With the aid of my Sig Sauer binocular, I briefly spotted a pair of coyotes crossing a divide, enroute to my earlier howls. But too soon, the rolling sagebrush landscape swallowed them up again. Seeing my window and judging where the next appearance would occur, I went from sitting to prone. Sully took notice, and I whispered for him to stay down. 

Now why would I tell my coyote hunting partner to stay down? Sully is my coyote hunting dog. An undocumented ranch border collie, he accompanies me on nearly every coyote hunt, whether I need canine support or not. 

When one of the coyotes appeared again, I hesitated a moment, scanning for the missing coyote, but quickly decided one in the hand is better … well, you know the catchphrase. I whispered to allow Sully to sit up and the coyote immediately took notice of another canine on the remote landscape. Sully sat with a slight growl in his throat as the coyote sauntered another 50 yards closer. At approximately 200 yards, it sat down on its haunches to study my canine companion. That brief pause granted me ample time to turn up the riflescope to 18-power and settle the red dot for a straight-on shot. The V-Max bullet crumpled the coyote but we never saw its running mate, although in the rough country I hunt that is common. 

If having a living, breathing decoy at your side sounds exciting, you might want to do a little soul searching first. Owning and hunting with a dog is a major responsibility. Not as major as having a child, but close. There is potty training required for both. Before addressing the pros and cons of utilizing a coyote hunting dog, complete a thorough review of how a dog will alter your life. Are you going to be the sole person responsible for a dog? Do you have a commitment from other family members to help with the duties? Will your career and lifestyle team with the addition of a dog into the mix? Can your budget handle another family member that requires food, shelter and medical care? And will your dog be welcome in your neighborhood or home? 

Those questions need answers before you even dream of hunting coyotes with a dog. Any or all could crash your aspirations before you begin a DuckDuckGo search for a suitable companion. Responsibility tops the list, but closely followed by budget. Undoubtedly, you will be absent occasionally and require help from others to care for a dog. And although expenses might not seem earth shattering, have you looked at prices lately? Everything from dog food to kennels and treats to vaccinations is on the rise. A recent article on www.veterinarians.org revealed that since 2020, dog food prices have risen an incredible 45.5 percent! Add that to the grocery list of increasing prices on beef, eggs and sugar. 

Before our family dove into dog life, we waited. This tactical lifestyle choice allowed our careers to establish, a cross-country move to cement and our children to mature enough for responsibility with chores. Plus, our first dog did not have a label as a dedicated coyote dog. It served as a family pet, 4-H project, shed antler dog, hiking partner and even was trained enough to go on big-game hunts as an observer. 

First, Consider the Pros

After viewing YouTube videos of dogs luring coyotes into the hunter’s lap, it’s easy to be sold on the positives of putting a dog to use on coyotes. Creating a realistic situation, especially while incorporating coyote vocalizations, stands out above all other reasons to acquire a specialized dog. When a coyote responds to your calls — vocalizations and/or prey sounds — another canine responding to those sounds makes sense to many coyotes. If that coyote exhibits a dominant demeanor, Katy bar the door. Get ready for a showdown. 

Most of my encounters do not resemble OK Corral showdowns, but do include coyote curiosity. As I noted in the opening, coyotes routinely appear, circle, sit and evaluate just what the heck is going on. The presence of a dog bolsters a coyote’s confidence, causing it to think about the situation and possibly act on the trespasser. Reality rules the roost. 

Coyotes, suckered by the sight of a living, breathing relative, jog in for a butt sniffing or at least a chummier inspection. My experience with adolescent and uneducated coyotes tells a tale of coyotes taking the bait more than not. The temptation of seeing another canine, possibly associated with the sounds of something dying, compels many coyotes to close the distance. That only increases your odds for a close encounter. Even with the trend of long-range shooting overtaking the predator hunting scene, I would much rather smack a coyote at 200 yards than try to land an X-marks-the-spot shot at 600 yards or more. Wouldn’t you?

That dog dose of reality also serves you well with a distraction bigger than that 75-inch smart TV in your den. A dog, like a decoy, focuses the attention away from your position and places it entirely on your hunting companion. Time and time again I recall when a coyote materialized, and my dog worked toward it. My dogs rarely race toward a target. It is the way I train them, but they do move on coyotes and as soon as they leave my position and a coyote locks on to them, I am free to engage. In full view of coyotes eyeing my dog, I have ranged the target, adjusted for the shot and even completed a 180-degree prone repositioning when a coyote appeared behind me and wanted a piece of my dog. 

You could also add in the fact that more coyotes could pile up in your pickup. I cannot lay claim to that fact. Our coyotes are cagey, but I talk to my peers and I understand some regions have exponentially more coyotes than my animal-damage-controlled backyard. To wrap this up, a dog adds an exciting element to a sport perfected by the company of a reliable partner, always ready to hunt. A dog will not share fuel expenses, find new hunting areas or bring the doughnuts, but it will add a charm to your hunts that might be missing. Honestly, that’s my No. 1 reason for hunting with a dog. 

Next, Visit the Cons

All right, you already realize that adding a coyote dog to your life adds another dependent without the IRS tax deduction. This creature requires caretaking, training and exercise over and above any hunting duties you bestow upon it. Even knowing this, do not take it lightly. This is the most substantial negative of owning any dog, particularly one you plan to invest hours into. Dog and cat shelters are full for many reasons, but a high-ranking reason revolves around the fact people discover the involvement it takes to have a dog around. Be prepared to give up tons of time to truly craft a unique hunting partner. 

Literally, not needing a dog for coyote hunting also lands in the cons category. Coyote behavior and especially terrain, could add up to a negative for having a dog. Your coyotes might not require a nudge to step into shooting range. Worse yet, the sight of a dog could scare the bejesus out of your coyotes. It happens to me from time to time, and I typically hunt coyotes far and removed from domestic canine contact. 

