Hunting & Fishing Calling Coyotes

mtnkind

mtnkind

PRS#2037
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 12, 2017
137
16
Millcreek, Utah
#1
When calling coyotes with distress calls, how long do you call and how long do you wait between calls? I have been able to get plenty of responses but not much luck getting them to come all the way into shooting range. I generally call for about 20 seconds then go quiet for 5 minutes or so. Should I be calling longer and waiting less in between? Or???

calling in predators is new to me so any info helps. Thanks!
 
#3
I'm just a novice coyote hunter but I don't feel that there are any set instructions that will work all the time. I prefer mouth calls over electronic but they each have their place. Some people running electronics just let them play continuously and others don't. Obviously, I don't blow my mouth calls continuously but will go for a couple minutes before I stop. I'll normally wait a few minutes then start again. Personally, I'd rather the coyote come in while I'm not working the call so it's having to search for the source versus focusing on its exact location. Now with the electronic running, I'd rather have it playing so the dog is focused on it when it comes in as the call is set away from my position. Again, there's no sequence that's going to work every time. Put in the work and you'll figure it out and remember to have fun.
 
#4
I usually call about 30 seconds and go quiet about 2-3 minutes and have fairly good luck. That being said I'm in Texas in an area with very high densities. Might be different in your area.
 
#5
I run my call almost non stop - I randomly give it a 15-30 second break every now and then. I like them being focused on a sound when they arrive. For me, when they arrive on a quiet spot they're REALLY looking around and tend to pick me off more easily. I do play with the volume, ramping it and down from time to time. Also, I usually change sounds about every 5-6 minutes, staying with the same type of sound - like cottontail distress sounds for the whole set.


There are SO many tricks for running sounds and they vary by conditions, season, terrain, part of the country, public/private land, etc. A whole book could be written on just that aspect of predator hunting.


One thing I noticed in your OP is the part about 'getting a response.' What, exactly, are you talking about? If you're getting a bark in response to your distress call, YOU'RE BUSTED! I can't think of a scenario where a response to a distress sound is a good sign. When coyotes hunt they do not make noise. They howl before they hunt and they howl after a successful hunt - never during. I'm guessing you heard barks which is what they do when they locate a threat. They do this to challenge the threat and to ward others of the threat - each has its own bark.


Now, I do use these sounds at time to use the territorial nature of coyotes to bring them in but that's a deliberate act that can only be used during the breeding season and occasionally when they have pups in the den. My guess is that you are not setting up right and they're busting you. Setting up is an art if you're not hunting the wide open plains.


My advice is to find someone locally that's an accomplished caller to teach you. There are plenty of us that are willing to educate others with a real interest. If you can't find someone, go check out Tony Tebbe at PredatorUniversity.com He has a amazing video for new (and seasoned) predator hunters. He also has sounds for sale that are WAY more successful for me. I hunt predators as part of my job and part of my living. Many of the properties I am asked to call have already been worn out with Foxpro and Randy Anderson sounds. Tony's sounds are new to them. But they're flat-out better sounds, IMO. He also offers hunts. They're not cheap but he's a terrific teacher and a few days with him will make you a much better caller.


If you need any specific advice, PM me and I'll give you my number. Always happy to help out a fellow hunter.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#7
Some random thoughts:

- If hunting during the day, remember coyotes will probably see you before you see them, especially if you don't take care to not make a ton of noise and do dumb things like skyline yourself against the top of that hill you just walked over to get to where you are going to set up.

- Wind, wind and wind. Learn where it comes from, where to set up and where not to be.

- Don't give up. Biggest mistake people make is they don't see one after 10-15 minutes and they get up and move. Not only is that nowhere near how long it COULD take, you are now also screwing up the current territory you are in and now need to possibly move pretty far for the next stand.

- It can take 45 minutes to call that coyote up to you.

- You may not see a coyote, but that doesn't mean hes not there. At night with nightvision and IR, I've seen exactly how crafty they are going from cover to cover, taking side trails down washes you can't see and then just deciding to sit in a bush for 5 minutes.

