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Question about coyote hunting?

matty

I live in northern Mo in the country were there seems to be a plentiful population of coyotes, based off what I here at night and sign while hunting. I have taken more of a interest in varmit hunting the past several years and am trying to learn the art of calling. As a self tought turkey hunter it did'nt seem as difficult learning some tricks when you get a response from what you was trying to call in.
I use a electronic call ( fox pro ) I do have a few mouth calls also.
Set time half hour to fourty five tops
Hunting what I would consider lo-pressure areas that have coyotes.
I start hunting them after our firearm deer season in mid Dec and hunt through Feb
Success rate going alone and with friends over hundreds of acres. Maybe 5%
Try to play the wind if I can, I know there sense of smell is good!!
So my main question is are coyotes starting to connect calling to humans?? I have watched the TV shows and have been told that the higher success rate is due to the coyotes not hearing a call before??
I don't know much about coyote calling ( obviously ) and am just wondering why I seem to be so bad at it.
 
That question solely depends on pressure. Yes in my home state, coyotes are somewhat call shy in certain areas. Other areas not so much. Seems closer to the breeding dates, they can be called in by mate calling easier than dying prey calls. Other times the opposite. Best thing to do is get out and put some boot leather down and don't get discouraged. That can happen when calling doesn't produce results. Try February March when coyotes breed and use female greetimg type calls. More likely will result in responses verbally than with distress calls. Use wind but if your not familiar with areas you call in, you'll not know where the animals will come from. Proper camo as well. Good luck.
 
When I first started, I really sucked bad; and it was primarily because I didn't pay enough attention to a discreet approach to my stands, and would often call from spots where any coyote would spot me WAAAYY before I would spot him.

When we started calling from spots where we couldn't see for more than a hundred yards, and frequently as close as fifty, we really started killing dogs.

You absolutely can not believe how well a coyote can pin-point the location of the call, and how far they can see. Guys with electronic calls can sit remotely from the call to improve their chances.

And another thing; Five hunnert bucks worth of the best cammo clothing is worthless if your big, ugly, human face is sticking up above the sage brush, shining like a beacon. For my money, face paint isn't even good enough, and I like a full head net with a mis-shapen hat to hold it in place.

I've learned that (generally), my success has less to do with the way I call, and more to do with where I call from and how I get to the spot. If I try to call from a spot where every coyote for two miles has seen, heard, and smelled me -- I don't usually have good success. jd
 
Find out what the coyotes are preying on in your area. Then get the calls of that (those) animal(s) and you will have more success. Also coyotes can be fussy about when they hunt. Sometimes they will only hunt early in the day or later in the evening. You have to match your hunting hours with theirs. There was an area I used to hunt where the local farmer was losing chickens in the early evening hours. I bought a live chicken from him and hobbled the chicken and staked it to a spike. We stayed across wind from the bait and had good results. We used red flood lights to illuminate the area because we didn't have night vision. You have to use tactics that they have not been exposed to because they learn very fast but you have to use bait that they are used to taking.
 
By December you can bet that virtually every coyote within a half-mile of a public road (including 2-tracks) has heard an electronic call, and is either already dead or educated. I expect that you'll have better luck calling in late summer/early autumn when there are still plenty of dumb pups out learning to hunt for themselves. Or, hunt on virgin ground -- private land to which you have exclusive access, or public ground at least a mile from a road.

I spend more time walking than calling. I have never called for as long as 30 minutes on a stand -- usually 15 minutes or less. A trotting coyote is moving at 10mph or more, and will be on top of your call in 5 or 10 minutes even if it is a mile or two away when it hears the call.

Even in jackrabbit country I rarely use jackrabbit distress calls, because so many hunters use the same FoxPro recording. Coyotes are curious and will come to ANYTHING that sounds like a bird or animal in trouble.

Coyote vocalizations are well worth trying as the breeding season approaches, as others have pointed out.

And "never leave a stand without trying pup distress."

Here are some of the sounds and strategies that I've been using with success lately:

http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/not-wiley-enough.3897960/
 
That live bait thing works very well but check the laws in your state. Thought about using the neighbors cat that keeps destroying my garbage bags at the road on garbage night. Cats are a delicacy to coyotes. The wife took exception to the idea. Guess he'll live for future trashings.
 
I think we oughta get a few pics up on this thread. I've got a few, although not like a few of you guys that are out killing coyotes by the herds.


Here's one of my bros with a couple from one stand that we shotgunned. This is from quite awhile back, -- don't think those coveralls are in style anymore.:rolleyes: He's got his headnet pulled up on his cap to show his pretty face. When we went to headnets, our success really increased, especially at shotgun range.

