i built this last night when i could not fall asleep til 3:30 am . its a rio cali sport 512 mb mp3 player(got it used for $10 a few months ago) with a 4 watt pc speaker amp that i took the case off and a dollar store plastic box . it runs of one 9 volt for the amp , but i am going to change that to 2 9vs wired so that it gets longer run time but is still 9v . the mp3 runs off one AAA . its loud and clear and freaks out our pet dogs lol .



the gun i am going to use this week is my smooth bore slug gun . yeah i still dont have the cash to to get a center fire rifle . it will hold a 3 1/2 inch group at 60 yards with Winchester power points if i do my part. the barrel is a cut down to 20 inch and re crowned bird barrel that i worked up for a rainy day deer gun . has fiber optic rifle sighs . it was and extra barel i still have another 28 inch shot barrel for it . i painted it camo and i hope to get out after some yotes again some time this coming week .


unless i can get someone to go with me then i will be taking my inline .50 muzzle loader . its a cva buckhorn that i have dialed in dead nuts on . at 60 yards i was out shooting my friends t/c encore thumb whole stocked gun that had a scope that cost more than most of my set up .

Cool Matthew!!


Careful with the slug gun tho. In Ohio we can ONLY carry slugs during the deer gun season. That only amounts to 9 days per year.

thanks glen !
i hope that i can use my slug gun , i know that i cannot use buckshot slug or cut shells during night hunts but have not heard of it being illegal to use slugs during daytime hunts . i have looked over my printed copy and the online dnr copy of hunting regulations and can not find mention of it being illegal to use slugs .
I am confused ..... like that's hard to do lol

It's easy to be confused when it comes to that stuff. I'll look around some for you too. Wouldn't want you to get in trouble.

thank you glen i appreciate your help . i emailed the Michigan dnr and hope to hear from them by Thursday . if i do not hear from them by Thursday i will just hold off using the slug gun until i know for sure . thanks again , one reason i love hunting is that hunters look out for each other .

Same here in IL


Very cool build Mathew, and on a shoestring. I'm impressed.

thanks red i hope the call work out well . i still need to get some heat shrink and a couple more 9v batts to wire in series so that it stays 9v but has longer run time .

i hope we don't have that law here in Michigan , but im not sure . they said it can take up to 10 businesses days for me to get a response to my email . i think i will get my muzzle loader gear around and plan on using that unless i hear other wise .

Edit:: is gun camo neccesary ? i have camo painted a few guns, mostly because it think it looks cool . should i throw some camo on my M/L ? would it help at all ? right now it is all black with a brown leather sling .

check out this link dnr linkguys , sounds like i can use any shotgun ammo during the day the predictor hunt .

You can certainly kill coyotes without a camo gun. But, I personally think that at least a non-glare finish or camo-wrap is a very good idea. Several years ago I used a strip of burlap camo taped tightly around the barrel of my 77 Ruger. It was removeable, reuseable, and left no sticky residue since the tape was not in contact with the gun. Like a sleeve. The burlap will wear on a blued finish over time though.

thanks for the info red , and nice looking coyote .

if i end up not being able to use my slug gun , i do have a double barrel camo stocked matte finished 3 inch 12 gauge turkey gun . i have heard some good reports of using a turkey gun out to about 35 yards or so with t or bb shot . i am unsure what gun would be best for my first real serious attempt coyote hunting . if i can get the turkey gun to pattern well it is legal to use at night as long as i do not use buckshot .or cut shells .

BB's or T are both good choices. Buckshot requires a more open choke for best patterns, but even then, the bigger the pellets - the fewer the pellets. I doubt you can extend the range with buckshot to make consistant kills past what the BB' or T shot will do. 40 yards seems to be what most guys consider to be the limit for "consistant" shotgun kills, although occasionally some are taken a bit further. Past 40 yards, expect to make a quick follow up shot or have a run off.

A shotgun would be my gun of choice for night calling around here under most circumstances.

