March 06, 2015
By PH Online Editors
Predator hunting is all about precision and timing. So it stands to reason that you need to be equipped with the best gear possible for optimal results. Whether you opt for Burris' C4 Plus riflescope or Western Rivers' Stalker 360 e-caller, settling for anything less than the best would be foolish.
That's why we've been keeping tabs on the hottest new predator hunting items and compiled a list of the best in one convenient location:
Barnett | Predator Ultralite More and more, we are seeing coyotes pop up in urban areas. So if the dogs are invading your backyard, check state laws, and take them on with the
Predator Ultralite . This crossbow delivers arrows on target at 375 fps. An illuminated scope allows for better accuracy, and the bow comes with three 22'' HeadHunter arrows.
Price: $ 749
Benelli | Performance Shop Super Black Eagle II It's been stomping out spring Toms for years, but we like the
Performance Shop Super Black Eagle II for silencing the dogs too. Benelli's 3 ½-inch, 12-gauge is an inertia-driven coyote killer, delivering ultra-tight patterns with the included Rob Roberts XFT choke tube. It also comes with a sighted-in Burris FastFire II. The ComforTech system also takes the edge off those hard-kicking predator loads.
Price: $ 2,949
Browning | X-Bolt SSA Predator Hunter Accuracy and carry weight, these are the tried and true definitions of the ultimate varmint rifle (and good optics).
Browning's X-Bolt SSA Predator Hunter features the Feather Trigger for precise shots afield. The three-lever trigger provides predictable pulls every time with no take-up or creep. Offered in .204, .22-250 and .223, the Predator is just a shade over six pounds without scope.
Price: $ 1,000
Burris | C4 Plus We all miss, but you can be more confident in the shot with
Burris' C4 scopes. The optics offer a custom shooting experience, providing an elevation turret that matches your ammo's velocity and drop. And a Wind Map, which you view through your off eye, calibrates proper hold-off on your cartridge of choice. Simply click over to the right yardage, and the scope dials you right in. The C4 comes in a variety of models from the 3x9x40mm to the 4.5x14x42mm.
Price: $ 250-
$ 350
Cabela's | Merino Base Layers We wore it on an Alaska Dall sheep hunt, in Hungary for fallow deer, ibex in Spain, Montana for mulies and a SoDak predator and bird combo in late season. So yes, it works. The
Merino base layers were designed with three fabric weights, so when the temp dips you're warm and cool when that mid-day sun heats things up.
Price: $ 150 (each)
Cabela's | Speedy 'Yote Kickstand No more sitting in the mud or hauling heavy packs, the
Speedy 'Yote Kickstand vest keeps you dry and mobile. The vest has multiple pockets for calls, e-caller remote, ammo and anything you might need afield, including a one-quart mesh water bottle pocket. Cabela's also included a kickstand to create a comfortable place to sit, and the 3-inch-thick Memory Tech keeps your butt dry. Available in three camo patterns: Zonz Western, Seclusion 3D Winter and Zonz Western Snow.
Price: $ 150
Cabela's | Extreme Pac When it's cold, predators need to kill and you want to be there when the dogs start moving. Stay on stand with the
Extreme Pac boots, outfitted with 1200-gram Thinsulate and 9mm Texel liners, which warm your feet and draw moisture away from the surface of the skin. Waterproof, the uppers are full-grain leather and the EVA midsoles soak up ground shock.
Price: $ 190-
$ 200
Cabela's | 113 Ranger Skinner The
113 Ranger Skinner's S30V steel blade is made of metallic powders fused together under intense pressure, heat-tempered and cooled in a cryogenic freezer. There, now you can school your buddies when they ask what that 'dang good skinnin' knife ' is made of.
This meat cutter will outperform blades made of lesser metals, and there's just something about the rosewood handle that makes it feel good in hand. The blade is 3.125 inches long.
Price: $ 140
Camp Chef We love to make the fur fly, but there are not many predator hunters who don't also hunt more edible creatures like turkeys, pigs and deer. The outdoor€‹ cookaholic wizards at
Camp Chef have created an electric pellet smoker grill so simple to use you can check your brain on the patio and still make perfect food. Fill the hopper with pellets, set the digital temperature gauge, choose hi or low smoke settings, stick in the digital meat thermometer and forget about it.
