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If you haven’t gotten into coyote hunting, you really should give it a try. Once you start, it won’t take you long to get hooked. Coyote hunting can be some of the most action packed and entertaining hunting you’ll experience. Plus, every time you take out a song dog there will be one less fawn killer walking the woods. In this blog we’ll be going through a few tips from Joey Hartley with Mangy Dog TV on coyote hunting in the summer. If you haven’t seen Joey’s content, you definitely will want to check it out. He usually coyote hunts with dogs and it makes for some really fun hunts!

Picking Stands

No matter what you are hunting, location is everything. When I’m deer hunting, I understand that the deer will be in certain areas during certain times of the year based upon what food or other resource is available at that time. Coyote hunting is the same way. In the spring and summer months, coyotes will be near their denning sites. There are a few things to look for to increase your chances of hitting on a denning site. First of all, look for a water source. For example, Joey Hartley looks for small cattle ponds or similar water source. Another thing you’ll want to look for is thick cover. If you get the right ingredients for a denning location, there is a good chance a coyote den will be there. Another great indicator is if people inform you that they are hearing coyotes in a certain spot near dawn or dusk. Chances are a coyote den is nearby.

Calls

Picking the right call to use during the spring and summer months is also critical. Joey Hartley only uses coyote sounds during this time. Joey uses regular coyote vocalizations, pup distress sounds, fights, and mom and pup serenade and pup serenade sounds. The key to pup sounds is matching the sound to the age of the pups at that time. For example when the pups are really young, you will want to do a different sound than what you’ll use late summer. You want your calls to be as realistic as possible. Another great tip from Joey is you want to have a strategy for how you call if you are hunting a certain property multiple times during the summer. If you hunt a property early summer and then return a month later, you want to change up your calling a little. The better you can match your pup sounds to the age of the pups and the more you can change up your calling sequence when hunting a property multiple times, the better your chance of success will be this summer.

A coyote Joey called in during the summer.

Shooting Rest

No matter what time of the year it is, having a solid rest for your rifle is super critical. Joey uses the Final Rest Rail-N-RIP Tripod setup and has been loving it. Whatever tripod you choose, it must be stable, lightweight, and quick to adjust. The Rail-N-RIP checks all those boxes. The Rail-N-RIP features a ball head and a Arca-Swiss mount for quickly attaching your rifle.

Joey with a coyote he downed with the Final Rest.

Summertime isn’t always the time people think of when they think of coyote hunting. Summer time can be a great time to hunt coyotes, and these tips from Joey Hartley will increase your chance of success this summer.

If you needed any coyote hunting motivation, here is a pic of a fawn hoof that Joey found in a pile of coyote dung.

Its no secret that we’ve lost a lot of hunters over the last several decades. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, we lost 2.2 millions hunters between 2011 and 2016. If we are going to gain back some ground its going to have to be with the next generation. Turkey season is the perfect time to get some new/youth hunters into the woods.

Turkey Hunting Often Brings a Lot of Fun Action

Depending upon where you hunt, deer hunting can be slow. Many of us put a lot of hours in the deer stand before we tag a deer. To a young hunter, sometimes they don’t have the patience to sit long hours. Turkey hunting is a great place to start because there often is plenty of fun action in the turkey woods. When you have birds firing it up off their roost and then have them come it to the decoys, it can make for a really fun time.

Calling In Birds Can Be A Lot of Fun

You don’t have to be perfectly silent out turkey hunting (which for some kids is pretty difficult). Kids love to make noise with calls and with turkey hunting, you sure can make a lot of noise. Teaching a kid how to use a slate or box call can keep them occupied and entertained. I remember the first time I called in a bird. Its a super fun and rewarding experience. Its that type of encounter that can really get a kid hooked on hunting.

Turkey Hunting Is A Great Time To Teach Minimal Movement

You don’t have to hunt turkeys long to know they’ve got some dandy good eye balls on ‘em. One little movement can totally ruin a turkey hunt. Turkey hunting is the perfect time to teach young hunters that being still in the woods is often one of the most important things for hunting turkeys or deer. One thing that helps with keeping movement to a minimum is using a shooting rest. Often the bird is closest to the hunter right before the shot. The moment of raising a shotgun can sometimes spook the birds or alert birds that something is up. Shooting rest systems like the Final Rest take away that problem. With a Final Rest tripod kit you can have the gun up and ready to go, and you’ll be able to keep movement to a minimum.