- Remember that coyotes have territories (there are obviously exemptions to this; ie, mating season). It's been estimated they are roughly 1.5 miles square on average but obviously not a perfect grid square. If you're not having any luck, don't just move 400 yards down the road and hope for better luck; you're going to have to relocate quite a bit to possibly get into a new territory.

- Know the time of year and what's going on. This will also influence which calls you use.

- Don't use the same calls all the time. Educated coyotes may be leery of them or have heard them 5000 times already. I've managed to call some in with the most random animal noises on my FoxPro when I was bored and wasn't having luck with the usual things.

- If shooting with a scoped rifle, make sure you set up with as many fields of fire as you can; don't pigeonhole yourself to only seeing one approach when there are a ton more just over the other side of where you are set up.

- When calling, start soft. Don't trumpet it out. Gradually increase volume and then call for 30-45 seconds, wait 3-4 minutes, call 30-45 seconds.
 
#8
TheGerman said:
Some random thoughts:

- If hunting during the day, remember coyotes will probably see you before you see them, especially if you don't take care to not make a ton of noise and do dumb things like skyline yourself against the top of that hill you just walked over to get to where you are going to set up.

- Wind, wind and wind. Learn where it comes from, where to set up and where not to be.

- Don't give up. Biggest mistake people make is they don't see one after 10-15 minutes and they get up and move. Not only is that nowhere near how long it COULD take, you are now also screwing up the current territory you are in and now need to possibly move pretty far for the next stand.

- It can take 45 minutes to call that coyote up to you.

- You may not see a coyote, but that doesn't mean hes not there. At night with nightvision and IR, I've seen exactly how crafty they are going from cover to cover, taking side trails down washes you can't see and then just deciding to sit in a bush for 5 minutes.

- Remember that coyotes have territories (there are obviously exemptions to this; ie, mating season). It's been estimated they are roughly 1.5 miles square on average but obviously not a perfect grid square. If you're not having any luck, don't just move 400 yards down the road and hope for better luck; you're going to have to relocate quite a bit to possibly get into a new territory.

- Know the time of year and what's going on. This will also influence which calls you use.

- Don't use the same calls all the time. Educated coyotes may be leery of them or have heard them 5000 times already. I've managed to call some in with the most random animal noises on my FoxPro when I was bored and wasn't having luck with the usual things.

- If shooting with a scoped rifle, make sure you set up with as many fields of fire as you can; don't pigeonhole yourself to only seeing one approach when there are a ton more just over the other side of where you are set up.

- When calling, start soft. Don't trumpet it out. Gradually increase volume and then call for 30-45 seconds, wait 3-4 minutes, call 30-45 seconds.
Click to expand...
-
They can be be pretty crafty and take there time ( long time ) especially if there wise to be hunted and have probably, or maybe seen one of there running buddies getting Lead .
I have sat for more than an hour working a call off and on, working an area that I know there are Coyote . Long sits when I was just about to bag-up all the gear and call it quits . have had Dogs come-in and get my bullet .

( Time of the Year ) . for me I treat it all the same for calling, Except 'my general rule' for my area . After Thanksgiving to 1st day of Spring . That is where (imho) I see a difference in there habits of reacting to and coming into the Call . I just chalk it up to them Breeding . Plus I think ( late Fall / Winter ) there normal hunting attitude and food supply turns a 180 on the rodents, mice, rabbit etc.
They still will come in but it feels a little different that the rest of the year, and I think a little harder also with it taking more time/patience on my part with calling . I do more hand-call that time of year . Also worked-up 'female estrus chirps' on a open-reed howler that brought a few Dogs in .
.


 
#9
On a normal stand. I use electronic calls and a sit and spin rabbit decoy. I will play it for 3-4 minutes and then go quite for 2-3 minutes. And after about 3 call sequences if I've had no luck I'll change from a rabbit distress call to a bird distress call. Everyone does it different ways. This way has worked best for me.
 
