• Mossberg Owners is in the process of upgrading the software. Please bear with us while we transition to the new look and new upgraded software.

Coyote Hunting CA

S.R. Crawford

.270 WIN
Lately I've been thinking about getting into coyote hunting, and I was looking to see if anyone on here had any experience and advice to offer. My longarm is a Mossberg 500 12ga with a 28" barrel. For visibility I'll be putting a red gunlight on it after Christmas.

Ammo is my first issue. CA only allows hunting with non-lead ammunition, which is fine for birds but I've never shot anything bigger with a shotgun before. What kind of non-lead shot or slugs are available?

I was also wondering if anyone is familiar with techniques for hunting coyote. As they're shy animals my first instinct is to try a blind or stand like you would deer, but I want to see what anyone else has to say first.

Thanks everyone.
 
I never have shot a coyote, but my buddy used to go hunting them up in the Jose Basin area. In the lead days . . . *sigh* . . .

He would set some bait, & drive around the other side of the canyon, then sit there and scope the opposite hill. He was shooting a 30-.06 Remington with a 9x Weaver scope.
 
I never have shot a coyote, but my buddy used to go hunting them up in the Jose Basin area. In the lead days . . . *sigh* . . .

He would set some bait, & drive around the other side of the canyon, then sit there and scope the opposite hill. He was shooting a 30-.06 Remington with a 9x Weaver scope.
At that range he had to be shooting during daylight I assume? I also believe it's illegal to bait in Ca now.
 
S.R., Federal makes some non lead 00 buckshot if that's what you're looking for.

Regards
 
I suspect he would bait with ground squirrels he'd shot with a .22 first. I am no authority. Baiting probably is illegal. Nearly everything is illegal in California except govt crime and drugs.
 
Wish I had more to offer on this topic but I do have a Lucky Duck Rebel E-Caller just waiting to go out and get field tested!! Picked it up on sale at Cabelas last year cuz I've always wanted to try hunting coyotes.

I've got a few candidates for yote duty...270 Win loaded with 130gr Hornady SST's or for close up my semi-auto 12 ga loaded with 00 buck. I've toyed with idea of the 30-30 lever as well, but am undecided on that one.
 
Wish I had more to offer on this topic but I do have a Lucky Duck Rebel E-Caller just waiting to go out and get field tested!! Picked it up on sale at Cabelas last year cuz I've always wanted to try hunting coyotes.

I've got a few candidates for yote duty...270 Win loaded with 130gr Hornady SST's or for close up my semi-auto 12 ga loaded with 00 buck. I've toyed with idea of the 30-30 lever as well, but am undecided on that one.
I still have my Grandpa's 30-30, it's a great rifle but ammo is really up there right now. Not sure about just taking it and running off hunting as it's not my rifle though.

S.R., Federal makes some non lead 00 buckshot if that's what you're looking for.

Regards
Yes that would be excellent, thank you.
 
I'll jump back in here, since there's not much coming so far...lol! I've done a lot of reading on coyotes both here and other places. Since I don't have any first hand experience actually hunting coyotes I'll share a little what I've learned from others as well as my own experiences in the woods. You're right, coyotes are super cagey and smart. Coyotes that aren't used to human contact will bolt at the first hint of human, this comes from my own encounters with coyotes while hiking and hunting other game. So, my general sense with coyotes is you really need to not be seen, heard or winded. So, that usually means camo/concealment of some sort and some distance especially if the winds are not reliable. Again, my own experience hunting tells me that getting winded is likely to be the cause of missed opportunities probably 75% of the time and the other 20% is being heard and 5% is being seen. That's just my own guesstimates though. Coyotes have okay eyesight but are more adept at catching movement rather than having sharp, visual acuity. Their hearing and sense of smell are the ones you need to pay close attention to.

With all that in mind, if you go to Youtube and watch some coyote hunting vids, you'll notice most are hunting from a significant distance...most are certainly out of range for a shotgun. That said, depending on the wind and concealment I've seen guys call them in really close and thump 'em with 00 buck. So, that's why I invested a few bucks in an E-caller, the one I bought has a wagging flag/tail on top to catch a coyotes eye. With an E-caller and a remote you can position it where it's easily seen. You can then position yourself advantageously away from the caller giving yourself a good line of sight and hopefully a few directions you could shoot.

My sense is that an E-caller is likely my best chance at bringing one in...IF I can manage all the other factors too. It's kind of like baiting I suppose but check your local regs and see what's allowed. All that said, putting in the time to scout and look for sign is probably more important than a good set up. If you don't have any idea where they're at, the best set up won't do you any good.

Keep us posted how you progress. I don't know about you, but I come from a non-hunting family and I've had to learn everything from scratch, it's been fun but often frustrating. I am fortunate to have a buddy who wanted to learn to hunt just as much as I did and we've had each other to keep kicking the other guy's butt when discouragement hits.
 
Last edited:
My hunting has consisted of using a electronic call.

If you are limited to shotgun I recall seeing several specialized buckshot loads some time back.

If you can use a rifle I would stick with a smaller flat shooting round.

I like my .223/5.56 at the smallest end and the 6.5 Creedmore at the other end.

I don't hunt them specifically a lot but they are shot on sight while deer/turkey hunting. Unfortunately they are usually out of range for the guns used in those endevors. Note, I hunt deer in a shotgun/limited rifle zone.

Funny I can use a .50BMG for squirrel during small game but only limited straight walled rifle cartridges or shotgun during deer seaon. season
 
So, that's why I invested a few bucks in an E-caller, the one I bought has a wagging flag/tail on top to catch a coyotes eye. With an E-caller and a remote you can position it where it's easily seen.

Is that the one that you can download different calls like a baby rabbit and what not?
 
My hunting has consisted of using a electronic call.

If you are limited to shotgun I recall seeing several specialized buckshot loads some time back.

If you can use a rifle I would stick with a smaller flat shooting round.

I like my .223/5.56 at the smallest end and the 6.5 Creedmore at the other end.

I don't hunt them specifically a lot but they are shot on sight while deer/turkey hunting. Unfortunately they are usually out of range for the guns used in those endevors. Note, I hunt deer in a shotgun/limited rifle zone.

Funny I can use a .50BMG for squirrel during small game but only limited straight walled rifle cartridges or shotgun during deer seaon. season

Mike are you keeping the fur or ???
 
Back
Top