-back.  Both you and your partner will have 180-degrees to scope out and if the concealment cover permits, this is a good plan.

I wouldn't recommend any gauge smaller than a 12-gauge for taking the larger predators.  Most of the shotgun hunters are using #4 buck for coyotes.  If you intend on taking fox or smaller beasts, lighter loads will work well too.  Remember how tough coyotes are and don't underestimate their will to survive.  Use enough load for a bang-flop takedown and a fast, clean kill. 

Shooting Seat or Pad:  One important piece of gear you'll want to have on hand when calling in predators is a pad or small camo hunting chair.  Your pad can be anything from an old car floor mat to a camo covered seat cushion.  The main thing to remember is that you will be attempting to sit absolutely still while calling predators so you had better be comfortable.  If you start to move around and the animal sees the movement, the game is up.

Pads and chairs will keep your butt dry and free from burrs or cactus needles.  You will want to comfortably assume a position that will facilitate quickly bringing your rifle to bear on any target within your cone of fire.  So, for maximum success, get comfortable and pack a pad or chair with you.

Calling Camouflage:

When most hunters think of camo, they think of clothing to help them blend into the type of country they are hunting in.  There is more to your predator hunting disguise than a change of clothing however and you must also consider the other senses that an animal has to detect your position.  If he can see you, smell you or hear you, you lose.

Ask any wildlife biologist and he will tell you that coyotes and other predators are color blind.  Therefore, the color of your camo gear is not as important as the tonial intensity and its relationship to the environment you hunt in.  The animal sees the contrast in the colors rather than the colors themselves.  Try to pick your camo clothing to match the contrast of the area you are hunting.  For instance, if you are a desert hunter like I am, you'll pick a camo like Prairie Ghost or Natural Gear that has about the same mild contrast as a desert scene.  If you really want to melt into the foliage, go with the new leafy 3-D camos.  They are the best things yet for blending into the background.

Please don't forget to hide your hands, arms and face.  During daylight hours, a good set of camo gloves and a long sleeve camo shirt should always be worn.  Your gloves should fit the climate and your trigger finger should be able to "feel" your trigger well enough to squeeze off your shot.  When wearing heavy gloves in cold weather, consider making a slit in your trigger finger glove so that you can pop out your trigger finger just before you are ready to shoot.

Your white face has to be disguised too.  Movement when turning your head to look for animals coming in will make for a contrast change that will surely spook predators.  Your choices for the job are camo face paint or camo head nets.  Either will do the job but I feel the net will be more effective relative to cutting down on the outline of your facial features.  Nets can obscure vision though and the final choice is yours.  Some hunters swear by the face paint.

Masking Scents:  Predators are very smart creatures.  Most of them will immediately circle downwind of the call so that they can get a good sniff of what all of the ruckus is about before moving in for the kill.  These animals will be gone in a flash if they smell deodorant, aftershave, scented soap or anything else that smells like humans.  This is a sure thing if they have been called before, shot at and missed.  Therefore, a masking scent should be an essential part of your hunting gear.

The preferred masking scent is skunk scent.  This stuff is nasty and even when packed in a glass bottle and three Zip Lock bags, it will still stink up your garage (my wife hates it).  The best way to store it is in a glass bottle, inside another glass bottle and buried in a box full of dirt.  OK, it is nasty but we think it helps when we're are in the field.  It might fool the predator long enough for you to get a shot off.

You can either harvest the skunk scent yourself (locate the two marble sized glands on either side of the skunk's anal vent) by holding a container near the vent and squeezing the glands.  Personally, I am not a skunk milking kind of guy.  I purchase the stuff already packaged from trapper supply outlets.  Upon delivery to my home, the UPS man always eyes me strangely because the box really stinks.  Just do an Internet search for skunk scent or a fur trapper supply store and you should be able to source some.  There are lots of hunting garments that claim to be scent blocking as well as spray-on scent killer products but I think the good old skunk scent will work for you as well as it works for all of us.

