Coyote Calls

[StickFish]

Anyone have some suggestions. Might be headed out to our Elk hunting area next month to wack some Coyotes for the rancher. Anyone have some good calls to use that are easy for a lame brain computer geek who can shoot [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

[skein]

The Sceery cottontail is my bread and butter call, with a Faulks call in second place. Both are easy to blow and get the 'yotes interested pronto.

The secret, though, is emotion. I know it sounds silly, but "become the rabbit."

After I've moved into a setup and while I'm waiting for things to settle down (2 or 3 minutes) I think about a rabbit who is jumped by some nasty critter and imagine the sequence of events:

He's jumped and cries out in FEAR!
He gets away but cries out again - think "Oh no!" or "Help me, help me, help me!" Be FRANTIC!
Then he gets caught and cries out in FEAR and PAIN!
Then he's getting shaken and ripped and cries out in PAIN!
Now he's weakening and his cries lack the strength or volume that his earlier cries had.

Remember - a rabbit has little bitty lungs, so his screams aren't like ours. We can go "sssccccrrrreeeeaaaammmmm," but he's much more likely to go "scrm - scrm - scrm." Get the idea?

Repeat as needed - although I usually tone down the longer I'm on the stand.

Be sure to use camo and BE STILL. More setups are blown by twitching or repositioning than because of poor calling. Your hands, for example, while you're working the call, can be flags to a predator. Keep 'em camo'd and don't look like a trombone player in the marching band.

Pretty fun stuff - but can be addicting.

Skein

[ 11-26-2003, 08:31 AM: Message edited by: skein ]

[Grantspastor]

Man Skein! I started to feel like that rabbit just reading about it!

[Birdnest]

Nice post Skein.

I grew up hunting varmints, most of it was night calling with electronic calls. My dad actually marketed a brand in the 80's, Critter Call, that was bought out by Johnny Stewart.

Day calling is a whole different animal. There is a caller, FoxPro, that has several digital sounds on it's hard drive. Nothing like watching a set of eyes come in...oh wait, flip the tape, clunk, clunk...hey where did that pesky varmint go?

You can also activate these remotely which is absolutely critical in day calling. You want to be in your stand BEFORE you make a peep.

Whether it be a mouth or an electronic call I think the number one mistake people make calling in the day is they call tooooooo long. You create a nice scene like Skein mentioned above and put that call away and get your smoke stick ready. It just doesn't seem to work like a night call, where you can call for 10-15 minutes and really work one in.

Hope this helps.

Joe

[ 11-26-2003, 08:54 AM: Message edited by: Birdnest ]

[Grantspastor]

I called one in late one night at my house from my back porch. I was trying to get my dog "Truffles" to hurry and go potty. I think I said something like "hurry up you stupid mutt" and one came bounding out of the woods and ran right up to my horrified dog.

[skein]

GP,

LOL

I'll have to add that to my repertoire.

Skein

[Perfect Drift]

Never tried 'Yote huntin', could you set up the scene for us? Do you set up in a tree stand, on the ground, really like to hear more details on the set up and the type of area you might look for. At what range would you take the shot and 'just how close will they come in'. Is there any danger in this, like not seein them coming in and wow, there right next to you. How much do you have to play the wind, is that an issue? If you wouldn't mind setting the scene a bit.

[skein]

Oh man, Perfect Drift, don't get me started. Actually, we need someone else to chime in here, lots of someones....

What I look for in a setup?

First thing is sign, tracks or scat that look fairly fresh. No use singing to an empty auditorium. On the east side that very often means water is nearby. A water hole, guzzler, or stock tank will almost always have coyote sign around it, so I give those areas special attention.

Then I look for a place to hide my vehicle. They aren't too excited about a rabbit if they've got to have one eye watching that truck. Trucks shoot at them a lot, so they are really shy if they can see it.

Next is a field of view. That can be up on a hillside or down in a draw, but you need a place you can see from. A coyote usually won't climb too far to see what's going on, so perching on a rimrock may give you good visibility, but it seems they don't think it's worth the effort to go bounding up there. I like a place that's maybe 12 feet higher than the surrounding area, low enough to not deter them, but high enough to see over the sagebrush or bushes. I also like to set up down in a draw where I can watch the rises around me. Lots of times they come right to you down the draw. On the west side, fences are a great highway, as are skid roads or fire breaks.

The hiding place. I like to sit IN FRONT of a bush rather than behind it. The branches behind you will break up your outline and conceal you almost as good as being behind one, but without the hinderence of trying to shoot through limbs and leaves. I also try to get in the shadow as much as possible since that also breaks up your outline. One other thing. If you are right handed, sit so that you are facing at right angles to the path you expect them to come in on. I can swing easily to the left, but am much more limited swinging right. If I'm facing their likely path and they come in to the right of it, I almost always have to shift to get my sights on them. Movement often equals blown opportunities.