We like to double down on beer can chickens (with actual double-bird rack) or whole geese or boar hams, so when we come in off the coyote patrol in full carnivore mode we can sink our teeth into perfectly smoked fare. Only problem is you may have to dust off those old Tae-Bo cassettes to keep your waistline in check.
Price: $ 834
Federal | .30-06 Vital Shok Remember that scene in 'The Three Amigos, ' when Jefe tells Ned: 'You wanna die with a man's gun, not a little sissy gun like this? ' Well, you want to hunt with a man's gun too when chasing 200-pound super wolves, and
Federal's .30-06 Vital Shok is the right cartridge to slam down the barrel of your best rifle. These rounds feature a tipped bullet cavity for consistent expansion and grooved bullet shank for increased accuracy.
Price: $ 52
American Eagle | .22-250 50-Grain Jacketed Hollow Point The debate rages, but .22-250 is a damn fine coyote caliber, and
American Eagle's 50-grain jacketed hollow point will do the job on any jackal. Effective as it is affordable, the AE .22-250 Rem was made for high-volume shooting. So whether you're infested with 'yotes or just miss a lot, this is the premium bullet for your bolt-action.
Price: $ 19
American Eagle | 5.7x28mm 40-Grain Cartridge The
5.7x28mm is the perfect round to go on a raccoon killing spree. Constructed of Federal brass, the American Eagle 40-grain cartridges have quality primers that ensure consistent ignition. There aren't a ton of rifles chambered for the offering yet, but how cool would it be to load that PS90 bullpup with a 30-round mag and take on the dumpster divers? Sign us up!
Price: $ 25
Garmin | fenix 2 We get pretty sick of digging through our bag for the cell phone, just to check on shooting time. The
fenix 2 has become our watch of choice, because it stands up to the elements and has a litany of options hunters will find useful. With a built-in barometer, you can keep an eye on the weather, and the altimeter tracks elevation if you find yourself on the side of a mountain. A three-axis compass marks stands or campsites, and there's also a temperature sensor. The fenix 2 operates remote Garmin devices wirelessly, like the Virb.
Price: $ 400
Garmin | Virb Killing a big cat at long range after an even longer day afield brings indescribable satisfaction. Now imagine catching it all on video.
Garmin's Virb will mount to just about anything (we recommend your AR rails or rifle scope) and is easy to operate, just slide that big black switch forward. It also integrates with a list of other Garmin devices. For you tech gurus, the Virb delivers 1080p HD video, has Wi-Fi connectivity and GPS.
Price: $ 300
GhostBlind Never spook another wary bob again. The
GhostBlind is nearly invisible to quarry and works in any location. The reflective panels mirror your surroundings, while the patented design eliminates sun reflection. Made of a lightweight, poly construction, the four foldable panels can be set up in minutes, so no brushing in.
Price: $ 230
Grate Chef | FireStarters Our last deer camp of these season is followed by a coyote tournament with buddies and a belt-busting rib cook-off back at the cabin. To get the charcoals burning, we use
FireStarters . Just light one of the packets up and it will burn for several minutes up to 1,500 degrees. Non-toxic, the packets are not combustible.
Price: $ 9 (six packets)
Western Rivers | Stalker 360 Cover more of the big wide-open with
Western Rivers' Stalker 360 . This e-caller has two speakers, which have dual-call capabilities out to 250 yards, that can be rotated in different directions. Each speaker can emit different sounds, so if a predator gets hung up in the brush line, you can hit him with a quick finishing call. Equipped with 4GB of memory, hunters can add their favorites, and a back-lit LCD screen on the unit and remote make night hunting a snap.
Price: $ 600
Hard Core | Layout Gun Rest If you shoot the big dogs up close, then
Hard Core's Layout Gun Rest is a must-have. Made to compliment HC's popular Run-N-Gunner blind, this heavy-duty powder-coated rest keeps your shotgun at the ready when the 'yotes come creeping in. A rubber coating protects gun barrels from scratching.