Remember however, that coyotes and dogs can discern human scent through a multitude of scent reducing products and cover scents.  Always hunt into the wind and if you see the dog going downwind on you, shoot before he winds you.  I don't care what products you are using to try to mask your scent, once they are downwind of you, the jig is usually up.   

Other Stealth Field Gear:  Camo everything you take into the field, including your call box, shooting sticks, eyeglass frames, rifle and scope.  Leave the jewelry and stainless watches at home because all it takes is one reflective flash and it's good-by coyote.

Camo painting your rifle and scope may be difficult for you to do.  After all, that wood is so pretty and the scope is a new $600. Leupold.  Well, have it your way but all of my gear gets painted.  I mask off the scope lenses, adjustment numbers, rifle serial numbers, clean off all of the oil, hang my rifle and have at it.  I use DuPont Krylon Camo paint and it works just great.  Here is an article I wrote that tells you how it's done.

CAMO IT!

Have you ever been hunting with a buddy and seen bright sunlight reflect off of that nice, blued rifle barrel of his?  Coyotes and other critters are easily attracted and tipped off by a multitude of clues.  Why give them even more of an edge?  Why not camo your rifle (and other gear) and eliminate the possibility of attracting an animals attention therefore possibly blowing your stand?

WHAT!   Paint my rifle?  To some of you the thought of painting that nifty rifle is totally out of the question.  Personally, my rifles are hunting tools and as far as I'm concerned, stealth is of primary importance.  If you agree, the process is very easy so let's get started.  (Remember that if you ever want to strip the camo, it is not difficult either.)

Preparation:  Choose the rifle you wish to camo, make certain it is unloaded and clean it thoroughly.  I usually begin with a wipe-down of degreaser such as Smart & Final's liquid degreaser.  It is not a petroleum distillate product but it's strong and removes oils, grease, wax and grunge.  Next, I wipe the entire rifle down with alcohol and a clean shop towel.

After the project piece is all cleaned up, it's time to mask off portions that you do not want to be painted.  I very carefully mask out the scope lenses and numerical areas on the scope.  I also stuff a ball of paper towel down the muzzle a hair.  Sometimes I mask a section of the bolt and sometimes I don't.  Everything else gets paint.

At this stage, depending upon the actual condition of your rifle, you may choose to lightly sand the stock and metal parts.  I have only sanded one of my rifles prior to camoing because it was really tired.  The rest were just cleaned and painted.  I figured that since they were not sanded, if I ever did want to remove the paint from the stock and metal, the project wouldn't be too difficult.  Even without sanding, the paint on my rifles (and my old FSJ Jeep hunting rig) has held up very well.

What You'll Need:  (Main materials list is at end of article)     
Go to Ace hardware or any major hardware store and pick up three cans of DuPont Krylon camouflage spray paint.  There are three colors available, tan, dark green and dark brown.  In addition, pick up a can of flat black.  All are truly "flat" and do not reflect light.

Take a walk around your back yard or anyplace where there is a variety of foliage and pick several stalks of each type you can find.  You'll be using these for spray "masks" so choose the patterns that most mimic the area you'll be hunting.  Pick enough so that you can rotate them and let the paint dry on them before using them as a mask again.  Be sure to keep the leaves on the small side.  The whole idea is to break up the lines of your rifle.

Hang Em' High:  The next thing you'll need to do is suspend the rifle at a comfortable painting height.  I usually use a strong, fine wire through the sling stud in the butt of the stock and suspend the rifle muzzle down.  Now I slip on the rubber gloves and give the rifle a final alcohol rub-down.  We are now ready to begin painting.

General Painting Tips:  Plan your project in settled, dry weather.  An ambient temperature of at least 70 degrees is most desirable.  If you can, set-up and paint in direct sunlight for maximum paint drying speed.  (Krylon dries very fast, especially the flat camo type you'll be painting with).  Always use long, sweeping bursts of paint and strive for multiple thin coats.  Allow a few minutes of drying time here and there and don't try for maximum coverage right away.

