Do you guys take a break when the moon is bright? What do you change? Are you more cautious to find cover on your way to your stand? Would being on a chair help just because you don't stick out as much? I ask because I saw a coyote out in a field and as I walked to try and get into place I'm pretty sure I got made. The coyote responded to calls but then retreated to 500ish yards and got completely quiet.
Moonlight and hunting
- Thread starter Lazer32
- Start date
Oldcoyotetrapper
Well-known member
I typically stay away in moonlight. But if I have a situation I’ll go in before dark and cut me a spot in the brush or cedar. Then wait till dark to call
hunt0168
Well-known member
I will hunt the bright moon, but yes, attention needs to be given to your stand approach and setup. Choose stands that allow you to stay in the shadows and stick tight to cover as you approach. Definitely not the time to stand in the open or cross open ground. Use terrain to your advantage. Get in a spot where the coyotes you’re targeting need to come up over a rise to get to the caller. Seats always help with my shooting ability by allowing me to rest an elbow on my knee. Unfortunately the early season typically requires standing due to vegetation. There are situations where sitting aids In concealment.
spotstalkshoot
Well-known member
Setups get really complicated with super moons, snowshoe deep snow. I always factor in a coyote can see/hear better than me.
hunt made a great point about positioning yourself to where when they come in, they are well within range and you can kill them immediately. I used to cuss the full moon, and use it as a good excuse to not hunt. The past couple years, I have been hunting year round and dont even worry about it anymore. I much prefer a night of total darkness, a constant 5-10 mph breeze, and good access but if I waited on these perfect situations in pa i would barely hunt ...
bohunr
Active member
on nights with bright moons, stick to the cover as you would when hunting during the day. we have been out on nights bright enough to cast a shadow and killed coyotes by sticking to the shadows and setting up in the tree line or against tall bushes. but never out in the open.
Dead Down Wind
Well-known member
Never underestimate a Coyotes vision in even the darkest of nights.
Watch a few thermal videos where you can see how the Coyote easily navigates under a barbed wire fence while on the run.
They can see!
*My brother always told me, if a Coyote was that smart, it would be hunting us!
Watch a few thermal videos where you can see how the Coyote easily navigates under a barbed wire fence while on the run.
They can see!
*My brother always told me, if a Coyote was that smart, it would be hunting us!
The only thing that will keep me from going out on a night I want to hunt is really high winds or rain. If it’s really bright and you can’t find shadows, find a backdrop and limit your movements just like you are day hunting
bohunr
Active member
well apparently i may have been wrong about how far they can see or i found 3 stupid coyotes last night, well actually early this morning 4am
the moon was kind of bright, it was a half moon but still very light. i hit this spot on the way home from hunting, i started around 10:30pm
i called on and off for about an hour, it was really tough to see as the leaves on the grapevines havent really fallen yet but they are starting to open up....a little
anyway. after about an hour of no replies, i figured nothing was coming in. i walk out to get my call, get about 40 yards away from my gun during the walk back and scan to my right only to see what i first thought were three deer standing there looking my way. i thought...thats cool.
i get to the top of the small rise and about 20 yards from the tripod mounted gun when i scan to my right again and realize those are THREE COYOTES not deer, and they are looking in my direction with the wind at my back i know they didnt smell me, so i quickly get on the gun only to realize they are gone. i lean out a little to see around a row of grapes and realize, they arent gone but just standing there.
at this point i have to pick up the gun, move 4 feet forward to clear the last row of grapes, set the gun down and....yep....all three are still there about 80 yards away still looking around AND...they start walking my way
i have to be careful here as i can see some houses in the background.
the middle one is in the clear with nothing in the background, when it turns broadside, i shoot and it drops, the other two stand there as i settle on the far right one..no shot...house in the background, some distance away but still...no shot, i scan back to the left one its partially covered up by the grape leaves and no good shot. they both start walking towards me....i keep scanning to the right and left trying to get a clear crack at one of them.
when all of a sudden they both run into the vineyard in two different directions and i lose them.
so.....did they see me or just hear me ? i know they didnt smell me...Hmmm
nice male, teeth look like they have some wear
the moon was kind of bright, it was a half moon but still very light. i hit this spot on the way home from hunting, i started around 10:30pm
i called on and off for about an hour, it was really tough to see as the leaves on the grapevines havent really fallen yet but they are starting to open up....a little
anyway. after about an hour of no replies, i figured nothing was coming in. i walk out to get my call, get about 40 yards away from my gun during the walk back and scan to my right only to see what i first thought were three deer standing there looking my way. i thought...thats cool.
i get to the top of the small rise and about 20 yards from the tripod mounted gun when i scan to my right again and realize those are THREE COYOTES not deer, and they are looking in my direction with the wind at my back i know they didnt smell me, so i quickly get on the gun only to realize they are gone. i lean out a little to see around a row of grapes and realize, they arent gone but just standing there.
at this point i have to pick up the gun, move 4 feet forward to clear the last row of grapes, set the gun down and....yep....all three are still there about 80 yards away still looking around AND...they start walking my way
i have to be careful here as i can see some houses in the background.the middle one is in the clear with nothing in the background, when it turns broadside, i shoot and it drops, the other two stand there as i settle on the far right one..no shot...house in the background, some distance away but still...no shot, i scan back to the left one its partially covered up by the grape leaves and no good shot. they both start walking towards me....i keep scanning to the right and left trying to get a clear crack at one of them.
when all of a sudden they both run into the vineyard in two different directions and i lose them.
so.....did they see me or just hear me ? i know they didnt smell me...Hmmm
nice male, teeth look like they have some wear
bohunr
Active member
still a nice bright moon in the vineyard and the leaves still havent dropped..much. i went back last night, getting there close midnight. i stood and scanned for awhile before placing the call, trying to catch any movement at all. As i got back to the gun, i scanned again and saw a coyote come out of the vineyard about 8 rows to my left. it quickly disappeared as i tried to locate it in the scope.
my first call produced nothing and i figured it saw me and spooked. i waited about 5 minutes and started calling again, nothing. a siren went off in the distance, not to far away, nothing howled at that so i did
i spotted movement in the thick stuff about the same place i saw the coyote exit the vineyard but this time i was on the gun as the coyote stepped clear and froze in place when it saw me due to the bright moon light. to late buddy, i see you too, the crosshair settled on the chest, the trigger was pulled and the coyote was DRT
i immediately scanned back to wards the call and spotted short glimpses of another one coming to the call from my right side, but as i swung the gun around it proved to be faster than me, got to call, and must have caught my scent on the call and took off offering fleeting glimpses of movement thru the thick foliage as it ran away to be shot another day.
nice young female
my first call produced nothing and i figured it saw me and spooked. i waited about 5 minutes and started calling again, nothing. a siren went off in the distance, not to far away, nothing howled at that so i did
i spotted movement in the thick stuff about the same place i saw the coyote exit the vineyard but this time i was on the gun as the coyote stepped clear and froze in place when it saw me due to the bright moon light. to late buddy, i see you too, the crosshair settled on the chest, the trigger was pulled and the coyote was DRT
i immediately scanned back to wards the call and spotted short glimpses of another one coming to the call from my right side, but as i swung the gun around it proved to be faster than me, got to call, and must have caught my scent on the call and took off offering fleeting glimpses of movement thru the thick foliage as it ran away to be shot another day.
nice young female