Coyote hunting with a bow.

[jonsimoneau]

Does anyone ever pull this off on a regular basis?  I mean aside from killing an occasional coyote while sitting in a deer stand, does anyone ever go out and purposly hunt coyotes with their bow?  If so, how do you do it? Especially those who live in the midwest.  Calls, ground blinds?  What do you guys do?

[fireman_3311]

I remember seeing a Double Bull show, awhile back, and they were callin in yotes to thier blind setup! I personally haven't tried it, but have wanted to for several years...seems like any other animal, use a good blind/cover, calls, and a decoy would bring them in close, and keep thier attention.

[Molson]

Been trying to get one of them critters for about 5 years now.  No wonder the Native Americans called coyote the "Trickster".

A couple years ago, my cousin walked into the woods in PA and was just standing there looking around.  He caught movement out of the corner of his eye as a 'yote trotted by him at 12 yds.  "Thunk"...He got a coyote.  Life just isn't fair!

[Budog56]

Been hunting coyotes all my life only been a tradbowhunter for a few years though we call them in here in nebraska.. have got quite a few but none quite close enough with a bow yet..The trick is IMO is to have the caller and the hunter split up with the caller whether it another person or electronic up wind so when the coyote trys to circle down wind the shooter is that much closer.the trickiest part will be getting the bow drawn without spooking him..If you think deer can jump the string wait till ya shoot at a yote..There is a video out there as well at cabelas for like 15 bucks its called The Verminators Bowmania its by some pretty well known yote hunters around here( randy anderson and Rick pallet) its a bit corny and they use wheels BUT they get quite a few it defenetly has helped give me new ideas they talk about setups, calling, and even talk about how they think you would have more of an advantage with a recurve( dont ever shoot one though maybe I should volunteer. )..anymore questions give me a shout I know Im not even close to being an expert but I know quite a few people that are pretty wise about the old coyote..

[Jerry Jeffer]

This is the first year I tried hunting Coyote not while deer hunting. Since I found out I can hunt them all year long here, it was a good excuse to get out with the bow when all other seasons are closed. I set up on the ground in some brush or blowdown. I use a couple of calls. I have had some luck getting them to come in, but not close enough to shoot. Been having lots of fun though, and get a little stumping in as well.

[JBiorn]

My little electronic caller works GREAT for when I am on my own hunting them. I like to use a Primos single-reed call when I can call and have a shooter. The Primos will generally put them right in the lap of the downwind man. I have never used a blind, I just hunker down in the sagebrush.
 Now with Coyotes, be prepared for them to come awfully fast to call! A Bobcat will generally sneak in. And be sure to hit'em hard, they will run a LONG ways if not hit in vitals.

 Jeff

[pintail_drake2004]

I have drawn on a few, but i goofed and missed. I do have a good friend here in So IL who regularly does. A few years ago he was put on the front page of the Southern Illinoian with a pic of 5 yotes he took while walking to his truck from his stand on public ground.
I would settle for 1 yote a year with a bow...i dont mind using a rifle, thats still a challenge.

[doctorbrady]

Jon,
I've taken a few by calling them in.  I have only had luck when using a treestand.  I use some of the deer stands I leave up all year and call from there.  It limits me some, but it works....sometimes.  I've still been picked out by a bunch, and had a whole lot more get nervous before they get within range.  It's great when it all comes together, though.

[dosbow56]

Jon,
A buddy of mine from up by DeKalb has been working on a video with some fellas out in Wyoming I believe. They have a line of calls that they're developing. I'll see if I can find out what it is. Also, found out we can't shoot yotes from a stand. It does'nt exactly say that in the regs, it says you can't use any type of tree climbing or tree cutting device to hunt them....kind of a catch 22 huh?......the season here is pretty liberal though.
Dave

[keepemsharp]

Some sort of a motion distractor separate from you really helps draw their eyes away. Some use a single blowing feather some battery operated shakers. Lots of fun.