#10
The only way I get them is I collect used deep fat fryer oil from a local seafood shack. Then collect fat scraps from the meat section of the grocery store. Let sit in a sealed 5 gal container for one week. RANCID smelling stuff. Buzzards will show up if placed out to early. I find one hour before sunset works. Verify predicted wind direction. Set up shop 2 - 300 yards away in a concealed hide at the edge of the swamp. Rig mosquito netting use call for 15 seconds wait 5 min and repeat. Focus thermal scope, lock in tripod and scan.
 
#13
Some useful info here. Tried my first coyote hunt this morning and saw nothing.. it was drizzling rain the entire time and somewhat windy so I felt like my call range wasn't far enough. I just grabbed a Johnny Stewart GS2 on clearance to give it a try.

Anyone use a similar electronic call and can comment on range?
 
#15
How far can you really expect the sound to travel from one of the entry level calls? For instance, I'm set up in a field with approximately 600yds of shooting distance. Trying to figure out if they can even hear it that far away or if I need to set up closer to the wood line.

I would prefer to see to see them coming at distance and take a longer shot but I have doubts that will work without a much larger speaker.
 
#17
Rerun7 said:
How far can you really expect the sound to travel from one of the entry level calls? For instance, I'm set up in a field with approximately 600yds of shooting distance. Trying to figure out if they can even hear it that far away or if I need to set up closer to the wood line.

I would prefer to see to see them coming at distance and take a longer shot but I have doubts that will work without a much larger speaker.
Click to expand...

They can hear you. I have seen them hear a safety click off from around 100y. The thing with the cheaper calls, IMO, lots people get them and educate coyotes with them. Then the coyotes remember the calls. I ran one of the PRIMOS calls for a while. I had great success with it in my area for a couple years. Then one day the local sporting store had them on the shelf. The next year, I stopped getting very many responses to it. I was talking to the owner one day and the said he sold several of them. I asked if any of the buyers knew how to hunt and he laughed. I moved to the cheapest fox pro to get more sounds.

The weird thing is, I think everyone in the world has on of those Cerce, green colored jack rabbit distress calls, and they work still.
 
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#18
CBDR said:
The only way I get them is I collect used deep fat fryer oil from a local seafood shack. Then collect fat scraps from the meat section of the grocery store. Let sit in a sealed 5 gal container for one week. RANCID smelling stuff. Buzzards will show up if placed out to early. I find one hour before sunset works. Verify predicted wind direction. Set up shop 2 - 300 yards away in a concealed hide at the edge of the swamp. Rig mosquito netting use call for 15 seconds wait 5 min and repeat. Focus thermal scope, lock in tripod and scan.
Click to expand...

Anyone who wants to do this needs to check their local regulations. It is illegal in most states.
 
#21
Biggest Coywolf I ever killed was the first time I went turkey hunting with no clue how to call. I must have been scratching on that gobble box for 40 minutes straight. Heard a twig pop and watched him stalk in on me. Having only a light turkey load I had to wait till he was close. At 10 feet, he took my whole load right in the face.
 
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#22
Happy to report I was able to take my first Coyote and got a good story out of it to boot.

I was out hunting Prairie Dogs with a few friends this morning when we noticed a Pronghorn and its fawn running across an open field, 400-500 yards out. We all took a second to just have a look and cease fire to not disturb them much. After a few moments I noticed that it was no fawn, but a coyote (the mad rush for the .223 begins now haha). Crazy part is, that damn Pronghorn was chasing the coyote down, I assume to protect a fawn nearby. Once they reached a fence the coyote crossed over while the pronghorn remained. The coyote then moved onto a slight rise at about 150 yards where I was able to put a shot on him.

It all lasted about 3 minutes total, if that. But was just amazing to watch.

It was only one valley over from where I was trying to call them earlier this year, so it gave me some confidence that I could call one in out there. Plus this valley has a few good cover options I didn't have at my original location. Gonna head back out next week sometime and give calling a try out there. I will put what tips you guys have given into action and see how it goes.

My first experience like this so I just wanted to share haha
 
#23
mtnkind said:
Happy to report I was able to take my first Coyote and got a good story out of it to boot.