Wind. They WILL use the wind. They will almost always circle to get downwind so select a couple of shooting lanes that allow you to get on them before they get your scent.

Slip into your stand as quietly as possible. That means NO talking to your buddy, or working the action on your rifle, or any of the myriad of "city sounds" we accept so readily. DO NOT allow yourself to get silhouetted on the skyline. They make their living with their ears and eyes, and aren't likely to miss much in their neighborhood. Also, make yourself comfortable when you sit down. It's hard to sit still when your legs are going to sleep.

Be ready. I've had them bound up to me before I get the second set of notes out. Don't hurry either. I've have them sneak in until I was ready to call it quits only to see them standing out there 35 yards away when I stand up.

Don't give up. If your first stands don't get you a score, don't feel like you can't do it and quit. Keep trying, and when that first dog comes in, you'll get a rush you won't quickly forget.

Okay, that's all I know. Where's Birdnest. He's got lots of experience. Let's let him talk for a while. My fingers are tired.

I tell ya, though. It never gets old. Never.

Skein

[Perfect Drift]

Skein, you're awesome !! I have a place in mind, a water hole, the only water for several miles around. State land, on the east side. Wondering about how to set up though. It's a draw with this little pond, open on one side with a row of brush just up from the pond. The other side goes up with scattered trees and then turns thick with trees. I know the land owner of this pond that is surrounded by state land. Several large pine trees very close by with a great view. We've heard the dogs many times while there off in the distance. Would it be better to set up near the water in winter or say on the edge of a large farm field?

[TonTo]

I am by no meens an expert or even attempting to sound like one.My only confirmed coyote kill was acheived with the differential of my Ford Bronco,but thats another story.But I like to go out and talk to the coyotes from time to time.I use a Primus mini mag howler and go out at night just to see if I can strike up a conversation,sometimes they answer but I found sometimes they will just come running to have a look at ya.Last year I was sitting on a dead end logging road in my Bronco(old style)with the doors removed,had my .22 and a 2D cell flashlight,and tryed to start a coyote chat session,no answer,so I try another locater type call,hoot,hoot,...howel,before I realized they were coming in I could hear em all around me in the jack fir that surounded the end of the road.I could hear heavy panting,must have been running pretty hard,and when I shone my cheap mill issue flashlight around noticed more than a few sets of eyes looking back,those little buggars get pretty brave in the cover of darkness.I got kind of a hollow feeling all of a sudden and realized I had no doors to hide behind so I ended up emtying my clip in a hasty manner and in no one particular direction fired up the Bronco spured the ol'302 and put some distance between me and them.Better prepaired that may have ended out a little better but hey live and learn.I have tryed the rabbit squalls in the daylight but with no luck it's hard to find a good place to sit and call in my neck of the woods where I can see and get a good shot without being found out.But I have managed to get my howler calls answered in the daylight but haven't managed to get em to come in yet.They have a language all their own and the Primus calls come with a cassette that trys to explain some of these,although I still have alot to learn sometimes it's fun just to go out talk to em.

[Rauly]

Yea what Skein said.

Emotion is everything when you call. You can call well by just calling, but if you want to call really well and get more dogs excited and come in make sure you use a lot of emotion. Skein did a great job of discribing it.

Also don't move or make unneeded noise. These will give you away every time. Coyote's seem to have a nack for spoting the slightest movement.

My favorite calls are my Weems Wild calls then my Sceery cottontail. You can't get the Weems anymore but there is a guy in WY. that makes replicas that are great.

Rauly

[Rusty]

I "second" what Skein said about being ready immediately. Case in point.

Yesterday I set up in a field West of Portland and started to call. I hadn't been calling more than 5 SECONDS when here come Mr. Coyote at full charge right towards me! What a rush! Thank goodness I was ready to go because I would have had no time to do anything if I wasn't prepared in advance! Result: Mr. Coyote isn't going to have Thanksgiving this year!


Rusty


Bottom line, use the Boy Scout motto, "Be prepared". :grin: :smile:

[ 11-27-2003, 09:11 AM: Message edited by: Rusty ]

[skein]

Rusty,

I know what you mean. It's awesome when they charge in like that. To get there that fast they must be within 30 feet when you start calling. Unbelievable :shocked:

Perfect Drift,

Sounds like you've got a good place to call. In answer to your question (without seeing the location) I'd suggest setting up in the brush. Brush is more effective breaking up your outline and seems to work better when I'm watching for them. I've never done well sitting up against a tree - of course where I usually hunt, trees are few and far between.

And remember, even if you don't get one there, you're going to learn a lot. Good luck!

Skein

[River Ranger]

I have done well with a howler this time of year.I think this is the time of year they start to pair up.Also when many of the big game are in rut I have found barry white or marvin gaye productive to get those rutting feelings flowing
R.R.

[Perfect Drift]

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience. When I get out, I'll sharing the trip.