Good luck.

thank you red ,

i was thinking of going early in the morning or right after dark Thursday or Wednesday. the friend of mine i bought the turkey gun from reloads his own waterfowl loads and i think he has some bb bismuth he could load for me . i might not get out this week if the weather keeps up like it has but it is supposed to calm down . i think the most powerful shot loads i currently own are Winchester 3 inch 12 gauge 1 7/8th oz of 5 shot . i don't think that is large enough shot though.

im not for sure what time of day i will be able to get out though unless my brother in law gets in touch with me soon . he wants to use his .22 at night and i think although its legal it is stupid . he dose own a marlin 55 12 gauge with a 28 inch polly-choke barrel . i would rather he use that .

back in the day, a buddy would sometimes bring his 22auto along on nightime calling adventures. It was a joke. While I know some of those coyotes were struck, none ever fell to the 22lr that I recall. A 22 is capable of killing a coyote with precise shot placement. Called coyotes don't always give you that opportunity, especially at night.

JMO

yeah that's what i have been trying to tell him , just because it is legal don't mean its a good idea . if he wont bring the shotgun i probably wont let him come with i don't like animals wounded and running off even if it is a coyote .

Matthew,
I'm sure you meant to wire those batteries in parallel, right? Let us know how that caller works for you, and if that 4 watt amp is loud enough.

Good Luck!

That's a nice job Matthew Let us know how she does in the field for you. I put together a cheapie myself last year, but did not go through the technical details that you took. I bought a couple of them hand held callers...Cass Creek for crows and the Johnny Stewart predator attractor. I use the radio shack amplifier and horn for added volume when needed.

thanks guys , the amp seems plenty loud at full volume i have to cover my ears . i don't think i am going to ad a second battery i will just carry a extra or two for the mp3 and the amp . i have a question for you guys that night hunt with a shotgun , how to you see your bead sight ? do you use the tridium or how ever its spelled or what else would there be to use ?

Dont forget to hunt at night you need a furbearers licenses. Day shift any licenses will do but i would be sure to have a small game license this time of year. good luck!

Doug

THANK YOU big Doug ! i forgot about needing a furbears license , i do however have a small game permit i hunt more squirrels than any thing else so i get one every year . will i have any legal trouble using my slug gun during the day ? i have plans to go Thursday even if my bother in law don't show up .

I think slugs are ok during daylight. after dark its rimfires and shot only. and im not to sure about buckshot after dark.

Doug

i have done some more research and have asked a few questions on a Michigan predictor hunting forum . i was told and i think they are right , that my over under with some #4 buckshot for daytime calling is the best setup i have at the moment . i tried to get some #4 buckshot yesterday but i was unable to find any . i am trying again today to find some . still hope to get out tomorrow . i got a hold of my brother in law he wanted to go but already had plans for today , he said he might be free tomorrow .

Cool deal Matthew!! You know you have something that will work on em & you've learned a little more about the laws.

the smallest buckshot i could find was 16 gauge #1 . not a problem though as i can use my dad's 16 gauge sxs Ithaca . my brother in law is going with i guess , he skipped the car show . were are going sometime around 3 pm and going to call until legal day hours are up and then come in . my brother in law is going to be using his marlin 55 12 gauge with polly choke and some buckshot .

thank you every one who has helped me figure out this stuff , i hope i can get some pics of dead coyotes for ya .

my bother in law was talked out of going today by my sister .... i guess we are going tomorrow .

Use the Force!

I have a ribbed barrel that I can sorta use as a guide.

lol red , i though Jedi did not use guns .

Tell him to grow a pair.

It's spooky how Wayne always says exactly what I'm thinking

The force is strong with me also Red Skywalker...

lol yeah he is whipped . we are still planing on going today .

and so, was he aloud to go?

nope , he never showed up ...

GO BY YOURSELF!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he'll come when his testes drop and he sees you wit a dead dog