How to Hunt Coyotes at Night

Nighttime hunting polices vary exceptionally. Don’t hesitate to ascertain your state and local hunting laws before hunting at night.  Hunting coyotes at night can be very effective and challenging at the same time.

An element of of the rewards for night hunting coyotes include :

Coyotes and other predators are more active at night.  They ‘re usually on the move in search of quarry for their next meal.  This can be an reward when using a distress signal.  Deed is low and coyotes feel more secure and less cautious and may respond to calling with less apprehension.  Often times, the wind is lower at night making it less likely that a coyote will detect your scent. Although, you still need to be concerned with wind direction.

Now the disadvantages :

You can’t see as far at night and target recognition can be difficult.  There is always a safety issue at night especially if you ‘re hunting with partners.  Ordinarily you will have to carry more gear such as batteries and lights making your movement a bit more difficult.
If your light goes out or your batteries go dead your hunt is over.  You will need to call the coyotes in much closer because safe shot distances are much less compared to daytime hunting.

The gear :

A good number of hunters will use some type of red light which will shine off the coyote’s retina.  Eventhough some hunters will disagree, white light tends to spook coyotes.  Lights can vary from handheld spotlights and flashlights to gun and scope mounted lights or large spotlights mounted on vehicles.  If hunting with a rifle most hunters choose to use a scope mounted light. A light mounted on a rifle this way helps you to scan the area with the light and be ready to shoot when the time is right.  When using shotgun hunters prefer to use a head mounted light laid so that when sighting down the barrel I can see the coyote and the sight beads at the same time.

The technique :

Most opt to call and shoot from a standing position using an extended monopod. You do not need to be concerned with emplacement yourself against a backdrop like daytime hunting. Coyotes can not see beyond the source of the light.

Remember that your shots will need to be fairly close for target identification and safety so lay your stand with that in mind. You will still need to use all your daytime hunting skills when night hunting.

You will want to read the area quickly and keep the beam occupation an effort to catch the eyes of an nearing coyote as soon as possible. Keep the light on while calling. If glowing eyes are spotted, direct the outer edge of the beam or the halo on the eyes. You want to give just enough light to keep the eyes glowing. Do not focus the main beam on the coyote until it is time to confirm the target and shoot. When the eyes are close enough to identify and shoot drop the main beam on the coyote and shoot. Before you move from your position take some time and really concentrate on the area of the shot and get a good picture before you try to find your coyote. Terrain can look lots different at night. If you have a partner, have them go retrieve the coyote while you aim the light at the point of the shot.