First coyote hunt

First time out coyote hunting just last Friday and I wanted to give an update. Quick thanks to Randy Wieland for pointing me in the right direction with some great info. Unfortunately I was unable to put that to great use with a picture of a dead yote on the ground. Never the less the information was great and I’m sure it takes time and hours in the field. This was just about getting out there and giving it a go! Ok so the location and time frame I was hunting might not have been the most ideal. The majority of my hunt was mid-day and the location(s) were limited to only two properties. First set was good cross wind on a fence line connected with some heavy timber that opened up to a field. Waited 10 min. and started calling. Now my e-caller is a pretty cheap Cass Creek unit that sounded OK but I’m not sure on the distance it can reach with the volume limited due to cracking speakers on some of the higher pitch sounds. Speaking of sounds I did not get crazy with this, I just kept it with cottontail in distress type calls. Nothing came in on that set. Second set on the same property but on the other side about 500 yds. I set-up on the shady side of a hill with a good cross wind overlooking a dried up stream bed. Gave that an hour and a half with no signs of coyote. So now second property I was on a fence line with a thicket running the stretch of the fence ending with hardwoods and a cornfield (I apologize I’m not the greatest at giving detailed reports) but all and all nothing there either. I’ll defiantly be out again here soon and give it another shot. Might try to upgrade my caller or try a few hand calls out next time. Next report I’ll try to include pictures.

Keep at it and stay ready. I managed to teach myself the hard way that the thing about coyote hunting is they don’t show up and don’t show up and don’t show up and then they show up. You just never know when.

A coyote has very keen hearing, so whatever the volume sounds like to us, it’s 2-3 times louder to him. I’ve had people tell me that they heard my caller over a half mile away on a cold, calm day, so don’t worry too much about the caller. If they’re out there, they will most likely hear it. You just never know if you’re performing a concert and there’s no audience to hear it.

Don’t worry about upgrading your caller. Keep at it and they will come.

Grouse

Sounds like you were targeting the right type of places and had the correct positioning. It’s a high percentage numbers game. The more sets you make, the more you’ll have an opportunity. Keep your visibility and scent to minimum and stack the odds in your favor.

I was looking around on google earth at the area where your at. That is some tough areas to cover. If there is a pack of 4 coyotes, they could easily be covering 6, 8, or more square miles. A lot of fence lines, residence, and farms in that range. Keep at it, you’ll connect!

We went 0-2 this past Saturday also. I was up north where they still had 6 inches of snow on the ground. We did one really good set right at sunset but nothing came in. I was very hopeful as there was relatively fresh sign on the trail walking in.

We then waited for the moon to rise before hitting our 2nd/go to spot. We no more than walked in and sat down, it clouded up and we couldn’t see squat. Ended the night around 12AM. 2 sits, nothing to show for it. But man was it nice to be out in reasonable temps.

I’m going to go back out tonight after work and try a few sets. How long do you guys give a property that you called with no luck? Should I give it a few days or weeks?

I work on the assumption if no coyotes showed up, there just weren’t any within hearing distance. So I’d have no problem going back tonight and trying again.

Don’t call too loudly at first, work it slow and quiet at first and stay ready. Just because they weren’t there last time…

If I get busted, I’m inclined to leave that area for a long time and hope Mr. Coyote will forget or will associate that experience with the specific location or sounds. This is just personal opinion, but my idea is to avoid giving Mr. Coyote a quick masters degree in everything he should know to avoid a coyote hunter. I want to give him a good long while to forget so hopefully I get him the next time and don’t risk making him even smarter.

Keep trying. They will show up eventually, stay ready.

Grouse

They get smart fast I pinched a toe off of a fox when I trapped years ago,I never got him close to a trap again and he was around for at least 3 years also we had a farm dog that had been caught once, after that he would walk over and around traps to get to the food ,bait,that was put out,cow cleanings and gut piles in the fields, he followed me around hunting and trapping and never stepped in under water traps either!
Stan

I was out calling this weekend and ran across a dozen of these all around the property. A lot of feathers and bones around them too. All and all willy coyote was a no show.

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