THE SILENT TREATMENT
To successfully hunt coyotes during winter, it’s often easier—and more effective—to leave the predator calls at home
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Position hunters to intercept any coyotes that are pushed out into the open#3 Pushing
If hunting at the crack of dawn isn’t possible, there are also options for midday hunts. One such tactic is pushing, although it requires a group of hunters for it to be successful. It simply involves sending two or three people walking through an area where you suspect coyotes are spending the daylight hours, pushing them out into the open where the others can take a shot.
This technique works best in relatively open countryside with small patches of brush scattered about. The pushers should position themselves so the wind carries their scent to the coyotes, making them flee in the opposite direction toward the waiting shooters. Making noise also works well—barking like a dog is particularly effective, since coyotes certainly don’t want to encounter both humans and dogs together.
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If there’s a drawback to this technique, it’s the amount of care required to make sure none of the pushers are endangered when the shooting begins. To avoid dicey shots at running animals, try barking at the coyotes once they break cover. This will often make them stop long enough to present a stationary target.