Heres a pretty little dog that me an my wife got. I often pack both rifle and shotty, hold the shotgun at ready in thick brush, and rifle laying beside me. Bonnie spotted this one as we sat back to back, and it was on my good side for a rifle shot and I switched guns and got him.




I love to get a camping hunt in in September right before deer season, and the weather is mild or even hot out here.



Here's one of my favorites. Me and the dog were quail hunting, and spotted a pair of young coyotes about three hundred yards across a draw. I called by kissing the back of my hand, imitating a -- dying mouse?? and one of the dogs immediately spun and headed for us. I lost sight of him for a few seconds as he crossed the bottom of the draw, but then he popped back into sight and came charging up to us. I dusted him at about thirty feet with a load of 20 gauge 8's. My bird dog was totally surprised. :p jd
 
yes calling educated coyotes is a tough deal
the best is to have lots of different areas to call
and not burn out a spot and not educating more and more
by calling one area to much or to often
you may want to switch up your calls to that may help
you would be surprised at the coyotes you did call but didn't see
 
284winner said:
That live bait thing works very well but check the laws in your state. Thought about using the neighbors cat that keeps destroying my garbage bags at the road on garbage night. Cats are a delicacy to coyotes. The wife took exception to the idea. Guess he'll live for future trashings.
Click to expand...

I've often told the wife that I'm going to take fluffy hunting. Should work! :D
 
I've known a couple guys who use their dogs as a decoy. I have never done it myself but it sounds like fun jd
 
I started calling back in the early eighties. A friend took me and I was hooked after multiple coyotes ran us over that day. Back then it was hand calls. Coyotes were not hard to call back then, some of the worst hand call sounds I've ever heard produced coyotes. Where I grew up calling was only enjoyed by a very few people. Things have changed.

Somewhere along the line someone started Varmint Calling Contests. Back where I grew up, in Arizona's White Mountains, calling has become a favorite past time of many many hunters. Every year we have more calling contests, every year the pressure intensifies. Everybody is calling with numerous techniques.

It use to be easy to have 5 yotes down in a morning. Good days produced more than 10. That's not the case anymore. I live on the outskirts of town, farm country and there are coyotes everywhere, a very dense population. However if you call locally your odds of success are low, very low. When I call now, I travel, sometimes 3-4 hours one way finding remote areas that have not been called. I still have some spots that produce about every other stand. One of my favorite spots that has produced over and over started drying up a couple years ago. I have abandoned it and moved on, just the nature of calling. I found out later a trapper started a line in that area and called during the day to pass the time.

A couple things to consider. If your doing what every other caller is doing. Using the same calls, same techniques, same positions your odds will go down. If you try some new things you might find something that increases your odd. I was calling one of my favorite areas 5-6 years ago when I ran into a man who was a calling fanatic. I thought I was pretty experienced but after talking to him for a short time it was clear he had much more experience than me. We were calling an area with a heavy bobcat population and he asked if I had called any in over my last two days of calling. I had called one and was proud of that but he suggested I called in more than one but didn't know it. He suggested a hand call, gave me one, told me to hang a feather in the open,gave me that too and to hang a clear sparkly marble a couple feet from the feather, he gave me that too. We parted ways and I tried his method, two days later I had two bobcats to add to the trip.

If you want to have fun go try a few stands on a full moon on the snow. You can see remarkably well, you don't need artificial light. Protect your head, you will be amazed at how brazen owls are, they mistake a moving head for dinner. Anyways, I've done this in heavily called areas just to show friends how plentiful coyotes are. They drop their guard at night and it's fun to do. In Arizona it's illegal to shoot them at night, it's not an option but it is fun! If your where lions live set up with your back side protected, seriously.

My stands last for 10 minutes if I'm coyote hunting, 20 if I think there's cats in the area. I could go one but this is too long already. PM if you want to.
 
I do think that with the advent of electronic callers and more callers in general, we have a more highly educated coyote population. I have seen guys sitting in the cab of their pick-up on a nice high vantage point, with the Fox-pro on top of the truck blaring away. :rolleyes:

As others have mentioned, I believe that we call a lot of dogs that we never see. Used to be that they would come bouncing right in without even pausing for caution, and we'd kill many with the shotguns. I still pack my shotgun a lot depending on the cover, but I don't seem to use it as much.

Any mature coyote with a brain in his/her head, will use good cover to approach within a few hundred yards, and then carefully poke around and circle to catch the scent before committing to the final distance. Depending on the lay of the land, this is a good time for two guys to split up, one of ya going further into untainted territory as the primary shooter, while the caller sits further back and calls. Just 'don't lose track of each other's location and shoot each other. We also do this when calling elks.

Of the last several coyotes I've killed, most were spotted sitting looking at us from a hundred or so yards out. If we weren't wearing head gear, they would have blown us and been gone. jd
 
Late July and August can be very productive months as the pups are kicked out of the Den. Coyotes kill a lot of deer, so kill every coyote you can.

