Any coyote hunters?

[Brokennock]

I haven't been predator hunting, on purpose, for many years.
Anyone here deliberately hunt coyotes with a muzzleloader? Specifically, anyone hunt then with shot in a smoothbore or a .32 caliber rifle?
Connecticut considers them "small" game, even though ours get pretty big. So, legally we are restricted to roundball no larger than .36 caliber or shot up to size #2.
Has anyone taken coyote with a muzzleloader that falls into these parameters?

 

[deermanok]

When I lived in Connecticut, I hunted coyotes a few times with a 32 caliber muzzleloader. Never did connect but felt that the little 32 would get er done if the shot was close.

 

[Christophero]

I always thought about taking the 32 Cherokee nut never did when hunting coyotes heavily. Maybe this winter would be a good time to try.
I'm sure if a 22 Mag drops them at close range the 32 will tio.

 

[Grimord]

I haven't been predator hunting, on purpose, for many years.
Anyone here deliberately hunt coyotes with a muzzleloader? Specifically, anyone hunt then with shot in a smoothbore or a .32 caliber rifle?
Connecticut considers them "small" game, even though ours get pretty big. So, legally we are restricted to roundball no larger than .36 caliber or shot up to size #2.
Has anyone taken coyote with a muzzleloader that falls into these parameters?

I hunt coyotes once the small game season closes in CT at the end of FEB. I use my .36 flint lock for called in coyotes & fox. I have taken a 1/2 dozen or so coyotes in the past 3 years. One was a monster at 53#. I tanned the hide on that one as it had blonde fur with a very distinctive black cross across the shoulders. Most of my shots at at are inside of 50 yards. The .36 round ball puts then right down with a shot to the vitals. I have only had a few occasions where I had more than one coyote come in to the call so I don't feel undergunned using the muzzleloader.

 

[CapPopper]

I would think it would be good to 75 with a .32 fairly easy if you can shoot it well and if think a smoothbore would be as good as any modern shotgun just with less shots..... I'm going to use both after deer season is out (once I get my .58 kibler smootbore) dad has been amped up to shoot some yotes.

 

[Bigpete]

I hunt foxes on purpose over here,that's the closest we get. I think I've only shot 5 with muzzleloaders though, 3 with a .50 hawken,1 with my .36 Seneca,and 1 with my 12g and size 4 shot which was not much more than a pup. I've also watched 2 take a load of size 2 shot at 30m and just run like they weren't even touched.

 

[MooseHunter92]

Me and my lady hunt with our muzzleloaders. We got one each. 4 mins apart. I’ve noticed if you see 2 together and shoot one. Don’t go get it and the other one will come back looking for it’s buddy! Which will either give you plenty of time to reload, or in our case, for me to take the second one . I sure am proud of my lady. Unlike most of us… she hasn’t missed a single animal yet in her short 3 year hunting career.

 

[CoHiCntry]

Me and my lady hunt with our muzzleloaders. We got one each. 4 mins apart. I’ve noticed if you see 2 together and shoot one. Don’t go get it and the other one will come back looking for it’s buddy! Which will either give you plenty of time to reload, or in our case, for me to take the second one . I sure am proud of my lady. Unlike most of us… she hasn’t missed a single animal yet in her short 3 year hunting career.

What’s your method? Are you calling them in close enough to shoot with your muzzleloader? Do you do anything particular with the hides?

 

[SDSmlf]

I have not really gone predator hunting per say, but my 32 caliber Pedersoli flintlock with a patched 1-1/2 buck over 12 grains of 3F Swiss has taken multiple coyotes from the backdoor. They typically don’t drop where shot, but haven’t gone any farther than 20 to 25 feet. About the same as with 22RF hi velocity hollow point loads. Shot placement as always is important. I have kept the 32 ready to go in the basement, particularly when the leaves are down and you can see critters coming. Had a mangy looking fox in the backyard yard in the middle of the day last week. It didn’t get nervous as I opened the door. Jumped about 3 feet straight up at the shot and was about dead when it landed. Imagine if I would have called the Heath Department to check it, it would have been found to be rabid.

 

[MooseHunter92]

What’s your method? Are you calling them in close enough to shoot with your muzzleloader? Do you do anything particular with the hides?

We pretty much spot and stalk all of our animals. And yes we use as much of EVERY animal as we can. We skin, flesh and brain tan all of the hides. Use the bones for knives and bone broth etc. My lady likes to make her own purses, bags, pouches, etc. I just wish she would make me some moccasins already!haha I’ve got a BIG moose hide that’s fleshed and salted and red stag as well as a few black tail deer just waiting.

 

[.36Rooster]

I haven't been predator hunting, on purpose, for many years.
Anyone here deliberately hunt coyotes with a muzzleloader? Specifically, anyone hunt then with shot in a smoothbore or a .32 caliber rifle?
Connecticut considers them "small" game, even though ours get pretty big. So, legally we are restricted to roundball no larger than .36 caliber or shot up to size #2.
Has anyone taken coyote with a muzzleloader that falls into these parameters?

Run your loads hot, and don't take shots that are farther than you could hit a coffee filter... you won't have any trouble with a .36. Watch him run, and mark immediately mark the spot where your feet were planted, a definite landmark where the coyote was standing, and, a landmark where you had your last sight of him running, and memorize the path he took before setting out after him. Then, get out and track him like a bowhunter. He is dead and down, and it depends on your own woodsmanship to find him...

For a little perspective, and this is relevant to the conversation, so bear with me: as a teenager, I killed a fox with a .177 air rifle at 1000 ft per sec and a hollowpoint pellet when i was 17 while squirrel hunting a semi populated area. At 20 yards, i got a full pass through, the hole was so small there was no bloodtrail, and not any blood on the fur. With a double lung hit. I watched him run 100 yds across a horse pasture and disappear. With compete concentration, i climbed a tree and assessed the layout and his path, reflected on it, and walked over to where i last saw him, and when i topped over the hill, there he lay...

The only reason i tried the shot though, was the week before, i had tested out the gun on the carcass of a trapped fox out of curiosity and was stunned to see pass throughs on the skinned carcass. A week later, opportunity presented itself and i was young... i definitely don't suggest it.


The point of the story is that you are not limited by a smaller caliber if you accomodate for it with sound woodsmanship and operate within your capabilities at all times... put yourself closer, and think, hunt, and track like a wise frontiersman, or a bowhunter.

 

[Brokennock]

I greatly appreciate the replies thus far.
Unfortunately I don't have a .32 or .36 yet. And I foresee it being a long time before I do. Hoping someone comes through that has successfully used shot.

Glad to read so much success with the .32 caliber. I've always leaned toward the .36 for when I can finally get a small bore with coyotes in mind. These reports are encouraging. I still lean toward a .36 for the slightly thicker ramrod and easier to handle larger ammo.

 

[Howie1968]

Yes sir, i have a crockett 32 and have called in and taken several yotes i used the 70 grain ballets behind 30 grains of pyrodex pnot sure of velocity but with the heavier bullets it did much better than the roundballs i stopped at 30 grains because of fouling shoot once have to run a wet patch then dry patch or you wont get another bullet down