Tips for new callers / hunters

Any quick tips for new predator callers? I know to watch the wind.

New to the sport myself, been reading up, just ordered a hand crank siren, going to take it out and about, to see if I can get some to howl. Cant kill something if you cant find them.

Here is one of the seminars I do for Cabelas. Its an hour, so obviously get some popcorn and beverage. Tons of good info in there for calls and locations

Coyote Seminar (video)

Couldn’t load you link, will go to the forum. Thanks Mr. W

Don’t burn out the spots you have permission on.

Don’t buy into what works on TV hunting shows.

I spent about 2 years trying to call coyotes the way I saw it done on the predator hunting shows. You set up on the edge of a big, open area with a rifle and with a good view and the coyotes trot happily across the wide-open spaces from 2 miles away to stand there and get shot, right?

What I found out from other experienced hunters and from my own experience was that there are MAJOR differences in what works and doesn’t work in a given area. I found out that the Eastern coyotes I’m hunting are almost a different species from the Western coyotes I saw on TV shows. Eastern coyotes are much more wary and will seldom, or in some areas will never, cross open ground no matter how pathetic the sounds are from the dying critter at the other side.

So my standard setup couldn’t be more different from what’s seen on TV. I usually carry only a shotgun and I expect to only see the coyotes as they come roaring in on top of the call. I also have to assume I’m being watched at all times, so none of this whispering and talking to my partner, a coyote could be 20 yards away and watching me at any time.

Also, don’t play the call so loud and don’t assume a sound won’t work because a given critter doesn’t “live around here”. One of my best calls is the jackrabbit sound even though there are none of them within 200 miles of where I hunt.

Grouse

How do deal with the crunchy snow while trying to sneak into an area?

Tom schmitt wrote:

How do deal with the crunchy snow while trying to sneak into an area?

The only thing that I’ve found that works is that I’ve had a friend drive his snow machine into my favorite stand sites a day or two before I want to hunt them. Then I walk in on the snow machine track, which is much quieter. This also helps with the deep snow.

Aside from that I don’t think there’s a good answer. You just have to hope that the coyotes are out of hearing distance and don’t hear your approach.

Grouse

We hunt in pairs. First few times out many years ago we had coyotes bounce out of the brush within a few yards of our set up. Since we were both carrying varmint rifles it was tough to hit them. Afterwards it was one with a rifle, one with a shotgun loaded with #4 buck. That way both ranges are covered.

Brad Dimond wrote:

We hunt in pairs. First few times out many years ago we had coyotes bounce out of the brush within a few yards of our set up. Since we were both carrying varmint rifles it was tough to hit them.

Well, I’m glad I’m not the only one.

I did exactly the same thing, sat with a rifle like they do on all the TV shows. My father and I had the most fantastic cluster #### you’ve ever seen when I hit the “call” button and within about 15 seconds two coyotes came roaring over the top of the decoy. He was facing the wrong way, I crapped my drawers that it actually worked and in the process missed the first shot in an epic fail. Then the coyotes ran into each other and got tangled up in some baling twine that was laying on the ground, I cycled the action and shot over them again…

In the end, I must report that absolutely no coyotes were harmed in the making of THAT cluster ####. What a bleepshow.

I carry a shotgun all the time now. Haven’t missed any coyote that got within 50 yards. As I like to say, with a shotgun even I can hit them almost some of the time.

Grouse

It gets darn exciting when they pile in unexpectedly!

Good stuff guys!

I have a little 20 ga Ithaca side by side, with some 3 buck.. coyote medicine?

That will do the trick, make sure they are in range.

Good old buckshot work?

catmando wrote:

I have a little 20 ga Ithaca side by side, with some 3 buck.. coyote medicine?

Darell Golly wrote:

Good old buckshot work?

It works, but I’m not a fan. Sounds good in theory, but the pellet count especially in the most common 00 is very low. 7 to 13 pellets in a 12 ga.

I had issues with coyotes taking hits, but it’s easy with that few pellets to have situations where just by bad luck multiple pellets hit, but in non-fatal areas and then it’s off on a chase. There’s just a lot more of a bad luck factor when you’re only sending about a dozen pellets.