[Bonebuster]

To date the only yotes I have killed with a bow have been while deer hunting.
I can usually call in a few each winter and  take them with a rifle, but as of yet they can figure out that something is fishy when they get close enough to stick.
In "04" I did manage to get an arrow into one while calling with my brand new electronic, but
he was scooting at release and my zwickey took out
one front leg. The snow allowed me to follow, and follow up with a .22 mag. I can`t call it a bow kill, he was far from dead.
The cover that they prefer here in MI. works very much to their advantage, and when you do get a rip at one they are hooking to get down wind.
Where I live they try to get the wind in their face long before they are in bow range.
For predators, I take a rifle, not that I wouldn`t rather stick-em. Its just I don`t want the buggers any smarter than they already are.
I am not a "trophy hunter" at all, but a yote called in and taken with a broadhead is a trophy to brag about.

[Ron LaClair]

This is the only one I've taken with a bow. I called him in by squeaking on the back of my hand. It took three arrows before he gave up the ghost.

I had him made into a full mount and he now looks down on my shop from his perch.

 

   

[Benoli]

The closest I ever got to killing one with a bow was while driving back to camp I spotted a Yote off the road about thirty yards. We stopped I got out for a perfect broadside shot. The arrow went about six inches high so I loosed another that went about six inches under. The dog still did not move. So I launched a third and it was right on. At least until he jumped when the arrow was about to strike home. The arrow struck a rock and sanpped. At the sound the beast spun bite his tail and then ran the heck out of there. My friend could barely keep the jeep on the road he was laughing so hard.

[ejes]

I love the look of your shop Mr. LaClair!

[Keenan]

I agree with Keepemsharp, If you use a decoy it really helps. A piece of rabit hide dangling from the sage brush or a hackle of fethers.
  They are always watching for movement and once they focus in on something they are more vulnerable.   Keenan

[GhostWolf]

I got two this year with my recurve. One from a treestand at 10 yards and the other from the ground at 20 yards.

Here's the story...

Cari-bow Coyotes

   Some say a mature whitetail buck is the hardest animal to harvest with a bow, I’ve come to believe it is the members of the canine family that provide the greatest challenges.  They seem to have the fastest reaction times of all the animals I’ve pursued over the years, including the mature whitetail buck. Their sense of smell, and vision are second to none, and their alertness is almost uncanny.  They could be standing there one minute and vanish the next, when they move with urgency they become a blur of fur.  When one sets out to hunt a member of the canine family you better be prepared to experience some truly amazing animals and you better be on your game for this truly challenging hunting endeavor.

   I started hunting coyotes in the early 1990’s after being posted to Greenwood NS.  Right from those first encounters with coyotes I knew these animals were extremely intelligent and would provide me with many memorable hunts, but none more so than with a traditional bow.  Coming to full draw on one of nature’s most cunning animals is a rare experience not to many traditional archers will ever personally encounter.  Doing it more than once is rarer still.

   I’ve been to full draw on a number of coyotes but never released an arrow at one, well until this year.  The first coyote I took was near the end of Sep 06, when I was hunting deer.  I slowly walked into the stand that evening choosing to approach the stand from the east side as the wind was out of the west. It took me about 45 minutes or more to reach the stand, not because of the distance I had to walk, but because I slowly and methodically worked my way into the stand.  I never liked the location of the stand and it was hung quickly, so as I worked my way in I was taking mental notes of where to place this stand. Once in the stand I continued to look around for that right tree, as visibility was good in the aspen stand. I could see a number of trees all of which looked liked a better location for the stand. I was in the stand for about an hour when the coyotes lit-up, and a couple of them had to have been less than a 100 yards from me. Maybe tonight I would get a crack at a coyote. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this for many years. Could this be the night it happens?

