Coyote hunting basic questions

[OKhunter]

Just found this site and have really enjoyed it. I have a couple questions for you "professional" coyote hunters.

1. I'm in farm country with cropland bordered with trees, pastures and creeks. How close to the "cover" do you get when you set up to call or do you enter the cover and try to set up with a shorter field of view?

2. I've read here where you all talk about the volume of electronic calls. How loud do you call and for how long?

3. The foxpro I have, has several rabbits, distressed birds and pups with many other sounds. What seems to work best to start with?

Thanks, really enjoy the pictures,

 

[tt35]

I'll try to help you out with a couple of thoughts.

1. How close you set up to cover will depend on how aggressive the coyotes in your area are, how noisey the wlking is and how much they've been called. "Virgin" coyotes might come a long ways in the open. I primarily rifle my coyotes so I want to pull them into the open or at least to the edge of the cover. I want to have enough time to get my rifle positioned before they get too close. If you're an accomplished shotgunner, you might set up in the cover if it's not too thick. Either way, I think in terms of "Make them show themselves if they want the wind." In other words, have an opening you can see on the downwind side of the caller. I also try to position the caller so the coyote can get downwind of it without smelling me. So, I would put the caller slightly crosswind towards the cover that the coyotes are likely holed up in. I call that "Giving the coyotes the wind." The coyotes will likely swing downwind of the caller at least a few yards as they approach. You'll probably need to set up on the fence line or tree line so you'll have to adjust accordingly.

2. Use just enough volumn for the coyotes to hear you. Start low--maybe one quarter volumn and if they don't respond in a couple of minutes, slowly increase the volumn. Coyotes have amazing hearing so unless it's really windy, you don't need tons of volumn. Again, it depends on how close you set up to the holding cover.

3. If the coyotes haven't been called, I honestly would stick with the distress sounds the first time out. You really can't "say the wrong thing" with distress. If you are unsuccessful , I'd come back and start with some quiet prey sounds--rabbit or bird. If nothing shows, switch it up and do a couple of non-threatening howls, wait a couple of minutes then go back to distress. Unless your coyotes are already educated, the sound and sequence of calls is less important than the set up you choose.

Good luck! And, take your camera. We like pictures too!

tt

 

[kill_goose]

Just found this site and have really enjoyed it. I have a couple questions for you "professional" coyote hunters.

1. I'm in farm country with cropland bordered with trees, pastures and creeks. How close to the "cover" do you get when you set up to call or do you enter the cover and try to set up with a shorter field of view?

2. I've read here where you all talk about the volume of electronic calls. How loud do you call and for how long?

3. The foxpro I have, has several rabbits, distressed birds and pups with many other sounds. What seems to work best to start with?

Thanks, really enjoy the pictures,

1. Depends on the terrain and conditions. If travelling is easy, and I know sound is gonna carry well, maybe up to a mile. If travelling is tough (deep powdery snow), or im close to a road, or its windy, I get closer. Sometimes only a couple hundred yards if I know I can sneak in undetected that close.

2. Start low. You can always turn it up later in the set. To many guys with electronics are starting WAY to loud. Imagine this. If your sleeping in your bed, and someone comes in banging on a pot and yelling at the top of your lungs, youll likely come absolutely unglued. But if they were to just come in and talk quiet, youd probably just wake up. Coyotes are no different. Loud noises real close is likely to send them AWAY from you. Coyote hear VERY well, and are amazing at pinpointing exactly where a sound is coming from. I tell guys to set the volume where they THINK it should be, than reduce it 1/4th to start a set.

I usually sit around 20 minutes. But each set is different, and conditions vary.

3. I always recommend beginners stay away from coyote sounds until they get some experience. You can just as easily bust a coyote out making the wrong coyote vocalization to them as bring them in. Make an aggressive sound to a young coyote still trying to "find his/her way", and youll likely send em into the next township, likewise, make that same sound to an alpha dog deep in his own territory, and he'll likely be in your lap in no time. Time of year also plays a big role in how effective coyote vocalizations work, but prey sounds work year round.

 

[roninflag]

best way to learn is to go with some one who has called some in. you may get more info on predatormasters.com too. good luck . roninflag