Hey All, Am new to varmint hunting and looking for any advice I can get. Been hunting for years, small game, deer, birds etc, been wanting to add coyote to the list so started late last year. Some great articles and general advice on here so reaching out for more. Hunting in CT. Shooting a Remington 700 SPS Varmint in 22-250 on private land- Savage 93 17HMR on state land (limited to rimfire only on stateland). Have a mojo critter decoy, and just picked up a foxpro spitfire call. Questions; how often do you call-- what call to use-- how long do you call for-- how long to stay on one set-up-- do you leave the decoy on all thr time? Etc Tried a few times last year with no success. Thanks in advance.
Newbee looking for some advice
- Thread starter Tom59
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sledneck84
Active Member
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Well first off, congrats, you just started the first stage of a costly addiction. Predator hunting is one of my favorite things to do and blow money on.
Now to answer your questions, keep in mind this is just how I do it and it works for ME. Your scenario may be different so don't be afraid to change it up until something works for YOU. How often do you call- I typically wait about 5 minutes after setting up to let things calm down. I then make a short (10-15 seconds) fairly quiet call incase anything is close. say within 100 yards. and often times there is. I then wait a couple minutes and ramp up to medium volume and a little longer. Maybee 25 seconds calling. I then wait and observe for about 5 minutes to see if anything is moving. then i go full volume and run a death string rabbit massacre for about 30 to 45 seconds. Followed by about a 2 minute break then repeat. I typically stay on stand for about 30 minutes before i move, longer if i am in a bobcat/ mt lion area. Cats sometimes take an hour to show themselves from my experience.
Decoys- I sometimes use them and sometimes not. depends alot on the terrain and the way the coyotes are acting that day. If i'm in fairly thick cover i don't use a decoy. If i'm in open country and the dogs aren't "hungry" i generally use a decoy. I let it run the whole time.
Calls & callers- I have a top of the line custom shop fox pro and don't really use it very often. I find it alot funner and challenging to use mouth calls. With a mouth call i have control over the tones i blow, sounds and sequences i make. Which in my mind makes it easier for me to coax that dog or dogs in because i can read their body language and act accordingly. But sometimes it is fun to just let the caller play and see what happens. I have alot of hand calls i use with my favorite probably being primos catnip.
verminator makes alot of cool calls that really throw some crazy sounds as well and work good at times. Also the pc-1 tends to be another favorite of mine. It's really just whatever works for you and the coyotes like. Take into consideration the food sources in your area, maybee jackrabbits and cottontails aren't a food source for them. I'm not sure.
Some other tips are setup, wind direction, scent, time of day, spot and stalk, ect. There are many ways to kill a coyote, so just try to think like a coyote and go keep trying. Eventually you will find a deadly combination and you will be hooked. good luck and don't be scared to try new things. And remember,i'm just a weekend coyote guy sitting at a computer tonight. So don't take anything i say as gospel. lol. good Luck
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Here's a rundown of my typical setup:
I tend to have the best success early mornings before the sun is up and there's just enough light to shoot.
I hike a ways from the truck, not any specific distance, I just like to put a hill or something between me and the truck. Maybe a 2 miles maybe just over the rise. You just don't want them to see you coming. I'm always careful to not skyline myself and sneak in quietly.
I use a FoxPro spitfire, and set it out in front of me about 40 yards. I am careful about wind direction when setting up and I'll make sure I can see downwind and that the most likely avenue of approach is upwind of me. I'll usually wait a minute before calling and just watch and see if anything is moving already.
I start with low volume and call for maybe 20 seconds at a time then wait a minute or two in between(some kind of distress call usually). I'll slowly raise the volume and call for longer intervals (up to a minute or two) I sometimes use a decoy which I just let run.
If I haven't seen anything after say 15 minutes I'll switch the call to either a different distress call or coyote vocalizations. This is something that has made a big difference for me, sometimes when everything seems dead a change of the call will make them charge right in.
If I shoot one I immediately switch to coyote distress and sit tight for 5-10 minutes just to be sure there's no one else slinking around.
I'll always sit on stand for at least 20 minutes, and sometimes as long as 40 minutes. I'd say on average they'll come in around 15 minutes most often when I change sounds. I have had them come charging in less than 20 seconds and some come in as I was leaving.
That's about it. The other thing I'd mention which is probably obvious is that scouting is key, Dogs wander everywhere but if you can set up close to a den or something they've been feeding on they're more likely to come a couple hundred yards to a call then run after something they hear a mile away. Another good bet is to setup on the boundary of their territory and howl.
Stay after it, I probably average seeing one coyote for every 4 stands and I only get a good shot on maybe half of those. Keep trying you'll get it. Good Luck.
