Advice on my stand selection/call sequence?

[Wolfdog91]

So took my lil fox pro out on my first stand today , read alot on calling watched alot to. And apparently making up a scenario with your calls is the best thing along with not too much volume and watching the wind so, found it little cross road type deal, pine plantation behind me cut overs to my 8 open field with dead piles to my 12, small pines with under brush to my 2 and a road coming out of another paster to my 3. No wind I could tell at all, and tucked myself under a pine with some small brush round me kinda in a shadow, sun setting on my 9. Placed my call in the middle of this little three way inter section like 30yd in front of me .
Ran the devil hare ,so it would sound like something caught and was killing a rabbit, for like 2-3min let it sit for about 4min then hit a grey fox distress , really foxy place ( actually caught my first grey about 200yd away) and figured a kill noise followed by a predator distress might trigger something so they go " hay someones hurt after food got caught, mabye I can get an easy meal ) ran that for a few minutes then killed it for about 10 and juut sat and watched. Nothing took the bait from what I could see so then I just ran a Cottontail distress for a bit because apparently running vocals just ain't what somone like me should be doing , though I think MFK would argue that lol. Also didn't want to just blast sounds for a hour straight because apparently that's a big no no too.
As usual though no dice , I've just accepted I'm either cursed or just pain bad at killing stuff
But figured I'd post this see if my set up and sequence was too far off or what have you.
Could also post some pics of the land layout from ONX if that would help

 

[STS]

Option A- You’re just plain bad at killing stuff.
Option B- No coyotes in the area.

I’m going with option B

 

[17cal Fan]

Even if you don't feel the wind, it's there. Terrain can effect wind but you need an idea of wind direction before you ever set foot on the property. If it's not in your face it better be crossing away from where you think they are. At the least, check a weather ap for your area. It may say "light & variable" but it still has a general direction. I always put the call up wind because if they can they get down wind of the call before they approach it.

I stick with the sound I start with for at least 7 - 10 minutes with breaks over that time period. I believe there are times they just don't hear the call so I'm not afraid to crank it up a little at a time over that 7 - 10 minutes. Case in point, Out one night this past winter. Using thermal, I spotted a pair that were at least 300 yards away. They were not heading my direction or even acting interested. I cranked it up a bunch and they turned and headed my way. Then I backed the sound down some. Don't remember if I killed them both or just one of them but it worked. For whatever reason, they were not hearing the call.

Watch your own dog or kid. They get distracted and don't hear you call them. Same thing with yotes I think.

If they are hungry, they will travel a long way. You have to give them travel time or they are watching you leave. I never quit before at least 20 minutes.

But if they are not there they won't come. I've called and called and got no response. Walked 2 or 300 yards and tried it again and presto.

 

[K22]

Let me say from the start, I am not even close to being an expert in predator hunting. The best I can say is that I dabble in it as an excuse to get out in the woods in the winter and out of the house. My real passion is varmint hunting. However, I will share what I have learned from observation, as limited as it is.

Attention to wind is critically important in hunting coyotes, not so much with foxes. Foxes have high school diplomas, coyotes, PHD's from MIT.

The really successful predator hunters that I know, hunt at night with night vision equipment. Since this is merely an excuse to get outside for me, I only hunt in the early evenings. Thus, I don't see a lot of coyotes, lots of foxes, but not that many yotes.

The fawn distress call has worked best for me for coyotes here in PA. If they are in the area they will usually respond. Foxes seem to like the rabbit distress call although yotes will respond to that too. Don't over call, two to three bursts, wait for a while, then call again. The idea is to mimic a prey animal in distress. They typically don't call out continuously.

I don't sit for more than 30 minutes on a stand. If they ain't in the area, you ain't going to see them. Look for signs of predators in the area such as scat and paw prints in muddy areas on farm roads. Also, if you hunt farms, sometimes the farmer can inform you of predator activity.

One of the reasons I like a lightweight rifle for predator hunting is because I may have to move a lot. When I do move, I move to another part of the farm. Also watch tree lines. Most of the ones I have seen emerge from tree lines. Often, they will just sit for a while, survey the area for threats. Foxes will move much quicker and cast caution aside. Both are quite adept at picking up on movement so move to a shooting position very slowly when one is within range.

Try to keep everything into perspective, enjoy being in the outdoors. You don't always have to kill something to enjoy the experience. If you are persistent, you will eventually see them if they are in the area.

 

[JB10]

I have been on stands and seen a coyote coming in slowly a ways off and never made it to the call. Something got it to leave. I have found around me they like to come in to areas thats got a lot of cover. If its open like ur picture most of the time the stand is a bust for me unless they are hungry. I have also been on stands and after 20 minutes of nothing i pack it up and end up seeing a coyote 50 yards away sitting on his ass just looking. Once they see move they are out. I would bet many dry stands might have had something come in that you never saw and leave if they dont like something

 

[std7mag]

Be aware, predator calls, well they call in predators.

Be it coyotes, foxes, bobcats, bears, and depending upon the area, BIG cats.

I'm another in PA that has had success with fawn bleats.

