New guy here in Antelope Valley, Lancaster

[HighDessertGunner]

Hi there all. I just bought my first rifle (v2 Ruger Predator 223) and will be preparing myself for coyote hunting. I have not been hunting in about 12 years and then I only hunted Ducks when i was very young. Flash forward 3 kids and 6 moves im ready to pick back up into the sport and to get my kids involved in something great. I plan on hunting mostly the south easten sierras and possibly going south though I am much less knowledgable about areas that way. I hope to find lots of helpful info here as im pretty much new in all aspects of mammal rifle hunting( i understand shot placement and that general stuff), and im always down with meeting up with someone far more knowledge able to show me the ropes (as in how to call and how to clean a kill) because i know where the dogs are at up here.
Thanks everyone.

 

[NBK]

Welcome to SCH HighDessertGunner.

 

[HighDessertGunner]

Thanks so much NBK

 

[Gspman]

Welcome to the group LOTS of great guys all willing to answer intelligent questions. Your in my area (sort of) im near the 210 118 area. Not many of us in the area. Many know a whole bunch about down south since many live that way.

Get a shot gun it will open your hunting up A LOT here in California.

how old are your kids. Ive got 3 of my own 18 and younger, 4 adult step kids and 9 step grand children.
the oldest my 9 year old grand daughter will be taking her test and starting to hunt this summer. she has already started to learn a bow.

i love to see kids and parents out together.

 

[ilovesprig]

HGD,

Welcome to SCH.....Like suggested, get yourself a shotgun.....Lots of upland bird hunting opps in that lower Sierra Mt. area.....Deer too.

 

[HighDessertGunner]

thanks guys.
@Gspman my oldest is 7 and she is dying to go hunting. she has her own 22 and is getting better with it. Was thinking of putting some kind of optic on it just to help her out.
I do currently have a 20 gauge that i have used for birds in the past and shoot trap with but always at clubs so i would be thrilled to find some in public land.

 

[TRICER]

Great to have you on here. 223 is a great coyote round. What bullet are you shooting CA is moving to non lead next year. We were loading V-Max but now those won’t be legal. For now we have been shooting TTSX but I am hoping to start loading varmint grenades depending on how good I can get th to shoot out of the AR.

Get yourself a fox pro wildfire they are only a $100 on Amazon right now. It’s all I have used and it works great. The hardest thing about coyote hunting is picking a good stand and playing the wind. Anymore if I get to a spot and I don’t like it I don’t waste my time. I try and get a little elevation so I can see at least a few hundred yards then I place the call about 30 yards in front of me. You cannot go wrong with, lightning jack, Baybee cottontail, and coy pup in distress. Try not to overthink it at first, just put it on lightning jack for 15 minutes and don’t touch it. Vocalizations will be starting to work good now since they are breeding but nothing beats those distress calls especially when you are new. If there are dogs in the area they normally come in as long as you have the wind right.

 

[HighDessertGunner]

@Truduct ill be looking for the hornady 55g GMX round. The base of the sierras in mojave are in the condor zone so everything there already has to be lead free.
the wild fire is the caller i was looking at. I suspect that i wont start hunting until after july to get a full year out of my license unless i can get a good lead on somewhere to hunt by shaver lake as we'll be there in june.