Highly decorated predator hunter Les Johnson created a three-part video series that is certain to improve your success in coyote competitions
Get ready for an insane amount of quality information.
Les Johnson of Predator Quest has been competitively hunting coyotes since the 1980s. At the time of this writing, he's the only person to win the triple crown of coyote calling competitions (World, National and Midwest Championships).
Whether you are beginner or longtime predator hunter, you are sure to find some interesting tips in these videos.
Winning Coyote Competitions Part 1: Background, Goals and Preparation
If you take anything from the first video, it's the importance of calling in a lot of coyotes and shooting 100%.
Preparation is important for bringing in plenty of dogs. Scout many locations and set up the best potential stands.
The information about getting landowner permission is extremely valuable. I'm not always comfortable with knocking on doors but if I wanted to enter more contests, I'd have to spend some time talking to farmers and ranchers.
Once you find a great spot, call them in close and never miss. That's why they often used shotguns and remained patient enough to let the coyotes come close for the kill shot.
Les explains how many of his competitors will use a rifle and get impatient when the coyote shows up. They often take long shots. Even the best shooters are going to miss a few shots at long range.
Winning Coyote Competitions Part 2: Tactics, Terrains and Types of Calls
Real-world examples help understand how he processes information. You'll get a better understanding of coyote behavior and why he uses specific coyote hunting tactics.
The remaining video goes over a variety of helpful points that I jotted down to make sure I remember when I'm out on a hunt:
- Stay in the stand for at least 15 minutes before moving.
- Use distress calls with a pause between calls.
- Make multiple stands in the immediate area after a kill.
- Use different techniques in the wooded Midwest compared to open terrain.
- Set up in traveling corridors multiple times in the same day or next morning.
- Stands can be close together on windy days and further apart on calm days.
Winning Coyote Competition Part 3: Types of Weapons and Working With Your Partner
Les talks about using multiple firearms and advantages of using suppressors for hunting coyotes. Silently communicating with your partner and working as a team makes a big difference.
He finishes the video by talking about the differences between e-callers and hand calls. You might be surprised by his conclusion. This series is likely the best information you'll find on winning coyote competitions. (Of course, it's also useful to kill more coyotes when you aren't in a contest).
I'd be surprised if you didn't have a few "aha moments" when watching these videos. I've even saved this in my favorites just so I can continue to reference the videos to refine my coyote hunting technique.