   Well soon all was quiet once more, and I tried to focus on hunting deer again, (I believe we have the ability to will animals into range as silly as that might sound, it seems to work for me. When I focus on a particular animal I can normally close in on them) but I couldn’t get those coyotes out of my mind.  With about 45 minutes left of legal shooting light I heard a snap, then a little rustling off to my right.  I slowly turned and looked to my right, nothing. Then I heard it again, this time I caught movement, there was a coyote working his way through the woods.  He was about 25 yards out to my right and if he continued on the same path he would soon work his way behind me. There was nothing I could do, I was sitting in my stand and I knew if I were to stand and try to get a shot I would more than likely get busted. So I just sat there and watched him slowly work his way out of sight to my rear right. When he disappeared, I quietly stood up and turned to prepare for a shot off to the right side of my tree stand. Once in position, I gave a distress call by sucking on the crease of where my thumb connects with my hand. A quick series of about 4-5 squeals is all it took, as the coyote was no more than 35 yards from me. Perfect, the coyote turned and was heading straight for me. I had pre-positioned my bow and had the bottom limb hooked on my pant leg at an angle for about a 12-15 yard shot. I knew I would have to be stealthy to pull this off without getting busted. All I had to do was wait for the coyote to reach the spot where I thought the shot would happen, then focus and draw, to simple. The coyote soon reached the spot I pre-picked for the shot, but as soon as he reached it he turned and headed straight for me. Now I was forced to make a quick decision, do I shoot down through the top of its back, a truly poor shot angle on a bigger bodied animal because of the likely hood of getting very little penetration, or do I let him pass under the stand which could spoil the whole hunt. For if he did passed under the stand I would be forced to turn 180° which with the animal in such close proximity would surely spoil the hunt, and I would have lost an excellent opportunity to harvest a coyote.

   So I opted to shoot down through the top of its back at an angle that the arrow would pass through his chest cavity if I missed the spine.  He was about 14 yards out heading straight at me when I started to draw, I picked the spot where the arrow would need to enter to take out his vitals if I missed the spine. I reached full draw, lead him about 4” and released when the coyote reached the 10 yard mark. The arrowed quickly disappeared through him and how it never hit the spine was beyond me. The arrow would have to had deflected off the side of the spine, the arrow entered almost exactly where I was looking. The coyote never made a yelp, never ran, it just flinched as the arrow passed through him. He then trotted for about 15 yards, stopped, began to stagger and then toppled over. Perfect shot placement put this coyote on the ground in super quick fashion.

   Wow, although I wouldn’t be leaving the woods with a deer on this day, I would be leaving with a truly remarkable trophy, and to have taken it with a traditional bow just added a deeper fulfillment to the whole experience.  Last year I took a wolf, this year a coyote, now all I need is a fox to complete the canine slam.

Another Day
   
   I was heading into a new area to try and get a Mule deer on this new property I had permission to hunt. Mulies aren’t very common in this part of Alberta, so I knew the chances of connecting with one would be rare indeed. This wasn’t my first time hunting this property, so I knew right where I wanted to go and set up for the mornings hunt. I had about a ¼ of a mile to go to where I wanted to sit and hopefully ambush a deer on this beautiful fall morning. I was almost to my spot when I spotted a coyote pop out on the fence line about 60 yards in front of me. I quickly froze in my tracks, nocked an arrow and gave a couple of squeals by once again sucking on the back of my hand. The coyote stopped and looked in my direction, but with the morning sun low on the horizon he was blinded to my presence. The coyote quickly ducked back into woods from where he appeared and within seconds he was facing me at a mere 20 yards. We spotted each other at the exact same moment but luckily for me I had pre-positioned myself for where I thought the shot could happen.

   Now all I had to do was wait for the right moment to draw and release on this brilliant creature.  He was froze facing me, offering a very small target. I knew I could make this shot, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to even reach full draw with the coyote facing me. After what seemed like a lengthy stare-down the coyote turned his head to look to his right, as if he was looking for his exit. As soon as he turned to look to his right I drew the bow, focused on where I needed to place the arrow and as soon as I reached full draw the arrow was on its way. The arrow found its mark perfectly and disappeared where the neck joins the chest. The coyote made 3 or 4 quick circles like a dog chasing its tail and collapsed covering less than 10 yards total from the time the arrow struck him until he was on the ground.

   I can’t say enough good things about this Cari-bow Taiga recurve. It is the quietest, fastest, smoothest most forgiving bow I’ve ever shot. To be able to take a mature coyote, that’s facing you from the ground is a near impossible feat. The Cari-bow seems to thrive on making the impossible possible. 2006 has proven to be another extremely successful year for me, (Spring Bear, 2 does, 8 pt buck, cow moose and 2 coyotes) and I guess the icing on the cake would have to be the 2 coyotes. Taking coyotes with a traditional bow is truly an astonishing accomplishment, in my opinion, and noteworthy of the highlights of my 2006 season.