Don't over hunt a single area.

Use camo on your face and hands, earth tone clothes are ok, also camo on your gun.

I use a set of hand pruners and carve a place in a bush to break up my outline, sit on a fold up stool.

If legal in your state, put two cans of sardines in oil in single sock, use two socks hung 15 yards on each side of you. This will help mask your scent as the sardines put out more parts per million vs your scent.

Look back and forth with your eyes, not by turning your head.

Have a plan with your hunting partner, work the plan.
don't slam the car doors
when loading your gun, do so very quietly!!!
Don't talk on the way to your stand, whisper and use hand signals.
When you shoot, shoot sitting, don't stand up. When you kill one, start the stand all over again, expect multiples.
Reload your gun quietly.
When walking back to the truck, be ready to shoot as often more are coming in from miles out, don't talk loud with your partner.

Most important, watch the weather patterns.
Leading edge of a low pressure front is the best, and low pressure front on top of you.
Immediately after a storm may be good.
Do not hunt during a high pressure front, scout. All you do is educate coyote during a high pressure front or when barometric pressure is rising. I have a barometer in the truck. When the pressure is falling, hunt, hunt, hunt.
Watch the Solar tables for major and minor feeding periods, it is your Bible of when and when not to hunt. This along with the weather issues will be the key to your success. I can not stress the solar tables enough. There is an apt for I phones for this.

Always place the call facing into the wind, and watch your down wind side. Coyotes are scared to death of each other, they will circle down wind to see if they can smell the other coyote that has hold of the dying animal. Dominant coyotes may kill or injure coyotes from another territory or younger coyotes.

Use two pair of boots or shoes. One pair when you leave home to stop and get gas. Then when you start hunting, put on your hunting boots. A coyotes that crosses your track may smell gasoline for 30'.

Often a 12ga with extra full or turkey choke with 3" number 4 buck is excellent, depending on the terrain. Pattern your shotgun.

If you see a coyote coming in that is going to cross your track, kill him prior to him winding your track.

Hunting partners can make or break you, choose wisely. Loudmouths that don't take it seriously will kill your percentage, smokers hurt also. Hunting partners need to change shoes also.

Coyotes come in in various intervals:

4 minutes or less, they were within 300 yards of you when you started your stand

7 minutes, they are within 1/2 mile

15-30 minutes, about a mile out or more...watch your down wind side!

Coyotes have the attention span of a Nat. They may come across a rat, mouse, rabbit, other coyote scents that will detract them from your call, so keep calling.

We hunted Mexico for 12 years, killed a lot of coyotes. One thing that we learned that hunting on a full moon, hunt from 10am to 3PM. If you can night hunt, hunt before the moon comes up on a full moon. High pressure fronts kill all efforts except the dumbest of the yearlings.

Sardines are God's gift to a Predator hunter, we transported ours in zip lock plastic bags inside 1 lb coffee cans. When on competitive hunts, we made a drag out of a sock with sardines and oil, smeared a tad on the bottom of our boots, set watching our tracks, hopefully down wind side. When using a Drag, set up where you can see the trail you walked in VERY clearly. When using a Drag, hold a shotgun in your lap, with a rifle by your side. El cheapo Mossburg 500 with a Hastings .660 ported choke is a meat grinder at 40 yards with Rem #4 Buck.

Coyotes can clearly hear a call at 1 mile down wind, depending on terrain.

For hand calls, the simplest to blow is the Lohman Circe MVP-3 adjustable

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Flambeau-Lohman-Circe-Professional-3-n-1-
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Flambeau-Lo...694814?hash=item35fc36781e:g:sDYAAOSwstxVIUiz
and the Johnny stewart PC1. Both of these calls are closed reed. Open reed calls are hard for a novice to master unless you have been a duck hunter.

If a coyote is circling you a mouse squeeker will often bring them in running, but be aware that they can pin point your movement to within 1* at 1000 yards. I hold one in my left hand, can still blow the call while watching the coyotes reactions with my left hand holding the gun. They can hear a mouse squeeker at 400 yards easy in calm winds.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lohman-one-...597226?hash=item53e33b426a:g:~EsAAOxydlFStJ1A

The above is Hard Core coyote hunting, take it to the degree that your interest and patience allows. Fools that think that this is coyote shooting will be sorely disappointed.

Fish and Game in our state put out a camera by a coyote den in the Spring, that pair of coyotes brought in 22 fawns that year.
 
Last edited:
AckleymanII said:
Late July and August can be very productive months as the pups are kicked out of the Den. Coyotes kill a lot of deer, so kill every coyote you can.

Don't over hunt a single area.

Use camo on your face and hands, earth tone clothes are ok, also camo on your gun.

