How are you using your electronic call??

[Tamarac]

I'm new to coyote hunting and am using a Fox Pro Wild Fire electronic call with the movement decoy. I usually start all my stands with a coyote locator, calling for a minute, and then waiting for 2-3. Continueing with a rabbit distress for a minute and quiet for 2-3. I've been out the last few weekends and won't even see anything! I know they're there because I see them all the time pheasant hunting!​

My question is this:​

What calls are you using and how are you using them? Put another way how long are you calling and how long are you waiting in between calls? Thanks everyone.​

 

[Big Sky]

I think you would be wise to end your stand with Pup in Distress3 or Coyote Pup Frenzy for 5 to 10 minutes straight. You just might be surprised how things turn out, but be super ready on your weapon of choice because sometimes things happen really fast.

 

[threejones]

I use a Wildfire as well. I usually start with lightening jack or some kind of prey distress on medium volume for a couple min, off for a min. Then I repeat on 2/3 volume, wait a little longer, then a couple barks/howls, wait a bit, then I blast pup distress or dying coyote for the rest of the set, 15-20 min total. If I'm in wide open areas I'll go a little longer.

A lot depends on where I'm calling, and what time of year, etc. Yotes should be pairing up and getting freaky time of year, so I use more vocalizations in hopes they'll come looking to kick the intruder out of their turf. In a month or so, I use more pup distress.

If you're hunting areas that get a lot of pressure, throw this all out the window until spring when you'll have a new crop of uneducated youngsters running around. In these areas where they've been hunted a lot, or those close to farms, houses, etc, something unusual (that they don't associate with armed dudes in camo) might work better ie-kitten distress, k9 pup distress, coon fight, whatever they haven't heard a zillion times.

 

[Three44s]

I like to think of an electronic call as a tool to offset where the coyote approaches and what it's looking at when you raise your weapon. The purpose of that is to reduce your chances of getting busted on approach.

That said, the next thing is to anticipate what you are calling. If you blast an adult distress ........ you are going to scare off lesser coyotes. You need to consider if you are calling to younger or older coyotes or a variety of ages?

Yet, if you are calling an alpha pair and not exclusively but more likely from breeding season forward into denning and rearing time ......... you sent out an adult challenge and a pup distress ............ you could get VERY busy .......... but no pups or lesser coyotes will likely DARE approach.

Now, a different way to approach this and NOT scare off hardly any coyotes would be a combo of pup distress (sans death throe sounds) and a wild prey malay. Coyote pups get REAL excited when they catch something ........ they may have hard time putting the prey out of commission and get pretty excited while the "battle" rages, and this is a call combo any coyote can be drawn by. Then, if the pup and rabbit "battle" or some other prey sound does not produce you can always switch to the nuclear option as above and try enraging a pair of alphas.

Three 44s

 

[Tamarac]

Thanks Big Sky, threejones, and Three44s for the advice. I'll keep you updated how I do the rest of the season.