I switched to Hornady’s Dead Coyote loads in nickel-plated lead and BB shot size, and there’s no more slipping through the patterns from these babies. It absolutely SCALDS them.

Obviously shoot ’em if you’ve got ’em, but if you’re buying ammo for coyotes, I personally would buy a smaller shot size to increase pellet count.

Grouse

Randy, I will watch your video, thanks for sharing. How does everyone use decoys and any suggestions on brand, type etc? Use them all the time, some of the time or never? I am novice at this but have the lands and permission to do so. Went out a couple times last year and saw one at a distance that never committed the first time out, exciting to see though. Want to keep on trying! From the comments, seems I will need to bring the shot gun with.

weedis wrote:

How does everyone use decoys and any suggestions on brand, type etc? Use them all the time, some of the time or never?

Everyone’s habitat and conditions are different. I hunt coyotes from in the mountains in Colorado, rolling hills of Wyoming, Kansas,NE,…to back here in WI. Arguably, there is a lot of similarities in how they respond across everywhere I hunt.
By far the hardest areas to hunt are the dense wooded/swamp lands of the upper midwest. In my opinion, two factors are the game changers for making it so hard. First, food is much more plentiful here in the midwest Vs the plains states. Here locally to me, they don’t range anywhere as much as they do out west. Rabbits, mice…are all in a short range. Pretty difficult to draw in a coyote with a full tummy. Second is the terrain. Having so much cover allows them to sneak in so often undetected. From over the years, I can’t begin to count the hundreds of times I’ve crossed fresh tracks that circled me, came up to me, or was able to sneak around down wind and get the best of me. So often guys here in the upper midwest will call in a yote and never even know it.

So to answer your question on decoys, its a roll of the dice. For me personally, its a tool to lure them into an opening. Its a visual stimulation to hopefully get them to let their guard down just enough to walk out into the open. However, sometimes that can backfire. You need to walk out into the opening to place a decoy. So now you risk more human scent, sound, and possibly be seen. I have rag pelts from muskrats that I use on a short fiberglass rod. Just holds it up enough to be seen and the wind can move it.

If the circumstances are right that I can place a decoy in a small meadow or field with no detection, yes I do it. If the wind is not right or other factors tell me not to risk it, then no.

Just revisited this thread, wanted to add to my comment above about shotgun loads. #4 buckshot has 41 pellets in the Remington 3″ magnum load. Very good coverage out to 50 yards and plenty of killing power.

Randy Wieland wrote:

By far the hardest areas to hunt are the dense wooded/swamp lands of the upper midwest. In my opinion, two factors are the game changers for making it so hard. First, food is much more plentiful here in the midwest Vs the plains states. Here locally to me, they don’t range anywhere as much as they do out west. Rabbits, mice…are all in a short range. Pretty difficult to draw in a coyote with a full tummy. Second is the terrain. Having so much cover allows them to sneak in so often undetected. From over the years, I can’t begin to count the hundreds of times I’ve crossed fresh tracks that circled me, came up to me, or was able to sneak around down wind and get the best of me. So often guys here in the upper midwest will call in a yote and never even know it.

This has been my experience as well.

Also, the coyotes in eastern MN seem to be very hesitant to ever come out in the open, even something like a wooded fenceline. They seem to want to be in cover all the time.

Also, compared to the west, the midwest has a lot of roads and I think a combination of road-callers and people shooting off of roads makes coyotes learn quickly that being caught in the open = getting shot at.

Regarding decoys, with as wary as the eastern coyotes seem to be where I hunt, I have tried the Mojo Critter extensively and my thinking is it seems to do little good. My theory is a super-wary coyote that sees a sudden movement just has yet another excuse to run for the hills. I’m not sold on these types of decoys at all.

I have not tried life-size decoys, so they may be a good option or not, no experience there.

Grouse

I’ve had coyotes come after my hen decoy while turkey hunting near Frontenac. They were wary, stayed pretty far out. I put some 5 shot into a couple, they ran off but seemed unhappy. Farmers who grant us permission to hunt usually add the condition that we pop any coyotes we see.