I use a set of hand pruners and carve a place in a bush to break up my outline, sit on a fold up stool.

If legal in your state, put two cans of sardines in oil in single sock, use two socks hung 15 yards on each side of you. This will help mask your scent as the sardines put out more parts per million vs your scent.

Look back and forth with your eyes, not by turning your head.

Have a plan with your hunting partner, work the plan.
don't slam the car doors
when loading your gun, do so very quietly!!!
Don't talk on the way to your stand, whisper and use hand signals.
When you shoot, shoot sitting, don't stand up. When you kill one, start the stand all over again, expect multiples.
Reload your gun quietly.
When walking back to the truck, be ready to shoot as often more are coming in from miles out, don't talk loud with your partner.

Most important, watch the weather patterns.
Leading edge of a low pressure front is the best, and low pressure front on top of you.
Immediately after a storm may be good.
Do not hunt during a high pressure front, scout. All you do is educate coyote during a high pressure front or when barometric pressure is rising. I have a barometer in the truck. When the pressure is falling, hunt, hunt, hunt.
Watch the Solar tables for major and minor feeding periods, it is your Bible of when and when not to hunt. This along with the weather issues will be the key to your success. I can not stress the solar tables enough. There is an apt for I phones for this.

Always place the call facing into the wind, and watch your down wind side. Coyotes are scared to death of each other, they will circle down wind to see if they can smell the other coyote that has hold of the dying animal. Dominant coyotes may kill or injure coyotes from another territory or younger coyotes.

Use two pair of boots or shoes. One pair when you leave home to stop and get gas. Then when you start hunting, put on your hunting boots. A coyotes that crosses your track may smell gasoline for 30'.

Often a 12ga with extra full or turkey choke with 3" number 4 buck is excellent, depending on the terrain. Pattern your shotgun.

If you see a coyote coming in that is going to cross your track, kill him prior to him winding your track.

Hunting partners can make or break you, choose wisely. Loudmouths that don't take it seriously will kill your percentage, smokers hurt also. Hunting partners need to change shoes also.

Coyotes come in in various intervals:

4 minutes or less, they were within 300 yards of you when you started your stand

7 minutes, they are within 1/2 mile

15-30 minutes, about a mile out or more...watch your down wind side!

Coyotes have the attention span of a Nat. They may come across a rat, mouse, rabbit, other coyote scents that will detract them from your call, so keep calling.

We hunted Mexico for 12 years, killed a lot of coyotes. One thing that we learned that hunting on a full moon, hunt from 10am to 3PM. If you can night hunt, hunt before the moon comes up on a full moon. High pressure fronts kill all efforts except the dumbest of the yearlings.

Sardines are God's gift to a Predator hunter, we transported ours in zip lock plastic bags inside 1 lb coffee cans. When on competitive hunts, we made a drag out of a sock with sardines and oil, smeared a tad on the bottom of our boots, set watching our tracks, hopefully down wind side. When using a Drag, set up where you can see the trail you walked in VERY clearly. When using a Drag, hold a shotgun in your lap, with a rifle by your side. El cheapo Mossburg 500 with a Hastings .660 ported choke is a meat grinder at 40 yards with Rem #4 Buck.

Coyotes can clearly hear a call at 1 mile down wind, depending on terrain.

For hand calls, the simplest to blow is the Lohman Circe MVP-3 adjustable

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Flambeau-Lohman-Circe-Professional-3-n-1-
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Flambeau-Lo...694814?hash=item35fc36781e:g:sDYAAOSwstxVIUiz
and the Johnny stewart PC1. Both of these calls are closed reed. Open reed calls are hard for a novice to master unless you have been a duck hunter.

If a coyote is circling you a mouse squeeker will often bring them in running, but be aware that they can pin point your movement to within 1* at 1000 yards. I hold one in my left hand, can still blow the call while watching the coyotes reactions with my left hand holding the gun. They can hear a mouse squeeker at 400 yards easy in calm winds.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lohman-one-...597226?hash=item53e33b426a:g:~EsAAOxydlFStJ1A

The above is Hard Core coyote hunting, take it to the degree that your interest and patience allows. Fools that think that this is coyote shooting will be sorely disappointed.

Fish and Game in our state put out a camera by a coyote den in the Spring, that pair of coyotes brought in 22 fawns that year.
Click to expand...
Great Post Young Man!
 
Thanks to all for advice on my behalf!! More are welcome I enjoy reading what others have to say.
Merry Christmas
 
I used to go out and call with decent luck. I found out it was good timing on my part. Luck went downhill, until I realized the coyotes in my areas were cyclic. They were there for 3-4 days then gone a week to 10 days and then back. I finally figured out I had to call them on their convenience not mine. If they ain't there, they won't come.
 
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