Some have a passion for wood work, others may prefer to spend all winter tying flies or even carving their own re-curve bow, but when given a choice I’d rather be in the mix and not on the edge, it’s just the way I’m wired. I’m not saying I’m right and others are wrong, but hunting consists of opportunity and desire, and my deep seeded yearning is found outside and not in.

So I understand not everyone is going to take predator calling as serious as me, and I appreciate their own level of interest. But for those thinking of dipping their toes into the waters of predator hunting, but forewarned it’s intense, addictive and success is driven by the time and effort put forth.

If you consider yourself a serious predator hunter a first step is choosing the right tools for the job and where some hunters emphasize calling and concealment, I put even more weight and research into a rifle and load. The best calling setup and camouflage is nothing more than window dressing if your unable to locate, shoot and reduce the target. Again, you need all components, but even the best preparation can leave you empty handed.
When searching for the best suited gun there are a couple of questions to consider. First is to determine needed rifle accuracy. It should shoot with extreme precision to the degree its user may be sure that a simple miss is his own fault and not the weapon’s. This means the rifle needs to drive bullets close to target as an expert rifleman can hold, under normal conditions. A bench mark is to group nearly all its shots in or on a one inch circle at 50 yards. At this state of accuracy, hitting the vitals spots of a coyote is possible beyond 300 yards.

Choosing a caliber is a undeniably the most important decision you’ll make be sure to consider one offering enough power to the target at the full range of capability. If you feel comfortable shooting past 300 yards you will need a rifle capable of extending your range.Also test a cartridge you can shoot steady and which doesn’t compromise power.
In the matter of rifles used for coyote hunting, popular calibers include the fast 22’s starting with the 222, anything smaller, like the hornet or rim fire and wounding potential increases or your effective range is reduced. Many hunters choose to cross over from deer and hunt coyote with their deer rifle, if you are only hunting coyote for the purpose of getting some off season practice this will work just fine. However, if you are hunting coyote to sell the pelts, a 30/06 will destroy the fur.

If you aren’t comfortable at first with a rifle, a shotgun is an alternative with #4 or smaller buckshot as an effective and accurate close range coyote gun. If the area where you do your hunt is relatively thick and shots are going to be under 40 yards, a shotgun with the right load may well be the perfect firearm for this situation. In more open areas the use of a shotgun will really test the hunters skill, as coyotes will need to be called closer in order to have a successful shot.
Next a hunter needs to practice with the firearm regularly to become familiar with the action, peformance and also gain confidence. Then run through an array of shooting scenario’s with different loads in the firearm because each gun will perform different for one load or another.

Success in any hunt creates confidence and the confidence of a hunt plants a seed of desire to improve and work towards becoming a better hunter, putting the time and effort into choosing the right gun for predator hunting is a solid foundation for a life long pursuit of predators.