New to coyote hunting, couple questions?

First off, thanks for any advice you can pass along. I am new to coyote hunting and really have no idea what I am doing. Here in Mississippi you can shine coyotes after Feb 1 and anytime it is not open deer w/rifle season. I have a good many of these things wandering around so I want to exterminate some. I have been going out with one of the cheap hand held calls at night (without a gun) and I am able to get them within 75 yards. I try not to let them know I am there so I don't spook them for the real thing....but the only way I can get away from them when they get close is to just walk off. I kind expect they know I am there. I also dump my deer carcasses in an open field and they just can't resist that. I think I could be dressed in a clown costume riding a unicycle around the carcass and they would still try to eat it.

My question is, I am about to buy a Streamlight waypoint spotlight. It does not come with a red or green filter as far as I can tell. What can I make a filter out of? Will a binder/seperator like you turn your school papers in with work? My gun has a light with green filter on it, but I am going to need a little bit more range out of my light than what that is giving me. Also, will this cheap call work after the first few kills or am I going to need to advance my tactics or slow play them?

Thanks for any advice.

For a cheap and easy filter go to walmart or a floral shop/ Michaels store, and get the translucent red mylar paper for wrapping flowers. 1 to 2 layers does very well.

I don't care who you are, that's funny.

And yes, once you start shooting, they'll up their game, so you'll have to up yours. Otherwise it would get boring. I'm just getting into calling myself, I'm not very good at it, but my yotes are pretty wary, they know if they stand around my place very long the'll end up like their fallen brethren.

Coyotes become "educated" real quick. If you use a rabbit in distress call to bring them in and open up on them, the ones you miss will always associate that specific call to being shot at and they won't come back again to that spot using that call. You need to switch things up with your calls and move around. Usually, I will let a spot cool off for about 2 months before going back to it if I've taken a shot or two there.

In my opinion, they are one of the smartest critters out there to hunt. If they see anything shiny or reflective they'll turn tail and you'll never see them again. All of my yote guns a matte finish and sun shades on the scopes. Also, make sure your outline is not visible to them, have some sort of backdrop behind you. When you're calling them in, scan the area with your eyes, not your head, they pick up on movement real quick so keep your rifle in a ready position so you're not swinging it around to get a shot. Another thing to know is that 99% of the time, they will circle around until they can approach you or your call from downwind. Knowing that gives you a huge advantage when you pick a spot and set up. One more little tip, you can take one of those little squeakers out of a stuffed toy and use it as a way to get them to stop so you can take your shot. I have one on each of my yote guns (using velcro). I mount it on the side where I can reach it with my thumb on the support hand so I can squeak it while aiming. Works like a charm, and Primos even makes one, but if you have old dog toys or stuffed animals that your kids no longer use there much cheaper.

You have a huge advantage if you have carcasses laying around like that, coyotes can't resist them...but neither can mountain lions if you have them in your area so be careful! You'll know you're doing it right when you successfully take a coyote with a shotgun, now that's fun! :)

Good luck and keep us posted on your success!

You have to use a game light with an actual red bulb like an elusive wildlife XIL 100 or 250. The coyotes cant actually see the light. When you use a lens, there is still light that makes it through the lens that they can see. Also, you wouldn't believe the range you can get out of one of those elusive wildlife kill lights, it is a long fricken ways (get a red one).

Something else I meant to add. I am shooting an 5.56 AR with an Aimpoint scope. As I have said, I have a TLR1s on it and can see the great through it as short distances to a target. I assume I will be able to see it out to say 100yds with a better light....am I way off on this set up? I do not intend on taking any shots over 100yds and I feel comfortable at that range with my Aimpoint.


thanks for all the help, that elusive wildlife looks to be a good light.

get after it... IMO varmint hunting is the most fun hunting there is....

I've had bad luck with red dots. Aside from the fact that they're harder to get precision results from, you'll have trouble getting the intensity right as the light fades. If it's perfect 15 minutes before dark, it will be too bright just a few minutes later. If the intensity is too high, you won't be able to see your target at all. Not to mention being able to identify and engage at longer ranges.

I'm not saying it can't be done, just realize that it's not ideal, and be prepared to adapt.

one piece of advice... if you call up a varmint and while you're watching it through the scope it runs under your truck, please don't shoot your vehicle.

I didn't do that, but I came close once.... limited FOV is a bitch sometimes

I don't have any first hand experience with these lights, but I can tell you this much: unless either of those lights use LED's there is no difference between a red bulb and a clear bulb with a red filter. Red bulbs are nothing more than clear bulbs with a thin red coating (a filter) on the outside, just like turn signal bulbs for cars. In the Navy we put red coverings on the lights that are on at night to allow us to see while maintaining our night vision, we also issue red goggles that allow personnel to walk through spaces with regular "white" lights without ruining their night vision.

The Elusive Wildlife Lights USE a Red LED Bulb.

since you have a rutien area that you lay down the deer carcas you can save some meat/ ribs for a night you will be out and lay a net over it so they cant drag it away.

Thank you for clarification. The reason it could make a difference (if it does, I can't say one way or another) is that filters only block certain wavelengths of light, whereas the LED will make 1 specific wavelength which will eliminate any possibility of the yote seeing any other wavelengths of light

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