Calling coyotes is about making a smart animal believe an easy meal or a rival is nearby. This guide covers the fundamentals of choosing a stand, running a sequence and staying safe.
Regulations for predator hunting vary by state and sometimes by land type. Licensing, seasons, legal hours, the use of electronic calls, lights and night vision or thermal devices can all differ. Public land managers may add restrictions. Confirm what applies where you will hunt, and keep the answer handy.
The rest of this guide assumes you are hunting legally. If you want a broader introduction to how we approach predator hunts, see our predator and varmint hunts page.
Coyotes are opportunistic predators. A distress sound suggests a wounded animal that is easy to catch, and howls and yips play on a coyote's social and territorial instincts. Your goal is to make the sound believable and then give the coyote a path to approach that seems safe to it.
Coyotes also have excellent senses. They watch for movement, catch scent and often circle to approach from downwind. A believable call cannot overcome a hunter who is exposed or upwind, so setup matters as much as the sound.
Sit with the wind in your face or crossing, so a coyote circling downwind runs into your scent less easily. Pick a spot with a clear view of the approach routes and a backdrop behind you that breaks up your outline, such as brush, a tree or a rock. A slight rise often helps you see farther, while low ground can hide animals until they are close.
Think about where a coyote would come from and where it would end up. Open terrain gives long views, and broken cover gives short, fast opportunities. Match your equipment and your shot expectations to the terrain. Walk in quietly, and avoid skylines. Scouting before the hunt with maps and tracks helps you choose stands that match how animals move.
A common approach is to open with a short, loud sound to get attention, then stay quiet for a minute or more to see if a coyote answers or approaches. Vary the type, pitch and volume of your sounds, since variety sounds more natural than a single repeated call. Many callers move from distress sounds to howls, yips or pup sounds if nothing shows up.
Keep calling when an animal answers, but listen. If a coyote howls back, wait for it to finish before you continue. Many animals that respond do so early, so a stand does not usually need to last long. A common recommendation is a quarter of an hour or so per stand, but you can adjust to conditions and the terrain.
If you use an electronic caller, place it away from your position, in a spot where an approaching coyote will look at it instead of at you. That draws the animal's attention in a direction other than yours. Make sure the animal has a clear, direct path to it.
Staying still is critical. Face the direction you expect the animal from, with your firearm ready and pointed in a safe direction, so you can move as little as possible. Move only when the animal's attention is elsewhere, and avoid sudden motion. Camouflage and a good backdrop help. Our glassing and optics basics guide is also useful for spotting approaching animals early.
Calling brings animals in close, often at dawn or dusk or at night where it is legal. Positive identification is required: other hunters, domestic animals and non-target wildlife can come in to calls. Know what is behind your target, and never shoot at movement or a sound.
Coyotes are small targets, so take shots you are confident in, and aim for the vitals. Choose a rifle and load you can shoot accurately, and practice from realistic positions. Afterward, handle any animal you keep with care, and if you want a pelt preserved, talk to a taxidermist about the best way to deliver it. Our hunt planning and gear prep service can help you put a kit together.
You do not need much to begin. A legal firearm you shoot well, a call suited to the rules where you hunt, clothing that matches the conditions and the ability to sit still for a while are the essentials. Camouflage helps break up your outline, and a face covering or gloves keep skin from reflecting light. A simple shooting rest improves accuracy from a seated position.
Optics help you spot approaching animals, and a rangefinder can help you judge distance in open country. Do not let gear replace scouting and setup. A cheap call in a good spot with the wind right will outperform an expensive one in a bad spot. Start simple and add equipment as you learn what you need.
Common mistakes include sitting in the open without a backdrop, setting up with the wind at your back and calling too loudly or too long in the same place. Another is moving at the wrong moment: when a coyote is coming in, even small motions can be spotted. Many beginners also quit a stand too early or stay in one place too long, and learning the balance takes time.
Try to keep notes on each stand: wind, weather, what you called and what happened. Patterns will emerge, and your instincts will improve. Do not forget safety and respect for landowners, and always confirm that you have permission before you set up. Our glassing and optics basics guide can help sharpen your eye for the movement that gives away an approaching animal.
Above all, be patient with yourself. Many stands end with nothing coming in, and that is normal. Each one teaches you something about wind, cover and timing that makes the next stand better.
There is no single best sound. Many callers start with a short, loud attention-getter, such as a howl or distress call, then stay quiet to see what responds. Vary your sounds and volume.
A common recommendation is roughly a quarter of an hour, since many responding coyotes show up early. Stay longer if conditions are good or you see signs of activity.
Yes. Coyotes rely heavily on scent and often circle downwind of a call. Sitting with the wind in your face or crossing helps keep them from catching your scent.
It depends on the state, the land and the equipment. Rules on night hunting, lights and thermal or night vision devices vary widely, so check with the state wildlife agency.
Tell us what you want to hunt or what needs mounting and we will reply with what is possible.