Price: $ 20
Hard Core | Adjustable Lanyard Keep go-to calls close at hand with this
adjustable lanyard from Hard Core . With room for six, there's plenty of different call options, from close-in finishers to wide-open sqaullers. The paracord lanyard is virtually indestructible and will last for seasons to come.
Price: $ 20
Husky Liners | X-act Contour Shooting coyotes is dirty business, literally. And trying to take the wife and kids to Sunday brunch is a no go when your truck's full of mud.
X-act Contour floor liners protect carpet by conforming to the contours of your ride. The Form-Fit Edge traps anything that falls off the bottom of your boots, and the liners have a lifetime gaurentee.
Price: $ 125
iON | CamoCAM Plenty of bragging goes on back at the barn, but now you can back up those awesome doubles your buddies scoff at with the
iON CamoCAM . Camouflaged in Realtree Xtra, the CamoCAM easily mounts to your shotgun barrel, capturing all the heavy varmint action. The camera also integrates with existing iON mounts, and is Wi-Fi capable, so video and still images can be uploaded to social media sites and shared with friends.
Price: $ 300
LaCrosse | Quick Shots We run into some pretty nasty terrain chasing dogs coast to coast. Whether it's a soggy Iowa cornfield for 'yotes or a spring black bear hunt in Arizona's White Mountains, our pair of
LaCrosse Quick Shots are up to the task. A waterproof suede upper combines with rugged 900D nylon to hold up in any weather we run in to. The Quick Shot is available in uninsulated or 600-gram Thinsulate.
Price: $ 120-
$ 140
LHR Sporting Arms | Redemption Composite Muzzleloader Somewhere between the difficulty of archery and the murderousness of centerfire bolt guns, there lives in the predator hunter the quest for a unique challenge. We took
this incredibly innovative, sleek and sexy muzzleloader out to chase Kansas coyotes last year, watching over bait carcasses and calling when it was too hot and windy and we knew it. What could be cooler than punching a .50-caliber slug through the chest of a coyote that's running in and then suddenly has that 'oh€¦crap ' look on his face right when it's too late?
This genius gun design has a striker-fired push-to-cock firing mechanism, alleviating the need to awkwardly try to cock a hammer, reaching up under the scope and trying to make it work. It also has a smart un-threaded breech plug design that eliminates all those old corrosion problems from in-line muzzleloaders. We never got to pop a coyote but drew down on a big Kansas whitetail and sent him to the freezer with just one shot. These guys thought of everything.
Price: $ 600
2014 Nissan Titan Let's face it. If you want to keep your Man Card, you need a bad-ass truck, and the
2014 Nissan Titan is certainly that. Featuring the powerful 5.6-liter DOHC Endurance V8 (317-hp and 385 lb/ft of torque), the Titan has a max tow capacity of 9,500 pounds. It also features the Utilitrack cargo-carrying system, which allows you to securely clamp anything to the bed of the truck.
A spray-in bedliner is available, and a convenient lockable beside storage compartment is and excellent place to store jumper cables, ammo, etc. Oh, and if you only buy American, this truck is assembled in Mississippi, and a little birdy told us there are more American-made parts on the Titan than the other full-size pick-ups coming off U.S. assembly lines.
Price: $ 29,370 (starting)
Pattern Master | Code Black Big Game Put a thumping on the big dogs with
Pattern Master's Code Black Big Game choke. Delivering ultra-tight, constricted patterns, this kill tube is death on coyotes. With the right load, Code Black is effective at some incredibly long distances. Just hit the target boards first and you'll be amazed at the consistency in these patterns.
Price: $ 100
Pelican | Storm Case Protect your favorite varmint death ray with the
Storm Case from Pelican . A specialized molded foam interior is designed for bolt-action rifles with an optic. There's room for accessories too, and the six press-and-pull latches ensure your gun stays put. This hard case is perfect for travel; the in-line wheels make it a cinch to walk with and four hasps are padlockable, so the gun is secured in transit.
Price: $ 418
Pelican | 2760 Headlight Pelican's 2760 Headlight is the perfect complement for varmint hunts after dark. It has an LED high-beam function for the walk in, then switch over to the night vison red once you're on stand. Low, downcast and flashing modes are also included in this lamp, and the sunken on/off button prevents the light from turning on in your pack.
