The other dogs sat there kind of stunned and then resumed the pursuit of little fluffy. I was ready to go and shot the second coyote causing him to yelp a little. The other two dogs were watching him as they looped by him. Needless, to say, 4 coyotes died that morning and I give fluffy the credit. The shooting didn�t seem to affect the coyotes, they just kept coming. When the third coyote was shot, the last dog kind of trotted off a little but them turned and came back a little before he got it.

Newell explained that Fluffy just acts as a distraction and moved the attention off of him as a hunter. At certain times of the year, the coyotes get very territorial and will become very aggressive when another canine enters their territory.

I have learned quite a bit about coyote behavior since those early days. It is through experiences like these that have helped me build a knowledge base that helps every time I go out calling. Newell is not around any more but the lessons he taught me will be with me forever.

There have been several great videos put out of guys using dogs to bring coyotes into close range for the rifle. These videos capitalize on that denning time of year when the coyote�s territorial instincts are at an all time high. This method can be very effective but well trained dogs are almost essential. Several popular breeds are used for this method but the most common are the Airedales and the Cur dogs. My good friend Walt Earl from Montana uses collie/heeler/airedale and everything else mixes when out �doggin�� coyotes and has great success.

Remember, Newell used a little white poodle and still had good success. The thing to consider is what exactly do you want your dog to do for you? Do you want a dog that will chase after and scrap with a coyote bringing them into gun range or do you want a dog that will act as a simple decoy and get the attention off you onto them? If aggressiveness is what you want, stick with the Curs and Airedales. If you need a decoy, anything will work just fine as long as the dog doesn�t wander too far from you and is not prone to chase forever.

Being raised around livestock, I have a special place in my heart for heelers. They are more of an aggressive breed but are very loyal and smart. I�ve had many during my lifetime but �Gus� my current dog, is as good as any of them. He�s very obedient and just wants to please me. He�s been by my side hunting coyotes for many years and knows that his way of pleasing me is to bring me the coyotes.

I like to start my dog on coyotes as early as possible. From the beginning Gus has absolutely loved following me into the hills after coyotes. At first he was so fascinated with the sounds I was making that it drove him crazy. However, after shooting a couple coyotes, Gus finally got the hang of it. Now, it seems to be a big game to him. He will usually see the coyotes before I will and when he does, the game begins.