Hunting Tactics Coyote

*Introduction*

The Coyote is one of the early animals of the game. It appears very large compared to the real animal, yet that doesn't reduce the fun hunting them. The southern island of Whitehart Island is an ideal spot. Start at the Southcliff Lodge and walk north. Plenty of  Whitetails and some  Elks will not be able to hide the elusive Coyotes from you. When this animal was initially introduced in the game, there was no caller available. The addition of a caller later on has made the hunt much easier. Nevertheless a few things are good to know before hitting the woods in the pursuit of finding the big dog.

*Spawning*

Coyotes can spawn alone in some cases. Mostly they travel in mixed groups of any number up to eight. There are usually more females than males in these groups. Often times when you find a single coyote, it might have been separated from its band through spooking or getting stuck in a solid object.

*Clothing*

The Coyote has a good eyesight and can see you from far. You may consider using  Sneaky 3D Summer Camo clothes to reduce your visibility. Sneaky 3D camo clothes provide no scent or sound reduction though. Coyotes have very good senses for hearing and especially smelling. Consider additional protection with  Scent Eliminator. Also use  Face Paint or a  Ghillie Suit, but remember the loudness of this suit and reduce your movements to a minimum.

*Scent Eliminator and Wind Indicator*

This species has a sense of smell and will detect players around them. Especially when upwind, you will see close-by animals stick their nose into the wind, then run away. The  Scent Eliminator works against all animals with a sense of smell. Apply it when you want to get close to the animal of your choice. Also, make sure to pay attention to the wind direction by observing objects tossed around or by using  Wind Indicator. Use it and follow the smoke with your eyes to see in which direction it is blown. As a general rule of thumb, the wind will blow towards the North-East on all maps. If you are not sure about the wind conditions, apply the  Scent Eliminator just in case. It doesn't hurt to use it once too often if you want to be on the safe side and not regularly spook animals by your smell.

Coyotes have among the best smelling abilities in the game. When around coyotes you should always apply scent eliminator even if not necessarily upwind. The situation and track path can change quickly before you find yourself ending up in the wind upstream of the animal(s) you are tracking.

*Searching*

The score of the coyote is its weight. Carefully follow tracks of a "band" (or "pack") that includes heavy males. If you Tracking Skill is not high enough yet to judge the animal weights, follow all groups. Most bands will have a good size dog in them. The skill will build up quickly when tracking entire packs. Glass ahead often when the Huntermate tells you that you have come close. Due to its bright fur coyotes can be seen a bit better then the other animals. Many times when you come in reach you will get a call from one of the coyotes in the group. The chance that the next call is from an coyote in the tracked group increases with every additional animal in the group. If you walk or run into fleeing tracks and the estimation predicts a high weight, take the time to stalk that dog.

*Luring*

Once you are aware of coyotes in the area, use the  Predator "Jackrabbit" Caller to lure them to you. They tend to come in a straight line to your call, one after the other. Move backwards and lay down so they cannot detect you. It will not take very long until they arrive, so don't waste any time in the calling location. Coyotes trot to the call. When they arrive, they circle the spot you called from. In that process, one or several of the coyotes can come closer to you than you expected before returning to where they are supposed to end up. Make sure to back up at least 30-35m if you can. If you keep this distance, you can maneuver with your weapons and also get up from a prone position for a  bow shot without being detected. Once you are up, don't waste too much time for the shot. Don't rush the shot, but be quick. It can take some practice until you have a good feeling for what is a safe distance for staying undetected while still being able to place a deadly shot.

*Field Judging*

If your Spotting Skill for this species is high enough, you will get a weight and score estimation. Always check out as many as you can, but don't waste too much time doing this. Check out the visually largest dogs, and then shoot the one with the highest score estimation in the pack.

*Shooting the animal*

The shot must be well prepared. Search a good place where you can stay undetected. Avoid hasty shots. A good  spotting skill  will support you picking the right animal if there are severals. Wait until the animal of your choice has come close enough for a good shot, or until you can safely hit a vital from the side. It is not always possible to set up an ambush, or to move away on time. Stay alert for other animals (e.g. from a group) that might have come very close to your lure, and make sure to go for a shot before one of these could spook and flush everything around them.

Remember the 30-35m safety distance. A band of coyotes can build a very tight cluster around the calling location, so it is not always easy to hit the correct coyote, especially if you need to identify them one by one. If you cannot get information on all of them, shoot the one animal that appears the largest. You may also consider using  Buckshot ammo and hit multiple coyotes at once when they pile up in front of you.

*If the animal flees*

If you spook the animal of your desire, follow the tracks crouching. Use your optics and try to spot it, and also look for tracks or vocal signs. Do not go too fast. The animal can stop fleeing abruptly and return to roaming, and the roaming can be in any direction including coming right back at you. If you end up bumping into the animal it will flee again. Take your time. If the animal is worth it, a few more minutes will pay off.

A spooked single Coyote or a band thereof won't run that far. Coyotes are less scary than the  Red Foxes and following them is a bit easier. The safest method to regain a lost dog is to wait a while, then slowly follow and hope for a call from it. You can then know it has calmed down again and can be lured back to you. Be aware though that low scoring animals such as females might be closer to you than the big dog you are tracking down, and they could see you again and cause another flush wave. Glassing around is therefore important also in this case. Also if you call an animal back to you after it has returned to normal state, be aware that now many of the previously scattered coyotes will also come in stages back at you. Use a  bow to eliminate them one by one, or try to hide until the one of your desire shows up. Coyotes that have arrived sooner at the calling location bear a risk of detecting you so keep a safe distance.

### Quick Start Locations

Start at the following lodge(s) for quickly finding this species.

 Field Lodge