Its Often Warmer Weather During Turkey Season Than In The Fall

Taking a kid out for a rifle season deer hunt in the mid west can make for a pretty chilly sit. Turkey hunting is usually a whole lot warmer and can make the sit more enjoyable.

Good Practice Shooting Under Pressure

With every exciting hunting encounter comes an adrenaline rush, and turkey hunting is a great time to practice shooting under pressure. The nice thing about turkey hunting vs deer hunting for youth hunters is shots are usually closer. Plus, you have a little extra forgiveness with a turkey load pattern that spreads out a decent amount. Having a shooting rest can also help young hunters have confidence under pressure.

Image courtesy of Crimson Trail

So, go take a kid turkey hunting. I think you’ll find that it isn’t just a ton of fun for them, but its also a ton of fun for you. Introducing kids to turkey hunting is a great way to pass on the hunting tradition.

Image courtesy of Lethal Mission

by Tracy Breen

Texas is known for big bucks and long shots.  Texas has a lot of big bucks because  ranchers, hunting managers, and hardcore hunters agree that managing land for big bucks is best. In Texas hunters take a lot of long range shots because the country is big and open.  Resting a gun on the windowsill of a box blind with sandbags is very common but at extreme yardages can be difficult.

KEVIN KNIGHTEN GOES TO TEXAS

Kevin Knighten, the co-host of Backwoods Life TV, recently hunted whitetails in Texas and decided to try the Final Rest Shooting System instead of relying on a sandbag and windowsill. “Where we were hunting, we could shoot over 500 yards so I didn’t want to rest my gun on a windowsill. I brought the Final Rest Shooting System with me,” Knighten said.

LONG RANGE SHOOTING

While hunting in Texas, Knighten was watching a buck that was hundreds of yards away and hoping the buck would stop and give him a shot. “At one point, I had a buck at 400 yards.  I thought he was a shooter but I had to glass him to make sure. After checking him out and realizing that he was indeed a buck I could shoot, he stepped into the woods.”

KNIGHTEN MAKES A GREAT SHOT

Eventually the buck came back out at 250 yards and Knighten was able to make a great shot on the buck. My rifle was built for long range shooting and so was the Final Rest!  I was confident I could make a great shot on the buck and I was able to drop the buck in his tracks.”

HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOUR EQUIPMENT

One thing every hunter needs if they are going to successfully make long range shots is confidence in their equipment and their shooting ability. “I first thought that the Final Rest Shooting System was going to be a great tool for my son, but the more I used it the more I realized it is a great tool for me as well,” Knighten explained. “The Final Rest is rock solid and is perfect for any gun hunter or crossbow hunter who wants more confidence in the field.”

PACKABLE EQUIPMENT IS A MUST

Many hunters refuse to use a shooting rest because they are cumbersome and hard to transport in the field. That is not the case with the Final Rest. The Final Rest can be easily packed into a backpack, takes up very little room in a deer blind, and it can be purchased with accessories that allow it to be used on an ATV, in a fiberglass blind such as a Redneck Blind, a homemade blind, or a portable tripod. The Final Rest is versatile, making it a great option for deer hunters and predator hunters.

If you are looking for a shooting rest that can be easily transported anywhere, check out the Final Rest.

by Tracy Breen

It is the goal of every hunter to pass on the hunting tradition to the next generation. One hardcore hunter who greatly enjoys sharing the woods with his kids and grandkids is Roger Raglin. “I have a lot of fun hunting with my grandkids,” Raglin said. “When my youngest grandson begged me to take him hunting, I couldn’t refuse. The problem is he is only 7 years old.”
 
START THEM YOUNG

Research shows that if you don’t introduce hunting to kids when they are young, chances are they will never hunt. The problem is when kids are young, they struggle to hold guns and bows steady. As a result, they are intimidated by the weapon and often miss the mark when shooting. Roger Raglin and his wife had the same concern when introducing their grandson to deer hunting. “My grandson was eager to go hunting and I wanted to take him, but my wife and I were a little concerned that he wasn’t really ready. I told my wife the Final Rest Shooting System would really help him steady the gun,” Raglin noted. “We tested it out in the backyard and he did an amazing job of shooting because the Final Rest helped him keep the gun steady. All he had to do was focus on shooting.”