I tend to have the best success early mornings before the sun is up and there's just enough light to shoot.
I hike a ways from the truck, not any specific distance, I just like to put a hill or something between me and the truck. Maybe a 2 miles maybe just over the rise. You just don't want them to see you coming. I'm always careful to not skyline myself and sneak in quietly.
I use a FoxPro spitfire, and set it out in front of me about 40 yards. I am careful about wind direction when setting up and I'll make sure I can see downwind and that the most likely avenue of approach is upwind of me. I'll usually wait a minute before calling and just watch and see if anything is moving already.
I start with low volume and call for maybe 20 seconds at a time then wait a minute or two in between(some kind of distress call usually). I'll slowly raise the volume and call for longer intervals (up to a minute or two) I sometimes use a decoy which I just let run.
If I haven't seen anything after say 15 minutes I'll switch the call to either a different distress call or coyote vocalizations. This is something that has made a big difference for me, sometimes when everything seems dead a change of the call will make them charge right in.
If I shoot one I immediately switch to coyote distress and sit tight for 5-10 minutes just to be sure there's no one else slinking around.
I'll always sit on stand for at least 20 minutes, and sometimes as long as 40 minutes. I'd say on average they'll come in around 15 minutes most often when I change sounds. I have had them come charging in less than 20 seconds and some come in as I was leaving.
That's about it. The other thing I'd mention which is probably obvious is that scouting is key, Dogs wander everywhere but if you can set up close to a den or something they've been feeding on they're more likely to come a couple hundred yards to a call then run after something they hear a mile away. Another good bet is to setup on the boundary of their territory and howl.
Stay after it, I probably average seeing one coyote for every 4 stands and I only get a good shot on maybe half of those. Keep trying you'll get it. Good Luck.
wackinandstackin243
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2012
- Messages
- 208
I hope you have good luck calling predators as it can be tough. Dittos on calling right after storms clear. The best thing I ever did was get a bipod. A lot can go wrong even after a coyote comes in. The bipod not only steadied the shot but required far less movement to get my gun up to shoot. Make any movements when the coyote is not looking directly at you.
Before you go out calling make sure you can hit a coyote. Nothing makes calling harder than to call one in and miss. Calm nerves and good old fashioned marksmanship are the 2 most vital skills to killing coyotes in my pinion. Time spent on the range will be a great favor to yourself and a courtesy to other hunters.
Before you go out calling make sure you can hit a coyote. Nothing makes calling harder than to call one in and miss. Calm nerves and good old fashioned marksmanship are the 2 most vital skills to killing coyotes in my pinion. Time spent on the range will be a great favor to yourself and a courtesy to other hunters.
JTPinTX
Member
To me, the biggest factor in success is not sounds or equipment, it is scouting. Scouting entails several aspects.
First off, the most obvious part is that there have to be coyotes in that area. Sounds basic, I know, but it is true. More importantly though, they have to be coyotes that are callable. If you, or someone else, is calling the crap out of that area, they may be call shy. In that case it doesn't matter if they are there, is it either going to take alot of skill or luck to get them. Not a situation you want to be placing yourself in as a new caller. Work on finding ground that has coyotes that don't take a PHD to kill. Lots of virgin ground trumps equipment any day.
The next phase of scouting is locating stand sites. Do some driving around like the rancher does, not calling, shooting or disrupting the animals, and figure out good stand sites. At a good stand site your vehicle should be hidden well, and your route in and out should be quiet and not expose you. A coyote that has seen or heard you or your vehicle coming in is a tons harder to call. Set up with the wind in mind. Most coyotes will try and circle downwind. I try and place my "kill zone" downwind of the sound source, either me or the machine. I set up so I can kill them before they get there. If I can whack them before they ever try to start circling, that is even better. Young ones often will run straight in. Great, kill them, gift horse. More wise coyotes will try and check things out first.
Think of it this way. Older more seasoned coyotes often operate under the "trust but verify," pattern. Their ears tell them something is there worth investigating, but they are going to verify before they blindly commit. They will usually try do this with eyes or nose, or both! Sometimes they will sit on a hill 300-600 yds away and watch. Anything out of the ordinary, they are done. Sometimes they will circle to smell the situation out. Either way you can attempt to plan for these things, and use them to your advantage. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But always make dang sure you can see good downwind, or I promise you, you are losing coyotes. You might not know you are, but you are.
Think fewer stands, but better stands. You will kill more, and educate less. For sure this is the way to go if you have limited acreage to call.
