Outdoors Angle: Coyote Time!

The Flag Outdoors Expert Steve Carney has your weekly Outdoors Angle right here!

     As we slide into late January, it's the best time of the winter to chase coyotes. These amazingly adaptable canines are a ton of fun to both call in from cover or stalk the fields looking for active critters. Calling is best very early in the morning and again late in the evening when they are most active. During the day I spend a lot of time driving gravel roads and looking with good quality optics for telltale signs of new tracks or sometimes catching them in the open country.

     Late January into February is mating time for coyotes and they are very active looking for mates and defending their territories. They can be very active during the midday which normally they are basically a nocturnal creature but the mating sequence trumps their desire to be stealthy.

     Back in the day, red fox were very common but nowadays with the huge population of coyotes, the coyote now rules the fields. I have seen coyotes along the interstate as well as highway 494 in the cities. They are a most adaptable and amazing critter as they can be just as comfortable in urban situations as well as open country.

     Some hunters prefer bolt action rifles for coyotes but I am a semi-automatic fan and prefer the higher capacity. Many of my shots tend to be running shots and it's tough with a bolt action.

Steve Carney is The Flag WZFG Outdoors expert. He can be heard every Thursday morning at 8:05 on AM 1100 WZFG. Check out his weekly podcast on am1100theflag.com and hear his Outdoors Angle reports every Friday on AM 1100 WZFG. You can also visit stevecarneyoutdoors.com for more information.