That negative alone should be a major consideration, especially if you have only limited windows of time to hunt. Calling in a coyote only to have your furry friend booger the setup sucks the enjoyment out of the day for sure. And then do the math. Do you predator hunt enough to make the cash and time investment worthwhile? We all have schedules to adhere to, even those of you in retirement. Grandparent duties could be on the calendar. Careers always clutter up hunting time and, of course, a young family never stops demanding attention. Traveling athletic teams, church, extracurricular school activities and the likes have you refilling that fuel tank often. If you get out predator hunting only a couple times a year, a dedicated coyote dog might not be for you. 

Your hunting environment might not require it either. Big open pastures, croplands, sagebrush basins and sparse deserts all equal magnificent views, for coyotes and dogs alike. These settings make sense for luring a coyote into range using a distant cousin. On the other spectrum, dense forest settings, small fields surrounded by timber and even backgrounds resembling the mesquite country of South Texas rarely offer shots of more than 100 yards. When a coyote busts from cover, a good dose of Hornady Heavy Magnum Coyote buckshot often delivers the best dirt-nap medicine. 

I have several friends who hunt coyotes in the Southeast — small beanfields and cattle pastures. When coyotes break the edges to investigate a sound, they have already entered the shooting lane. You might aptly name those locations “The Killing Fields.” 

But don’t let me be a Debbie Downer. Once you decide a dog has a place with you and your family, the positives far outweigh the negatives, in my opinion. My wife and I were married for more than two decades and had two elementary-age children before we felt responsible enough to add a dog to the chaotic mix. 

Choosing a Dog for Coyote Duty

Decide first: Are you acquiring a dog for a purely coyote mission or are you looking for an all-around canine companion? That question might not mean anything or it could mean everything. You already know that a cuddly Yorkie, Corgi or dachshund does not meet coyote dog criteria except as a prey decoy. Forget I mentioned that. Breeds that work well include mid-sized athletes that do not overshadow a coyote yet have speed and boldness to stand their ground if a brawl ensues. That noted, neither of my dogs have ever been bitten by a coyote despite going head-to-head with them on numerous encounters. Nevertheless, I keep up to date on vaccinations, with rabies topping the chart. 

There are several breeds of dogs famous for coyote duties, the most popular being the mountain cur. Levi Johnson, of “Doggin’ with Levi” fame, trains and breeds them to form one of the best teams of coyote hunting dogs I have experienced. Other hunters use mixed breeds that might include plott hounds, black-mouth curs, greyhounds and others. These breeds and variations therein equal great spring and summer canine companions due to their tolling nature. Used to antagonize and lure coyotes from denning sites, these breeds harass coyotes and lure them back to their owner for exciting encounters. 

My family went in a different direction, but as I dove into the coyote dog hunting world, I discovered the rabbit hole was not a detour, but an already tested route. Our family decision landed on herding dogs. Why? In addition to training the dog for a role in coyote hunting, we hoped to add an all-around new member to the family. After a short family discussion, border collies moved to the top bracket. 

Prior to this decision and especially afterward, I found that many die hard coyote hunting professionals utilize herding dogs. An old-timer from central Wyoming praised his border collies for coyote hunting. Another professional predator hunter from South Dakota put herding dogs, with an emphasis on blue heelers, to work for years. I could go on with stories from Idaho to North Dakota and down to Kentucky, but you get the point. A trainable, mid-size dog with smarts enough to taunt, but not get caught, is the goal. 

Now solidly on our second border collie, the second was as easy to train as the first and not only enjoys coyote hunting but adventuring anywhere, with legs and lungs to never get tired. Research breeds diligently, review breed behavior and choose a family member that fits your goals. 

Safety First!

Finally, train well for safety’s sake. You need a dog in the field and at home that listens and obeys commands. A dog that ignores your directions could be facing a death sentence. A pack of coyotes could get it down behind a hill or at home it could dart onto the street and get run over. 

You don't need Belgian Malinois training procedures. My dogs have worked well with basic commands such as sit, down, stay, come and get ’em. My latest dog, the previously mentioned Sully, is so smart it’s scary. Incredibly, he picked up hand commands merely by watching my motions. This spring, I even sent him across ravines to pick up shed antlers I spied with my binocular. Two or three sweeps later he would return with antler in mouth only by watching hand commands. 

Some dogs and specific breeds might need additional coaching. Both my dogs trained easily with the hot dog reward method. If the command was met, they received a chunk of cheap hot dogs. For dogs that dig their feet in, consider rewards, but maybe reinforce those commands with some electronic encouragement. Training collars work for focusing and directing dog activity. You can also purchase combination collars that also track your dog’s movements. My border collie never leaves my sight. I believe he understands I hold the magic, protective power. A true statement. Nevertheless, a trolling breed of coyote dog might range and following it with a GPS collar could help make you sleep better at night. Garmin offers the Alpha series of collars for serious trainers and trackers. 

Regardless of your training procedure, do not put it off. Bond and train with your pup immediately. Training should also include accustoming a dog to the sound of a firearm, starting out with a pellet rifle and slowly advancing forward with sound. I currently run all my rifles with a Silencer Central suppressor to help ease a dog into the loud world of hunting. Today, Sully is so acclimated to rifle reports, he runs to the sound of a rifle like a member of SEAL Team Six. 

Hopefully, this article provides a guide, whether you run out and find your coyote soulmate today or 10 years from now. Even when I don’t use Sully as a coyote decoy — typically when coyotes get nervous during late winter — he still goes with me. I throw a camouflage cover over him and command him to crouch behind me. He still peeks to watch the show and knows when the time is right, he will be back on center stage.