Begin The Games!  I usually start off with a dark color and simply spray the entire project alternating the dark colors to build some material (paint) on the rifle.  I allow some drying time and then I begin to spray some typical military type camp patterns and outlining them with contrasting colors.   Don't try for any particular repeated patterns.  Be as irregular as possible and don't repeat a pattern or a color scheme next to each other.  Just keep doing that until you have the rifle covered with wild patterns.  I usually stripe the barrel in multi-colors to break up it outline.   Let the project dry for about 15 minutes.

Using The Masks:  Now comes the fun part.   Pick up one of your prized, leaf laden twigs and hold it right against the rifle.  Choose a color of paint that contrasts the predominant background color of where you have laid up the mask and fire a sweeping burst of paint.  Move the mask and repeat.  Change masks, colors and locations and continue to paint.  After a short while, you'll see things coming together nicely.  Now you can begin to make color adjustments to match the rifle to the hunting area.  More tan for desert, more green for field.  Do fine highlights with little touches of the flat black paint.  This is all fun and the results you get will be great.  There is no way you can screw this up.  When you are satisfied, let things dry for one hour before handling.  Pull off your masking tape, remove barrel plug and go hunting!

Materials List   

Krylon Spray Paint  (Camo brown, camo green, camo tan, flat black)
One roll of 1" masking tape
Strong degreaser/cleaner (Simple Green, Smart & Final degreaser)
Alcohol
Rubber gloves
Strong Monel wire or similar for hanging rifle
Clean cloths

That's all there is to it and the same camo process may be used for all of your gear.  I have even painted my hunting vehicle the same way.

Sound Advice:  The third important sense to consider is the acute hearing of the predators we are hunting.  Hey, if he can hear your rabbit squeal a mile away, he can also hear you and your hunting buddy talking too loudly.  The watchword is quiet.

Make sure your car or truck runs quietly.  That includes a good muffler, no chassis squeaks, no radio on, no gear banging around in the bed or on the roof and no rattles.  Rig for silent running.

When walking to your stand, do not slam car doors, talk, cough, sneeze, laugh, blow your nose, humm or do anything else that makes noise.  Be as quiet as possible and watch where you step.  Use hand signals for all communications and stay quiet even after the shot.  There may be another predator ready to come in. 

Here are some general tips to consider that will improve your predator hunting:

• Scout the areas you intend on calling.  Look for tracks, scat, evidence of past kills and enough cover for the animals to feel comfortable moving towards your call.

• Hunt into the wind.  Call into the wind and try to set up so that if the animal attempts to sneak downwind, he will have to blow his cover.  In other words, take care when selecting your calling site and keep the typical predator behavioral patterns in mind.  Let the topography work for you.

• Know your equipment, especially your rifle.  On a stand in daylight or at night is no time to be fumbling with your rifle or calling equipment.  You rifle should be a part of you and simple procedures like loading, chambering, operating the safety and shouldering should be second nature.  The same goes for your scope and your calling/decoy equipment.  Practice in a dark room and make sure your rifle is unloaded prior to practicing.

• Speaking of scopes.  Make a habit of checking your scope before each stand.  Make sure it is on the lowest power.  Nothing is worse than having a coyote charge in and all you see is blurry fur in your scope.  If you need to take a long shot, they'll be plenty of time to dial up the power.

 Jim "Mr. One Shot" Sokolowski, Bobcat tamer

• Your calls should suit the conditions.  Days with more wind require louder calling.  Also, note the terrain when calling.  You'll need to call louder uphill than downhill.  A good wind will carry your calls so consider the conditions before beginning your calling sequence.