PRACTICE

Months before deer season, Roger had his grandson shooting at bottles. “He was able to hit bottles out to 150 yards when the gun was sitting in the Final Rest,” Raglin explained. “I knew if he could consistently hit a target at 150 yards in the backyard, he would be able to shoot a buck.”
 
THE FINAL REST DIFFERENCE

When deer season finally arrived, Roger’s grandson was able to shoot a buck at 153 yards. “There is no question: my grandson was able to make the shot because of the Final Rest Shooting System. It is difficult for young hunters to hold a gun steady on the windowsill of a blind or a tree. The Final Rest made the shot possible.”

 
THE FINAL REST PROVIDES CONFIDENCE

What many hunters are lacking in the woods is confidence. Hunters of all ages often lack the confidence to take the shot. The Final Rest Shooting System helps hunters gain confidence when shooting, regardless if it is a 100-yard shot in a food plot or a 400-yard shot across an open prairie.
 
THE FINAL REST IS EASY TO PACK

One of the many things Roger Raglin likes about the Final Rest is how easy it is to pack into a backpack. “Many of the other shooting rests are big, heavy, and hard to transport. I love the Final Rest because it easily fits into my backpack, it is lightweight, and doesn’t take up a lot of room in my deer blind when it is setup. Any hunter who is looking for a good shooting rest should check out the Final Rest Shooting System.”

 
THE FINAL REST IS VERSATILE

The Final Rest is a great shooting rest for gun hunters and crossbow hunters. Hunters who hunt from a permanent ground blind, a tower blind, a pop-up blind, or even a ladder stand can use a Final Rest Shooting System.

Watch the whole hunt go down here.

By Tracy Breen

In recent years, crossbows have received a lot of flack for providing hunters with an unfair advantage. Some say they are too easy to shoot or that they shoot an arrow to fast. Regardless of what you think, one thing is certain: they are perfect for introducing women to the sport of hunting. Shane Mowery from Bone Maniacs just returned from a whitetail hunt in Kentucky where he and his wife, Jena tagged bucks. Jena shot her buck with a crossbow. “My wife really liked shooting and hunting with a crossbow,” Mowery said. “It was fairly easy to teach her how to shoot and use the crossbow.  Most importantly, she was able to successfully harvest a buck with a crossbow.  It is important that when you introduce someone to hunting they become successful.  If they don’t, they may give up on it. My wife enjoyed hunting with the crossbow.”
 
Eliminate the Shakes

One issue with a crossbow is it can be a bit bulky and hard to keep steady when aiming and shooting. Mowery and his wife were able to fix this problem, thanks to the Final Rest shooting system. “Anytime you introduce someone to a new type of weapon, they are going to be a little unsure of themselves,” Mowery explained. “That often means they will shake a little bit due to nerves. My wife hunted out of a ladder stand which had a shooting rail, but a shooting rail doesn’t always keep a crossbow or gun rock steady. My wife used a Final Rest Shooting System in the ladder stand which made keeping the crossbow steady a lot easier. With the Final Rest Pilar system, my wife can easily keep the crossbow cradled in the shooting rest and keep the crossbow steady for the shot.”

A Good Rest Can Increase Accuracy

Shane was amazed at how well his wife shot the crossbow. “I coached her a bit so she could get the hang of the crossbow and pretty quickly she started shooting great groups. In fact, the buck she shot was standing at 50 yards when she shot it,” Mowery explained. “I really think the Final Rest and the fact that anyone can quickly learn how to shoot a crossbow is why she was able to tag a good buck. A crossbow is a great way to introduce women and children to hunting.”

A Crossbow Is Not A Gun

When hunting with a crossbow, having a solid rest is extremely important. Another thing that hunters must consider when introducing someone to crossbow hunting is understanding that a crossbow is not a gun. ‘Because a crossbow has a trigger and a scope, some beginners treat a crossbow more like a gun than a bow. The truth is a crossbow has a limited range and the slightest jerk of the trigger can cause someone to miss what they are aiming at,” Mowery explained. “In addition to  a rest having a rangefinder and knowing exactly how far the animal is at when shooting is also a must. It is also important to have a maximum shooting distance when hunting. A crossbow is not a gun it is important to remember that.”
 
Crossbows can be fun to shoot, they are extremely deadly and when trained properly, a new hunter can be successful with a crossbow. If you or someone you know wants to give hunting a try, introducing them to hunting with a crossbow is a great option.