But while using a fawn bleat for coyotes, i have called in bears.

Same when calling for bears.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Since you didn't mention how you got to your set. I don't walk thru an area I believe the coyote/fox are in, to get the wind. In my area if they smell you(not coming to call), see you(not coming to call),hear you walking (probably not coming to the call). Typically coyote/fox are bedded during the day, so in the afternoons I'm calling where critters are/have been sleeping, or at least where they are headed to for sunset meal/chase. Knowing travel areas, territory's, and what is probable prey for time of year helps a bunch. Coyote families will talk, gather together before a hunt. But you ALWAYS have to be within hearing and usually within their territory, and they need a route to the call that they normally travel.

 

[1lessdog]

I think every new caller should start with a mouth call. I blow a mouth call the same now as I did 53 yrs ago. I blow till I'm tired. When I catch my breath I do it again. Most people grab a e caller and just turn it on and let it go for 3 to 5 mins or even longer. Once you learn how to blow a mouth call then get a e caller. There are so many you tube videos on how to blow a call.

I read in Fur- Fish and Game how to call back in 1971. And the way the writer wrote it was. A rabbit have very little lung capacity so they can only make noise for a minute or so. And to me a Fox and Coyote know that. There not dumb. You walk into the wind. You crawl to the top of the hill. Sit up against the tree or rock or maybe a corner post. Anything to break up your outline.

 

[AWS]

I don't run sequences, i usually run just a single sound, starting low and working my way up in volume and and then vary the volume after the 10 min. mark. I hunt a lot of tight cover rarely seeing a coyote over 100 yards.. Having access to virtually unlimited stands I pretty much pull up stakes at the 15 min. mark. I find that more stand keep ME interested than sitting on one a long time.

 

[Wolfdog91]

I di

I think every new caller should start with a mouth call. I blow a mouth call the same now as I did 53 yrs ago. I blow till I'm tired. When I catch my breath I do it again. Most people grab a e caller and just turn it on and let it go for 3 to 5 mins or even longer. Once you learn how to blow a mouth call then get a e caller. There are so many you tube videos on how to blow a call.

I read in Fur- Fish and Game how to call back in 1971. And the way the writer wrote it was. A rabbit have very little lung capacity so they can only make noise for a minute or so. And to me a Fox and Coyote know that. There not dumb. You walk into the wind. You crawl to the top of the hill. Sit up against the tree or rock or maybe a corner post. Anything to break up your outline.

did actually bought a few , watched some videos read a bit and never heard much luck, so post a lil video of me blowing on it in a few groups asking for advice on what to do better, well after getting dragged and Told to just get an ecall more then anything I just said screw it , saw these little fox pro patriots on sale and picked one up. Figured at the very least I could listen to this thing and try and try to copy it with my mouth calls.

 

[Wolfdog91]

Since you didn't mention how you got to your set. I don't walk thru an area I believe the coyote/fox are in, to get the wind. In my area if they smell you(not coming to call), see you(not coming to call),hear you walking (probably not coming to the call). Typically coyote/fox are bedded during the day, so in the afternoons I'm calling where critters are/have been sleeping, or at least where they are headed to for sunset meal/chase. Knowing travel areas, territory's, and what is probable prey for time of year helps a bunch. Coyote families will talk, gather together before a hunt. But you ALWAYS have to be within hearing and usually within their territory, and they need a route to the call that they normally travel.

Snuck in in the opposite side of where I figured they would be coming from. There's always cows and people walking around this property though doing stuff , no one really does the "if you see a fox or coyote shoot it" thing so figured they probably wouldn't think too much about it, especially with as quiet as I was. Place is pretty virgin as far as killing predators comes. Mainly squirrels chipmunk, and other small rodents as far as prey goes , also a crap load of birds in the under brush. Like seriously if you just sit there for more then ten minutes they just started coming out of the brush like roaches. There was a lot alot of rabbits a few months ago, not seeing many now so figured something has been on them and knows what they sound like h ce hwy I was using rabbit sounds

 

[17cal Fan]

Snuck in in the opposite side of where I figured they would be coming from. There's always cows and people walking around this property though doing stuff , no one really does the "if you see a fox or coyote shoot it" thing so figured they probably wouldn't think too much about it, especially with as quiet as I was. Place is pretty virgin as far as killing predators comes. Mainly squirrels chipmunk, and other small rodents as far as prey goes , also a crap load of birds in the under brush. Like seriously if you just sit there for more then ten minutes they just started coming out of the brush like roaches. There was a lot alot of rabbits a few months ago, not seeing many now so figured something has been on them and knows what they sound like h ce hwy I was using rabbit sounds

Cardinal distress has worked for me. If there are a lot of birds, maybe try that, or any local bird distress. It took me a bunch of trips actually call one and then it was game on. Been addicted since. We had a cat when I was a teenager. He proceeded to catch a baby rabbit and it was screaming like a banshee. I caught the cat and took it away from him. Don't know if it lived or not but I still remember the sound. And "baby cottontail" sound has cost many a coyote for me