• When doing day stands, always attempt to call from a shady area in front of a tree or other cover you can blend into.  If possible, set up so that the sun is behind you and the critter coming in will have the sun in his eyes.  Attempt to pick a spot where the visibility is good so that you can see the critter coming in from as far away as possible.

• Have back-up equipment.  Bring more than one rifle, mouth call, spotlight, decoy, batteries for callers, lights, scopes, and every other accessory necessary for your hunt.  Plan for the "what ifs".

• Try to find virgin hunting areas.  It may mean walking from your rig a bit but the result will mean a better chance to nail a critter.  Most areas are over hunted and that means you are attempting to fool an educated coyote.

• Don't over call.  Personally, I think your calls or caller should be turned off periodically.  Call for about 30-seconds, shut down and wait to see what comes in.  Call after about five minutes and wait again.  If you spot a critter coming in, coax him with the call.

 Master coyote hunter Bob Peters & sick friend

• Hey!  You stink.  Remember that you will leave a scent trail moving to and from your stand.  Consider this when you go to set a decoy or put out an electronic caller.  Keep these scent lines in mind and if a coyote approaches one, be prepared to take your shot before he gets there.  You'll be amazed at how good their noses are.

• If an animal is charging in to your call, stop him.  A bark, squeak or a whistle will do the trick.  Don't go for the running shot unless you have no other alternative.  Also, remember that departing coyotes have a habit of stopping and looking back over their shoulder after they are about 200-yards out.  That will give you the opportunity for another shot.

• Don't always rely on distress calls.  Howlers will help you to locate coyotes but they do a whole lot more than that.  Many times if you howl once, you'll get no vocalizations in response.  What you very well may get is a visitor.  Many times I'll howl and get no response.  Within 5 quiet minutes, there are one or two curious coyotes coming in to see who is in their territory.  Play on their instincts.  Use a combination of howls and distress calls.  Howl and wait for 5-minutes or so.  Then mouth call for about 15-seconds and wait 5-minutes.  If you see one coming in and he slows down or locks up, coax him a bit with the call again.  Don't over call.  Coyote calling is a lot like attracting people.  Sometimes, the less said, the better.

• Don't make your howls sound too deep.  You don't want to sound too dominant and scare off the Beta animals. 
  * If you shoot one coyote at a stand, keep calling.  These guys are pack animals and there is an excellent chance that there are more very close by.  After you drop one, begin calling like an injured coyote for about 30-seconds and see who else shows up.  Don't give away your position until you are sure the stand is dry.

• Make sure your rifle is sighted in and check it before every hunt.  Nothing is more frustrating than knowing you were on the animal and missing him.  Get to the range as often as you can and improve your marksmanship skills.  Don't always shoot from the bench.  Bring your hunt chair and shooting sticks and practice just the way you hunt.

• Sometimes coyotes will not come in until the calling stops.  Keep your eyes peeled and give the cautious critter a chance to make up his mind to move in.  Tease them.

• Know your prey.  Become familiar with how the coyote thinks and acts.  When setting up a calling stand, consider from what direction you expect the coyote to come in from and what he will do once he begins to close on the call.  Use your head and be proactive.  Mind your scent trails and get another hunter upwind or downwind of your calling spot.  If ol' wiley tries to wind you (and he will) the downwind hunter will catch the coyote between him and you.
       

Real life backwoods insight on Coyote behavior

"Coyotes Are Like People"

By Comer Owen, as told to Stephem Ludwig

Want to study coyotes? Start in with people. Their habits are a lot like coyotes. I'd say in one way, coyotes are better than people as a whole for they're much truer to their nature than people. Just like us, there's no place like home. If a family of coyotes are raised, some of that family will come right back to have their family in the same place. They've got regular denning sites for their families, but if they lost their pups whether it is on top of the ground, in the ground, under a house, in a straw stack or a hollow log, they'll never put them back there again. They learn from their parents just like my kids learned from me.

