The Georgia Department of Natural Resource’s Coyote Challenge program allows hunters and trappers the chance to win a lifetime sporting license by killing up to five coyotes each month. Each kill counts as an entry in the monthly raffle.
Coyote are unprotected in the state of Georgia and considered invasive animals that prey on calves, chickens, other livestock and pets.
According to Jennifer Wisniewski, communications manager for the DNR Wildlife Resources Division, “During deer season, hunters harvest over 70,000 coyotes. Not sure why Georgia needs this program, are you?
Increase your odd of winning this challenge with night vision. Digital Crosshairs 1000 night vision clip-on will transform any day scope into a digital IR night vision scope. Coyote are mostly nocturnal creature so the ability to hunt them at night is key to your success. At just $600, this is a very affordable way to enjoy night hunts and increase your success at winning that lifetime hunting licence.
Digital Crosshairs 1000 Night Vision Clip-on
Learn More At: www.digitalcrosshairs.net or call 404-590-6513
How to participate in Coyote Challenge:
Bring up to five coyote carcasses per month through August to a DNR game management office for entry into a monthly raffle for a lifetime sporting license. The Hall County office is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and located at 2150 Dawsonville Highway in Gainesville.
Other gear I use:
ICOtec GC500 E-Caller
If you intend to call coyotes, not just hope one wanders into range, you should consider a good e-caller. ICOtec is a slightly more recent arrival on the e-calling scene but they’ve proven their effectiveness time and time again. Their top-of-the-line model is the GC500, a portable, programmable predator caller with a variety of features designed to help you bring in coyotes from a distance.
The GC500 is small compared to many other e-callers—8-inchx4-inchx6-inch—and lightweight at two pounds. The unit has a flat dark earth type of finish which has blended well in terrain from the deserts of Nevada to the greenery of Wisconsin. It comes with a handheld remote that’s small enough to slip in your pocket and has raised buttons that can be operated with or without gloves. If you’re hunting at night, the remote can be backlit, a feature that’s come in handy on numerous occasions, and the antenna can be raised or collapsed as needed. As for the antenna, it’s actually one of this e-caller’s greatest features. The GC500 is listed as having a remote range of up to 300 yards but I’ve had success using the remote beyond 300 yards. Even better, it’s not a line-of-sight remote, meaning there won’t be any frantic waving or contorting so you won’t be forced to blow your cover attempting to operate the e-caller.
This model holds up to 200 calls—a number far beyond what most coyote hunters will ever use—and runs on four AA batteries. Six calls can be saved as favorites and you can name your calls whatever you wish when you program it. It’s .mp3 and .wav compatible. And if you want to use it in sync with decoys, you can, because there’s a jack on the GC500 where their AD400 Attachable Predator Decoy can be attached. The AD400 has an impressively quiet motor and a variety of speeds—and you can control those speeds with your remote. Once you’ve seen a coyote come in hard charging at that decoy, you’ll see the value of a moving, flickering object for bringing them in.
The GC500 has good sound, solid range, and portability on its side. It’s also kept running for me in sub-zero temperatures, and that’s not something every e-caller can claim.