New recruit, gearing up for 2nd year.

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Mandtma93

New member
This January to February I'm planning on hunting coyotes at night. I've got the caller, camo, my shotgun 12 gauge 870, night vision, and spotlight. My plan is to go out next weekend and practice at 50 yards with #4 3" Hevi-Steel loads. Assuming I hit 4 - 5 pellets in a 12" diameter at 50 yards, I will be confident in my shooting. I've put together maps with local public hunting areas I can go. I added in lines so we can see where we can go based on wind direction. Possibly for sunlight because 1 of the guys wants to go out dawn or dusk.I'm working on bringing 2 guys with me one at a time. There will never be 3 of us in the field. I'm planning on getting a seat and shooting stick for stability. My plan is to have one guy on the gun while another person will scan with the night vision. When the spotter has picked out a coyote, they will say where on the clock it is and estimate distance, e.g. 3, 50. I want to find some public hunting we aren't planning on hunting and have a trial run at night.

I'm wondering what everyone thinks of my plan. Last year, my cousin convinced me to get into this and we had all blank stands during the day. We hunted during the afternoon on Saturdays because we had no way of night hunting. We went 3 or 4 times. I'm hoping to get out 15 times between January and February because my wife is due in April and won't allow me to be out of cell service in March.
 
Your plan will work, a lot of predators were killed with a red or white spotlight.

I do question your choice of ammunition. Hevi Steel is just a brand name steel shot, not a heavier than steel/lead like true heavy shot, TSS or any of the tungsten mixes. #4 TSS is awesome for preds, #4 steel is just about minimum for ducks and pheasants.
 
Haha, I don’t like Steel shot for ducks, ain’t know way I’m shooting anything else with it. You’d have better luck shooting lead…and I don’t think 4-5 pellets at 50yds in a 12” circle is gonna so much for you.
As stated, I’d use TSS and find the choke that gives you the most pellets in a 12” circle.
I know a lot of critters have been killed with lights at night, but not sure about shotguns and lights. Heck, if you’ve read any posts on here, 100yds is considered close when calling coyotes. I’ve killed hogs at night with nothing but a light mounted on my AR. I’ve snuck close enough to kill them with a knife, but not recommended.
Good luck with your plan, but I’d still save for a thermal.
 
I didn't recommend lead, for some reason I thought you might be calling on WMAs in MN and you need nontoxic there . I used to call fox on WMAs in NW MN back when fox were a c-note each. No lights, we called them on the snow in moon light. It gets so bright you cast a shadow at midnight.

If you can use lead BBs and larger work well.
 
MN has some pretty diverse terrain. What kind are you targeting? You might be hard-pressed to get a coyote into shotgun range. As mentioned above, get a thermal scope, put it on a rifle.
 
I'm going to be in Olmsted, Dodge, Steele, and Fillmore countys in the South Central part of the state. The biggest issue is there is native grass in a lot of places that is chest high. There are woods of varying sizes on all the properties. There should be streams/creeks/rivers on most of the properties.Ive walked through most of properties last spring.

I really want to get a thermal, but I'm just hung up on the price. Since this is my 2nd year, I figure if I keep at it for 3 more, I can justify the thermal. I have a bad habit of really getting into something and then stopping so I want to make sure I'm committed before I get the thermal.
 
My $.02 take it for what it's worth.

Find a load for your 870 that will give a coyote killing pattern up to 50 yards. Lead or heavier than lead.

Sneak into those woodlots during the day and call. It is hard to approach woodlots in the dark and there are lots of shadows with a light. A coyote/fox will come to look for a free meal during the day if they don't have to leave the cover and comfort the woods provide. You can hunt them with the wind in your face as the coyote won't circle down wind as they won't go into the open field behind you. Just enter into the woodlots enough to conceal yourself. Crosswinds and quartering winds work as long as they don't blow your scent into the woodlots. That gives you at least two approaches to a woodlot. Id use quiet sounds, birds, rodents or cottontail distressing

In a few weeks the snow will take care of the high grass for night hunting..

Your talking shortrange using just a shotgun. Night vision can provide a road into night hunting without breaking the bank like thermal.

If I remember right there are a lot of cattail surrounded ponds, sneaking into them and setting your call out on the ice can be effective at night . I would find a trail in during the day and spud the ice as you walk in. The ice over beaver runs or springs can look safe but be thin, ask me how I know that, once you go in getting out alone can be tuff.

Good hunting

My Ex was from New Prague, I used to hunt and run winter traplines from Elbow Lake up to Crookston. Spring lines west of Ely..
 
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