June 13, 2014
By Tom Austin
The recipe for a successful coyote hunting road trip requires a few key ingredients. First, the plotted course must have an assortment of food, fuel, and lodging amenities along the way.
Second, I like the option to travel through an area quickly if the coyote calling is poor or I need to relocate. I prefer a route similar to a main artery with veins that branch off in all directions.
Third, I don't want to have to fuss with getting a new license every time I cross state lines.
Last, you need coyotes — swarms of callable, killable coyotes.
Wyoming Cheyenne is ground zero for a DIY coyote calling road trip of epic proportions. Flights into Cheyenne Regional Airport are reasonable in early October from just about anywhere in the country. Interstate 80 cuts through Cheyenne and stretches west all the way to Sacramento.
This main artery allows for fast travel in any rental vehicle offering anything you could possibly need along the way. Scores of coyotes inhabit Wyoming, and to add to the allure, there are no licenses required to hunt them. That's right — just land, load-up, and start making stands. Public land is abundant. Gear up and head west towards Salt Lake City, Utah, calling as you go.
Hunting License: $ 0
Wyoming After the Hunt: Heading west on I-80 between Cheyenne and Laramie, Wyoming, you'll run into the giant Abraham Lincoln head towering over the highway at exit 323.
Nevada Nevada offers beautiful scenic calling with lots of action in early October. With public lands covering nearly 81 percent of the state, you'll never run out of places to call. This no-licenses-required-for-coyotes state has everything you could want with a diverse terrain all along the I-80 corridor.
It's not uncommon to call in double-digits of curious coyotes each day if you've honed your calling skills. As you cruise towards Reno, you'll find numerous side roads off the interstate where you can hide the ride and make a stand. When you've finally decided you've had enough, Reno-Tahoe International Airport can take you back to the grind of reality.
Hunting License: $ 0
Nevada After the Hunt: 'The Biggest Little City in the World ' is a great place to spend the final days of your road trip winding down, and maybe you can even gamble a spell.
Utah After the Hunt: Next, stop in Salt Lake City and check out the Salt Lake Temple. At 253,015 square feet, it's the largest Latter-day Saints temple by floor area, and it's a great place to get your fill of the Mormon way of life.
Utah Although you may find the calling in
Utah to be a bit more challenging than Wyoming, it might be well worth your time to stop and try to call up some coyotes. Not only is there no license required for coyotes here either, the state will pay you to kill them. Utah coyotes are now worth $50 per head, making it possible to put a little money back into your own pocket.
The Utah Mule Deer Protection Act is now paying a bounty on coyotes so long as you abide by the rules. Rules and regulations are available online. Although the Utah coyote populous is sizeable, the bounty has taught these coyotes to become harder to kill. As I-80 heads west through Utah, you'll find a decent amount of public BLM land suitable for bounty hunting.
Hunting License: $ 0
Bounty per Coyote: $ 50
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