First off, the most obvious part is that there have to be coyotes in that area. Sounds basic, I know, but it is true. More importantly though, they have to be coyotes that are callable. If you, or someone else, is calling the crap out of that area, they may be call shy. In that case it doesn't matter if they are there, is it either going to take alot of skill or luck to get them. Not a situation you want to be placing yourself in as a new caller. Work on finding ground that has coyotes that don't take a PHD to kill. Lots of virgin ground trumps equipment any day.
The next phase of scouting is locating stand sites. Do some driving around like the rancher does, not calling, shooting or disrupting the animals, and figure out good stand sites. At a good stand site your vehicle should be hidden well, and your route in and out should be quiet and not expose you. A coyote that has seen or heard you or your vehicle coming in is a tons harder to call. Set up with the wind in mind. Most coyotes will try and circle downwind. I try and place my "kill zone" downwind of the sound source, either me or the machine. I set up so I can kill them before they get there. If I can whack them before they ever try to start circling, that is even better. Young ones often will run straight in. Great, kill them, gift horse. More wise coyotes will try and check things out first.
Think of it this way. Older more seasoned coyotes often operate under the "trust but verify," pattern. Their ears tell them something is there worth investigating, but they are going to verify before they blindly commit. They will usually try do this with eyes or nose, or both! Sometimes they will sit on a hill 300-600 yds away and watch. Anything out of the ordinary, they are done. Sometimes they will circle to smell the situation out. Either way you can attempt to plan for these things, and use them to your advantage. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But always make dang sure you can see good downwind, or I promise you, you are losing coyotes. You might not know you are, but you are.
Think fewer stands, but better stands. You will kill more, and educate less. For sure this is the way to go if you have limited acreage to call.
Unofficial Gun Addict (UGA)
Well-Known Member
Let me tack on to what JTP said... What is a good stand? For me, it definitely involves wind movement in the area you hunt. One day... Your location might be great for a stand... and the next, if the wind is moving in a different direction, might be a total waste (and if you use it on that bad day... You might spoil it for later). So what differentiates a good place versus a bad. For me... I prefer to have my sound faced directly into the wind and the wind either coming at me from a forward angle either left or right, or straight on. I have found cross winds tricky (wind moving left to right or vice versa) but doable if you have a gut feeling that there are mutts upwind. Don't waste your time trying downwind dogs until you have a lot of experience. I've known some that can and have pulled it off... But it's a distance game and tricky, dramatically reducing your odds. I make sure the wind is in my favor or I generally pass.
So... Next it comes to vantage. You can't shoot what you can't see. If it's incredibly flat terrain and you have tall brush (like our last outing), it's very difficult to see them coming in or catch movement to identify that they are even there. Yotes, especially seasoned mutts, are perceptive... And their ears, eyes and nose are amped up beyond what we can possibly imagine. This makes them tough opponents. Find a place that gives you decent visibility of possible entries into your stand or of a wide area below where you can see movement as they try coming in to check things out. Use a rangefinder to mark distances for certain points so you know what's shootable without having to grab your range finder in the heat of the moment. This can be done prior to turning on your call.
A good stand will provide you with cover, something that you can use to blend into the environment so that the coyotes will not tag you as a possible threat. It's better to sit in front of your cover than behind it.... Sun at your back is always one of my favorites, but as long as you have good breakup camo, have your face and hands covered, and limit movement, you can be pretty effective with most low positions (sitting or prone) that have any kind of brush, fences, etc that you can saddle up to (just don't pick a spot where your head and torso break the skyline as you'll be busted in a heartbeat).
Note... Your decoy is good to keep interested Yotes, that have come to check out your calls, something to focus on other than you. This allows you to have more options to move around a little more than if you are just using a hand call with no decoy, but don't get too cocky! Mutts have good eyes and even if they are focused on a decoy, if you move too much, they're apt to notice... and then that's it. I try to move or shift as slowly as I can when they are moving, but when they stop... if I'm not taking a shot, I hold pretty much absolutely still, and then move once they start moving again.
Lastly, look for sign, scat, tracks, etc while you are scouting, but don't forget that you can also go out late in the evening and use a siren to howl up mutts and figure out if there are any in the vicinity. If you find a potential stand but aren't sure whether there are dogs there... get about 3/4 to a mile plus away and run a siren call at high volume from outside your vehicle. If they are out there, they will likely reply... Which can allow you to locate where they are just by turning your head this way and that to determine from which direction they are responding from. Lastly...they are loud and sound closer than they usually are... And a few mutts can sound like a huge pack. It's definitely not like the movies!! They make some weird noises, but definitely helps to distinguish them from neighbors pets! I mean, let control is a good thing, but I'm pretty sure that blasting the local chihuahuas won't do anything for your popularity or endear hunters to those that are still one the fence!!