Observations on farm country vs. western coyotes ring true with me. In Wright County they pop out of cover, rarely seen in pastures and are very call savvy. Out west, Dickinson, ND pheasant hunts see them in the field. Always carry a Mini-14 for the opportunistic shot.

Thanks for all the great info everyone. It’s nice to get it from some seasoned vets to help on the learning curve but end of the day I gotta get out, see what happens, and figure out what will work. The areas I will be hunting is mainly ag land in the Sauk rapids area with pockets of thick cover, which is where I hear them most of time. Most of these pockets are surrounded by fields so I should be able to have good set ups no matter the wind but I will have to figure out good routes for walking in as it’s pretty open, especially now with no crops in. Anyone ever have yotes come out at a distance and start talking back to a call? First time ever out we had one about 300 yards away in an open field talking back to us. It was cool to see but we never got it to come in. What do you do to close the deal?

weedis wrote:

. What do you do to close the deal?

I set up a Howa 22-250 with a Burris 5-25 x50. Sending 55gr Barnes Bullets. It’s designated as the one to get the final say in the matter. Effortlessly, it’s a 500 yard coyote gun. My top of post is 740yrds and I wack Pdogs at near 800 with it.

I run into a lot of educated dogs hunting here in the Midwest. They pop out at 300, 400,..yrds and sit down and start barking at us. I got sick of it and set up a tool to reach out and silence them

Good call Randy. Gotta like a guy who gets up before the sun.
Mike

I suppose, it would get old seeing that happen. Sounds like a sweet gun! Looking back, I prolly should have taken a pop at it but I was thinking this thing might come in closer since it’s calling back to us. Also, I imagine if they don’t commit right away and barking at a distance, odds are they aren’t going to come in and wary of what’s going on.

weedis wrote:

I suppose, it would get old seeing that happen. Sounds like a sweet gun! Looking back, I prolly should have taken a pop at it but I was thinking this thing might come in closer since it’s calling back to us. Also, I imagine if they don’t commit right away and barking at a distance, odds are they aren’t going to come in and wary of what’s going on.

That’s what I mostly experience. If they sit down and start barking, odds are they know something isn’t right. However, if they pop out and start a series of ky, or yipping and looking away from you, be patient and call softer and a lot less frequent. That’s often a sign you have multiple coming

best time to go is during fawn season. hunting pressure has died down and they have pups to feed. Down here in sw wi it is usually close to first crop hay and morel season. First sit is always the best and don’t call from the same spot. Play the thermals religiously, evening they always go to the lowest spot(ditch, creek bed) game over. If you have a decent shot take it because more than likely u wont get a better one. Don’t b afraid to take a shot when they are on the lope because they seem to never stop moving. I bought nite scope because they pretty much move at nite, u can catch em in daylite but don’t expect a lot of success, but sometimes u can get lucky on a couple sets then go many sets without anything. Try to sit 45 min to hour, they learn that most cant sit still so they take there time. they are curious and will check it out but take there time and love to circle and sit on a hi spot and scan the area. My experience with them talkn back is they rarely come. Kinda like turkeys letn u know where they are and not movn but when they come its silent. Start soft when calling in case one is close then louder from there. Any sound can work on any day have to experiment, I use woodpecker and cat distress and kitten distress. Always change it up and if snow is crunchy don’t waste ur time, if they can hear u comn they are in the next county. Middle of feb to the end is breedn time, best time to have daylite sightings. Don’t b afraid to go calln during middle of day, changing it up instead of early morning and sunset like every1 does that’s why I only hunt at nite, they are a lot braver but they catch on to that too. If you can afford a thermal monocular or scope that is a game changer. Pulsar makes good stuff, see a field mouse at 500yds in pitch black but they catch on to that also. This is the addicting part that an animal is smarter than me in my own woods and I swear they know how to taunt me. there is always the exception to all I put here and throw all this out the window. Buddy hunting helps setting a guy 75 yds down wind abd they like to come in pairs but no always. B prepared to miss a lot and educate em. I usually get around 10 a yr and pry miss 20 or more. just keep changn it up and b4 weather of after it rains for a few days in a row they don’t like muddy feet or getn wet if they can help it. good luck

Good info zubba, thanks