Price: $ 45
Realtree | Max-1 Max-1 is billed as one of the best Realtree camo patterns for all the places deer and antelope roam. And since predators love to chase these two animals too, it makes it an effective camo for varmint hunters. It's perfect for sage-covered hillsides, mesquite flats, ag fields and wide-open prairie.
Sitka | Blizzard Yes it's pricey, but you don't cheap out on parkas and bibs. And the
Sitka Blizzard system will likely be the last pair of jacket and pant you ever buy — they're that durable. What we like most about Sitka is the flexibility in their gear. You don't feel any constriction when you're walking from stand-to-stand, or when a dog pops up close and you have to reach for the shotgun. Both bib and jacket are waterproof, and the WINDSTOPPER shell is as advertised.
Price: $ 699 (jacket);
$ 589 (bib)
Steiner | Nighthunter XP Western hunters know the difficulty of locating coyotes in the sagebrush at dusk. It's near impossible at longer distances.
Steiner's Nighthunter XP binos bring your quarry closer and brighter with more contrast and natural HD color than most human eyes have ever seen. Several facets go in to making this possible, but basically the 10x42 power binos make your eyes more nocturnal, so you can see more clear in low light or even darkness.
Price: $ 1,150
Steiner | GS3 4-20x50mm When you miss, most times it's 'the equipment. ' Well, when it comes to rifle scopes, there is some truth to that. Cheaping out on glass is a big no-no. Make sure your bolt gun is sighted in with
Steiner's GS3 4-20x50mm with Plex S-7 reticle. The S-7 makes trajectory compensation simple with hash marks calibrated for dead-on accuracy from 100 to 500 yards. This scope is also equipped with Color Adjusted Transmission lens coatings, which effectively separate quarry form brush and shadows.
Price: $ 1,150
Sure-Shot | Predator Call Coyotes are smart, but have one fatal flaw — they can't resist an easy meal.
Sure-Shot's Predator Call mimics the distress sounds an injured rabbit makes. Wild dogs just can't stop themselves from coming in, which means more pelt on the sled for you.
Price: $ 20
Under Armour | Ridge Reaper Barren In the wild, we need every advantage, so that's why
Under Armour's Ridge Reaper Barren series is so appealing. The new camo uses irregular shapes and angles, making hunters practically invisible. The 23 jacket is water resistant and insulated with PrimaLoft Siler Down. UA's Field Pant is 100 percent nylon with reinforced overlays and added protection at the knees and seat.
Price: $ 250 (jacket);
$ 150 (pant)
Under Armour | Brow Tine Hunting Boots When winter comes, you don't want to be on stand with a shoddy pair of boots.
UA's Brow Tines have 1200 grams of PrimaLoft insulation and a Leather/900D nylon exterior. The boots are waterproof and wick moisture away, so you don't suffer the dreaded frozen toe once you're on stand.
Price: $ 210
Winchester | .17 Super Mag If you're a believer in light loads for fox and coyotes, then
Winchester's .17 Super Mag just might be your new favorite. The .17 has a muzzle velocity of 3,000 fps, making it one of the fastest rimfire cartridges on the planet. Ballistically, the 25-grain bullet delivers 150 percent more energy than the .17 HMR and .22 Win Mag, performing more like a centerfire caliber.
Price: $ 16-
$ 20
Yamaha | Viking SxS More stands, more ground, more kills. That's what we're all looking for, and you can make it happen with the
Viking SxS . Yamaha's new offering is roomy enough for three, and powered by a 686cc engine. Three-way On-Command allows the driver to select between 2WD, 4WD and 4WD with differential lock. The dump bed can handle up to 600 pounds, a two-inch receiver hitch is rated for 1,500 pounds and the Viking has 12 inches of ground clearance at its lowest point.
Price: $ 13,599
Yeti | Hopper 30 The only flaw we could ever find in a Yeti Cooler was they just weren't very mobile, unless you're chasing grizzlies with Hulk Hogan. But Yeti has fixed that problem with the
Hopper 30 , which is just as indestructible and keeps things just as cold as its more stationary big brothers. You can take it anywhere, and the Hydrolok zipper keeps the cooler air tight, which allows a hunter of any size to use it as a seat.
Price: $ 300