Just go out a lot. You'll find some tips of your own and learn a lot of what works... And what doesn't. Hunting mutts is more fun than deer or elk in my opinion, so just go out and keep at it!! Don't let a string of bad stands discourage you. If you stick with it... You'll be posting mutts tagged!! ...To which I'll reply.... Sweet! Well done man!!
So... Next it comes to vantage. You can't shoot what you can't see. If it's incredibly flat terrain and you have tall brush (like our last outing), it's very difficult to see them coming in or catch movement to identify that they are even there. Yotes, especially seasoned mutts, are perceptive... And their ears, eyes and nose are amped up beyond what we can possibly imagine. This makes them tough opponents. Find a place that gives you decent visibility of possible entries into your stand or of a wide area below where you can see movement as they try coming in to check things out. Use a rangefinder to mark distances for certain points so you know what's shootable without having to grab your range finder in the heat of the moment. This can be done prior to turning on your call.
A good stand will provide you with cover, something that you can use to blend into the environment so that the coyotes will not tag you as a possible threat. It's better to sit in front of your cover than behind it.... Sun at your back is always one of my favorites, but as long as you have good breakup camo, have your face and hands covered, and limit movement, you can be pretty effective with most low positions (sitting or prone) that have any kind of brush, fences, etc that you can saddle up to (just don't pick a spot where your head and torso break the skyline as you'll be busted in a heartbeat).
Note... Your decoy is good to keep interested Yotes, that have come to check out your calls, something to focus on other than you. This allows you to have more options to move around a little more than if you are just using a hand call with no decoy, but don't get too cocky! Mutts have good eyes and even if they are focused on a decoy, if you move too much, they're apt to notice... and then that's it. I try to move or shift as slowly as I can when they are moving, but when they stop... if I'm not taking a shot, I hold pretty much absolutely still, and then move once they start moving again.
Lastly, look for sign, scat, tracks, etc while you are scouting, but don't forget that you can also go out late in the evening and use a siren to howl up mutts and figure out if there are any in the vicinity. If you find a potential stand but aren't sure whether there are dogs there... get about 3/4 to a mile plus away and run a siren call at high volume from outside your vehicle. If they are out there, they will likely reply... Which can allow you to locate where they are just by turning your head this way and that to determine from which direction they are responding from. Lastly...they are loud and sound closer than they usually are... And a few mutts can sound like a huge pack. It's definitely not like the movies!! They make some weird noises, but definitely helps to distinguish them from neighbors pets! I mean, let control is a good thing, but I'm pretty sure that blasting the local chihuahuas won't do anything for your popularity or endear hunters to those that are still one the fence!!
Just go out a lot. You'll find some tips of your own and learn a lot of what works... And what doesn't. Hunting mutts is more fun than deer or elk in my opinion, so just go out and keep at it!! Don't let a string of bad stands discourage you. If you stick with it... You'll be posting mutts tagged!! ...To which I'll reply.... Sweet! Well done man!!
JTPinTX
Member
^^^^
Good post.
edit to add: Remember that when coyote calling anything can happen. Sometimes (a lot!) you do everything right and it doesn't work. But the converse is also true. There are days that even on some sketchy stands it seems like there is a coyote behind every bush. You just don't know. All you can do is get out there and try it. You will have bad days, average days, and some that are just awesome!
Good post.
edit to add: Remember that when coyote calling anything can happen. Sometimes (a lot!) you do everything right and it doesn't work. But the converse is also true. There are days that even on some sketchy stands it seems like there is a coyote behind every bush. You just don't know. All you can do is get out there and try it. You will have bad days, average days, and some that are just awesome!
The replies you've gotten from these guys already is invaluable. I also know that as anew caller you won't yet be able to appreciate everything stated here. Come back and read this thread again after you've been out a number of times and more of it will begin to make sense. If there was one thing stated that I'll reinforce for you, it is being able to monitor your downwind side. Titus' Rule is, "Make them show themselves if they want the wind." Good luck out there!
threejones
Well-Known Member
^^^ All great points. The one thing that's been understated so far is this- Keep at it, keep at it, keep at it, keep at it!!!! It's toughest to bring in that first one (I'd bet it took me over 20 empty stands before I finally called one in) If you learn what you could have done a little better on each stand, don't let history repeat itself, and are willing to keep at it even after a few empty sets, good things will happen.
ok here it is, this is for the new guys, the only scientific research paper on the coyote
coyote 101 by Dr. Charles Shawley
Predators_West - coyote 101
coyote 101 by Dr. Charles Shawley
Predators_West - coyote 101