I was out hunting Prairie Dogs with a few friends this morning when we noticed a Pronghorn and its fawn running across an open field, 400-500 yards out. We all took a second to just have a look and cease fire to not disturb them much. After a few moments I noticed that it was no fawn, but a coyote (the mad rush for the .223 begins now haha). Crazy part is, that damn Pronghorn was chasing the coyote down, I assume to protect a fawn nearby. Once they reached a fence the coyote crossed over while the pronghorn remained. The coyote then moved onto a slight rise at about 150 yards where I was able to put a shot on him.

It all lasted about 3 minutes total, if that. But was just amazing to watch.

It was only one valley over from where I was trying to call them earlier this year, so it gave me some confidence that I could call one in out there. Plus this valley has a few good cover options I didn't have at my original location. Gonna head back out next week sometime and give calling a try out there. I will put what tips you guys have given into action and see how it goes.

My first experience like this so I just wanted to share haha
Click to expand...

If you are sneaky and call them, they will come. I think people get hung up on getting too far in sometimes when they call. The farther you walk through the country you want to call, the more chances of walking up, scaring up, or getting busted by a coyote. Stay low, creek bottoms and gullies. Never sky line. You can choose almost any piece of land in the U.S and there will be an abundant coyote population, anywhere there are pronghorns anyway.

I had a place over a prairie dog town I would call for a while. When nothing would show up, I would shoot some prairie dogs and leave. One day, after that on the way out of the spot, I passed my dad on the way in. It was actually a pretty long walk to this spot it it took about half an hour to 45 minutes to get there. I told my dad I had called the spot then shot some prairie dogs. I told him jokingly, the coyotes had stopped responding to calls at that spot, but probably only came in after hearing gun fire, like a dinner bell. I had actually run this spot several times in one year, I don't really suggest doing that for a high rate of success, but there were a ton of dogs with mange in the area I was trying to clear out. When he got there he shot 2 coyotes eating prairie dogs, they must like ground meat. I guess I should have shot and waited. I have had foxes come in and take prairie dogs while I was shooting before.

 
#24
Here in NC I run my call non stop through its cycle. Ill sit in one spot for 30-40 minutes. If nothing happens I move at least 2 miles away and start all over again. I have had most of my luck in the late morning with my electronic call. I have several mouth calls that have worked as well. The cottontail in distress seems to work best here in eastern NC. I do most of my hunting on Fort Bragg. I get as close to the impact areas that are off limits and set up. Some Cats and yotes have come in in under a minute of calling. Scent control is the key and always leave your down wind side open. Here they seem to try and circle the decoy and call by coming in down wind.
 
#25
Went out last night, Did a couple calls . Popped the cherry on the new .25x45 w/ 87grn. Speer's and got a Dog with it . Just used the standard #31 (lightning jack) on the foxpro . made 2 calls, 5 minutes apart and kept them about 30-second run time each .
Open field . No Moon and black. ( was 12:50 am ) on the clock . I was using tripod with rifle on it, (set knee height) on my knees for the shot . It was just to open to stand-up and take a chance on getting back-lite/silhouette . I stand-up and call and do the scanning . but as soon as I get a dog on the visual, I get lower and set up for shot .

About 3 or 4 minutes after the last call . Had a Sly BIG bastard come-in about 200+ yard out, and do about 270deg. slow trot around me .Definitely nice big mature body, but never would totally commit to the run-in, so it was also real smart dog on the survival instincts .
I realizing I was DumbAssing out obsessing far to much time on the big body dog, I turned around to quick scan and sure as shit I had a dog in my blind spot pacing by while his big alpha buddy was circling me and jerking my chain . I never noticed his running partner that came in on a blind spot . So I swung around the rifle/tripod and did a couple verbal barks to get him to finally stop and popped him about 125 yard out . Checking it out before looping his rear feet with 550 cord and doing the long drag out of there . was a young male and about 2 year and not as wise as his old elder dog he was running with .
.
 
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