Help! New to the sport...

[viking92]

I am new to coyote hunting, well I guess I went out a couple times last winter with my friends and got hooked. I have always been a hunter, just not coyotes. Anyways, I was wondering if you guys have any ideas on some inexpensive calls I could get my hands on that would work? And how do I identify the best places to sit? There are lots of coyotes around although I don't see them very often. Any help would be great!!

Thanks,
Seth

 

[royinidaho]

Anyways, I was wondering if you guys have any ideas on some inexpensive calls I could get my hands on that would work? Calls are like fishing lures. I have a a ton of 'em. Some are open reeds, some are closed reeds and some you just squeeze. I have a favorite that is a small rubber looking plucked chicken. Weird sound but it works as well as any at times. They all seem to work to one extent or another. I have my worst luck with the howlers. But the very worst is the, for me, has been the little Cass Creek hand held push button electric call. I have never called any thing up with it.

And how do I identify the best places to sit? This depends on the lay of the land in your neck of the woods. In the thick russian olive trees there is no perfect place. I usually set up where I have a good shooting lane for a long dististance as part of my game plan. The yotes never seem to read my plan. We usually go in pairs and face different areas. The sighting of the yote is always unexpected except when set up on a peak in a vast sage desert where they can be seen coming a mile away.

There are lots of coyotes around although I don't see them very often. A good stealthy approach to the calling spot is key for my neck of the woods. Alway walk the low spots. Never skyline any part of you. We have blown only part of one squeak and the yote arrived. Kind of Squeak, bang, flop. Other times have called for as much as 30 minutes and either found yote tracks on ours as we approached the set or busted the yote as we began to leave the setup. There's no way of knowing.

Use the wind coming and going from your set. If you are calling close to houses you can get away with a lot more than if completely out in the wild.

Also, remember that yotes can't count. Have used this against them a several times. (Two guys go in to a spot and one comes out. Sounds stupid but it does have its time.

I also use decoys. Stuffed animals of all sorts. Dangle it on a string or figure a way to make it move. My grand daughter showed up with a nifty little stuffed black pony or colt in a laying position. I can't wait till she looks the other way.

Additionally, in small isolated areas walk and stalk works well once you get the territory figured out
Any help would be great!!

Thanks,
Seth

Welcome aboard. I'll give some of my thoughts based on my own experience. Some good some not so good.

See above.....

Have fun......

 

[viking92]

Thank you so much for your help! I am from North Dakota so seeing a long ways isnt the trouble finding a higher point is sometimes. Last year I only went out a couple times by myself, and found it frustrating when I couldn't call any in, but I am sure this will help me out immensly.

Thanks again!

 

[Rymart]

I'll add my tips. I am assuming that you are hunting some pretty wide open country, similar to what I usually hunt.

Anyways, I was wondering if you guys have any ideas on some inexpensive calls I could get my hands on that would work? --------->

Since you said inexpensive, I will assume hand calls... The things I look for in a hand call are 1) loud! 2) unique, as in not what everyone else is using. Ultimately an open reed distress call will be more Versatile and useful, but I recommend starting out with a good closed reed call until you can build up your confidence and skills with an open reed call. For closed reed calls I've had good luck with both the PC-1 and the PC-2 by Dan Thompson. For open reed calls I'd suggest the TT Extreme and/or the TT overdose from Tony Tebbe (Google Predator University) and the Rubber Rabbit from Carver Calls (really impressed with this one right now). I'd suggest getting an open reed, as well as a closed reed, right away and to begin practicing with the open reed. Just remember that in open country you need to call loud (blow hard into the call!!), maybe not initailly but around 2 - 4 minute into the stand.

Another tip; my calling sucess with prey distress sounds goes down hill in a big way from mid December through the end of January and this is where I go to almost straight coyote vocalizations (howling and KiYi's). For a dedicated howler, I recommend the Tony Tebbe Cedar River Howler or the Song Dog from Critr' Call, but you could probably get by with the TT Overdose or the Carver Rubber Rabit. There's a lot of online (youtube) and hunting video tutorials on howling, so I'll just keep it simple here. 1) KiYi's work well year round, especially after an initial howl or prey sound. A KiYi sounds just like a dog getting its tail stepped on and is pretty easy to do. 2) Know the difference between a greeting howl and a challenge/warning howl and only do the greeting howl until you become more experienced 3) Alway sound like a wimpy coyote (high pitched and wavery if you can pull it off)


And how do I identify the best places to sit? -------->

A few basic rules I try to follow (and there are always exceptions):

(1) Choose visibility over cover if you can't have both. I'de rather be sitting on a bare hillside with no cover but be able to see all possible approach paths, especially down wind (2) Sit in front of the cover, not behind it (3) Holding still is more important than camo and cover combined (4) The more windy it is, the further down wind a coyote will circle and the more likely he will stay behind cover all the way to your down wind... Account for this in your set up (send second guy straight down wind of the guy calling) (5) Try not to sit where you are skylined, highlined, silouetted (6) Set up in a way that doesn't give the coyote a path to get from his likely/expected location to your down wind WITHOUT you seeing him. In other words, don't give him a cover path to your downwind. 7) Calling into the wind, with a crosswind, and even down wind will all work with the right setup. Be flexible. Calling into the wind usually works best on calm days, down wind and cross wind on windy days, just remember # 6. 7) Consider any terrain that you could see on your way into the stand, especially if you crossed a skyline, to be 'poisoned', as in the least likely place a coyote will come from. Account for this in your set up.


There are lots of coyotes around although I don't see them very often. -------->

Try going into your stand as if you were stalking a deer (sneaky and quiet). Be patient, determined, and don't give up. Expect at least 15 - 30 dry stands before calling in your first coyote. You should be able to knock that out in two good solid days of calling.

Hope this helps you. It took me years to figure some of this out.

 

[ARPredatorHunters]

Best sounding hand calls, IMO, come from Arkyyoter. You can google him up. Since you live in North Dakota you pretty much just have to sit down and call and you will end up killing coyotes. You can also read the few articles I have written on here which are geared towards the beginning coyote killer.

 

[cal74]

I'm basically in the same boat, hunted my whole life but this is all new to me.

Ice fishing seems to keep going down hill the last few years, our deer population SUCKS so I figured I needed to look other places.

Just ordered a Foxpro Scorpion and a mojo-critter, hoping the critter gets here this week and maybe take my nephew out to see what we can find this weekend.

Price is still a little steep, even with the clearance prices but I ordered my Foxpro from these guys. Ordered it last Friday and had it in my mail box this past Monday.

Product Listing Scorpion

 

[viking92]

Thank you to everyone for your help! It is much appreciated with all the beginning frustrations. I am working on ordering a mouth call because I don't want to spend a ton of money on a foxpro. So far you guys have givin me lots of options on some calls that will work, thanks! Would I be better of starting with open reed or closed reed? I am assuming they are fairly similar to use. Cal74 I am ordering that mojo critter as well, i hope it works great like I hear!

Thanks!

 

[cal74]

Check out you tube, type mojo critter. I would never have imagined any coyote coming into a decoy so fast. I guess I'll be bringing a shot-gun and buck shot
along with a centerfire .22


Anyways, good luck and happy hunting..........

 

[ARPredatorHunters]

You should start with the closed reed calls and then move into the open reeds.