The rabbit in distress call was quickly drifting off into the distance as I brought the binoculars up to my eyes. This was our second series of calls, and we had been on this stand for close to 7 minutes. I was beginning to lose hope. While I have had coyotes show up as late as 30 minutes into a stand, the vast majority of them show early or not at all. As the seconds ticked by I was beginning to expect "none at all" over a late comer. Just as I was giving up hope, I caught some movement along a patch of year-old stubble overgrown with tumbleweeds. Inspecting the area closer with my 10X Alaskan Guide binoculars, I soon discovered a coyote closing in on our position. It became immediately apparent that this coyote had been fooled before. He did not bound or run in our direction, just kept a slow, even pace, pausing every few yards to inspect the area and look for a sign of life.

Around 400 yards out he stopped and stared in our direction. I was hunting with George Brint, owner of Advanced Decoy Research Co, the makers of the Predator Supreme decoy. Prior to calling, George had set the Predator Supreme decoy prominently behind us on a bare patch of ground. His advanced tactics now showed their worth. The wary song dog caught a glimpse of the bouncing, moving rabbit-like decoy and started trotting toward it. No longer under the scrutiny of the coyote, I was free to shift slightly in my position to get a better target acquisition. The coyote continued trotting towards us only periodically looking up at the decoy to confirm its presence.

When he approached 250 yards, I settled the crosshairs on him and made a squeak on my open-reed call. Normally I would have let a coyote come in as close as possible, but in this situation, there was a sharp valley between us. From past experience I have learned that letting a coyote disappear out of sight, once in range, is a recipe for trouble. I felt comfortable with the shot, had a solid rest and there was little wind. I squeezed the trigger of the .243 Weatherby Super Predator Master and sent the hot 58-Grain Hornady bullet on its way. The bullet impacted with a resounding thump and the coyote pitched backwards, dead before it hit the ground.

Retrieving the coyote, I reflected on how many times the Predator Supreme decoy has saved my bacon when calling predators. I have used one for the last several years with good results and this instance was no exception.

Today, coyotes are called and actively hunted throughout their range and encountering a "dumb" coyote is as rare as buying a winning Lotto ticket. It is doubtful if this wary dog would have closed the distance like he did without a visual enticement. Even if he would have, more than likely he would have first circled downwind and out of range before making a decision. Neither case would have resulted in a shot.

Choosing a Decoy
Predator decoys come in many different styles, patterns and designs ranging from full body-mounted jackrabbits that look so lifelike you think they are about to hop away, to the more generic all-around furry look of the Predator Supreme. To my way of thinking, less is more when it comes to decoys. To be effective all a decoy has to do is create the illusion of a prey animal. While on this hunt, I asked George Brint, "What is the Predator Supreme supposed to look like?" He responded, "What is it not supposed to look like? It can represent a cottontail, jackrabbit, prairie dog, a beaver, muskrat or even a small bird. In short, the Predator Supreme decoy looks like something in distress that a predator could possibly eat. It is no different than fishing. Often baits and lures that perform the best are not exact replicas of a forage fish or prey species, they are just general designs that to a fish look good to eat." After several years of observing how predators react to the Predator Supreme decoy in many different areas, I have to agree.

How to Use It
George is a native of Tennessee and I do most of my Predator hunting out West, but regardless of the location, the Predator Supreme decoy is used in about the same way. Once a stand is located, position the predator supreme decoy about 40 yards in front of and off to one side of the area to be called. Choose an open area that provides good visibility to an approaching predator. Then call as normal. When a predator responds, quit calling. According to George "At this point I figure the call has done its job and now it is the decoy’s turn. Once the coyote locks onto the decoy you are freed up to get into position and align your sights. The only time I will call again is if the predator seems to need a bit more encouragement or if I want him to stop for a shot and I usually do this with the squeaker bulb located on my bi-pod."

There are some exceptions to the decoy placement rule as noted in the opening scenario. If the country is comprised of rolling hills, getting the decoy silhouetted on top of a hill may produce the best visibility.

In addition to being a valuable aid to rifle hunters, it is mandatory for those that would like to face the ultimate challenge of taking a coyote with a primitive weapon such as a bow. In this instance, position the decoy about parallel with the caller, but 20 yards or so off to one side (the left side works best for right handed archers). Position yourself either behind some natural cover or a man-made blind so the coyote can not see you draw.

Regardless of how or where you hunt, there is little doubt that the addition of a Predator Supreme decoy will boost your coyote numbers this season. If you go afield with the right call, the right gear and something little, brown and furry you will be on the right track to becoming a successful predator hunter.

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