Male coyotes are truer to their mate than people are. A male will fight off other males. In mating season if an old male gets to the other male's female and runs from him, and the tail is the first thing he can get a hold of, why, he'll bite it off.

The average coyote don't-go into production until it's two years old, and the only coyote that's in production when it is a year old is a pup that's fed good and matured good. You take the average Coyote and they usually have pretty good sized litters and they work hard. There's nothing that will work as hard to produce his family as coyotes. And the old male coyote does more than the mother. You can take away the mother and leave him, and if the pups are big enough to eat, he'll raise every one of them or die doing it. I come on a den in the ground once, a mother and pups just born. I set back to watch. This old dog coyote come up. He'd eaten all he could hold and he come there and erupted up right there by the den. Everybody said it was for them pups to eat. They couldn't eat it for they was just hours old. It was for her. Her meal was a-waiting for her when she come out of there.

Coyotes produce fast if they've got a chance. I've got it somewhere in a magazine how many coyotes a pair of coyotes would produce over a period of ten years. According to government figures, and I believe it's true, one pair of coyotes and their pups would produce 5,366 coyotes.

You'll always find them on north slopes--they hunt the cool spots, I guess that's the reason. You take back in the straw stacks. If they put their family in a straw stack, it's round behind on the north side. You often hear about someone seeing an old big one on the hill sunning. They don't like the sun. They're on the cold slopes. They're not on the hot slopes.

Far as I know coyotes might have been here before man ever was here. I know they've been here all of my time or the rest of us. And the government since way back in the 1880's has paid a lot of money to destroy the coyote. They've hunted him by airplane and helicopter, they've hunted them by trail dogs, they've hired men to trap them and poison them, and there's been a reward over their heads up to two or three years ago. And here the coyote's multiplied many, many, many times faster than anything that you guys and me and everbody else has tried to produce.

The Conservation Commission goes on about what they've done to increase deer and turkey--which I'll give to them. But who in the world has increased the coyote? Nature's done it. They've not done it. I don't want the coyote destroyed. But they've got to prove to me that man can destroy the coyotes.

Coyote's will eat anything. They sleep in the daytime just like man sleeps night. They do their work at night and early morning. Now they don't get all they can eat, it could get bad here this spring. When man takes his share of wildlife, which is already real scarce, and persimmons are gone, there's nothing left for coyotes to eat. They have to live. They ain't no calf feeders out anymore. The farmers, cattlemen, hog feeders, turkey feeders--they all had feeders out until now. They've none of them got them out, for they feed in a lot because feed's so expensive. Used to when you'd catch a coyote, all that used to be in their stomachs was calf and hog pellets. They got to eat. What is there for them to eat? Two weeks ago a woman called that the coyotes had eat the head off a calf before the mother had the calf. Yeah, I believe it.

There ain't much a coyote won't eat. You just mention it and they'll eat it, even shotgun shells, though they don't live on it. But the only thing I can't say I ain't seen them eat any of is frogs, though they put in a lot of time around ponds. Up at Stockton Lake I've had my dogs to trail in water till I'd swear they were trailing coons. But up there there's so many dead fish in the wintertime. The dead fish float up around the edge and the coyotes feed on them.

One day we saw six coyotes in a cow pasture. Coyotes ain't afraid of people, they're just suspicious. They ain't afraid of you, but they ain't got no confidence in you. And it isn't only around here they're so thick. The whole country's full of them. You travel down the interstate and if you watch close you'll see a coyote sitting on the side of the road watching the cars. Most people see them and think they're dogs. There's days I know my dogs catch lots of little coyotes that I never know about.

I trail coyotes with my dogs. I used to up to about three years ago, walk right through them woods with my dogs. They'd come out where I came out. I never lost them. If I go they'd follow me through. When I got to the truck, if they weren't there, if they didn't show up pretty soon, I'd know they'd jumped a coyote. I've got them trained to come to me. But not when they're after a coyote--I can't catch none of them.