2005 Deer season is over - Time to break out the predator caller

jhoffman · 12-15-2005, 11:13 AM

Well now that the 2005 deer season is over except for those of you with muzzel loaders its time to find something to do with the rest of the winter.

I got introduced to one of my several addictions when I visited family in Idaho and went out predator calling on the sand flats of the Snake River with my cousin. In one night we baged 5 coyotes in a 2 - 3 mile area and I was hooked.

I am just curious as to how many people in WNY actually go out calling for coyotes and fox. Not just popping the occational one while out hunting for deer. When I got back from ID I bought all the equipment I would need and started calling in the farm fields near my house and around my parents house and had pretty good sucess calling in grey fox and a couple of reds and even the occational coyote. Now that the coyote population has really strengthened they are the majority of what I see when out calling in a night.

I recommend predator calling to anyone who has never tried it. There is nothing like the adrenaline rush when you realize that a coyote has snuck in across 200 yrds of hay field to within about 40 yrds; or having a little grey fox come out of no where and tackle the speaker of my Johny Stewart electronic caller.

Give it a try - hey of anything it puts off the cabin fever for another couple of months.

rybohunter · 12-15-2005, 11:53 AM

Its what I do after deer hunting has passed. I haven't had much success, but its still a ton of fun being out there.

Four Sox · 12-15-2005, 05:46 PM

I agree, after a little cold 2nd season archery it'll be time for yotes. I suck at it but still learning and gets rid of cabin fever.

PA GOBBLER · 12-15-2005, 07:23 PM

me to, last year was my first time trying it out. a friend and i went out a few times w/ no luck. what are the ways you guys hunt them?? what we did was we found an area w/ tracks all over the place, we tried day and night,we were using good scent control and we started calling. then about an hour we moved a few hundred yards and did it over.. are we doing okay or do we need to try another way?? we did call in a few owls lol

sixgunluvr · 12-16-2005, 01:05 AM

First coyote iv'e ever seen! Here it is.

Rickmur · 12-16-2005, 04:49 AM

Bow runs untill Jan 31 in Md.

jhoffman · 12-16-2005, 06:55 AM

PA Gobbler -

My brother and I usually go out together and I take my .243 Win and he brings his 12 gauge with either nuber 2 or 00 shot - nothing smaller than 2's though - He have the best luck at night using a head light with red lense in it - If the yote hang up in the field and I can still see thier eyes I get em with the .243 - if they come running right in my brother will take them with the 12. I have had success in the evening and first thing in the morning but allot better luck at night.

There are a few people around me that run them with dogs. A coyote will take a dog a long way off though and unless you have guys scatered around with radio's its a hard way to hunt them if you ask me but I have never personally hunted them that way but would like to try it sometime just to see how it is.

I normally just setup in a hayfield near some cover with my back up against something like a round bale or whatever is around. I pick my spots depending on where I have noticed tracks or seen coyotes during deer season. If I get a yote that is a little spooky and can not get him to come in I'll try again in a couple of days with a different call and my brother and I will setup about 60 to 70 yrds apart one of us being closer to where we saw the coyote come out of the woods from - then when the dog tries to circle to get our scent like they usually do we've normally got a better position on them.

Although one time we were setup inside the first row of some standing corn and were calling across a field - we saw a coyote come out of the woods and then lost sight of him - we were about 10 yrds apart (my brother and me) when the coyote came busting out of the cornfield right between us - scared the s**t out of us - niether of us got a shot off.

SPIKEHORN11 · 12-16-2005, 07:10 AM

I started last year but didn't have any luck. This year I saw alot of yotes and hope to take them all out for next years fawns.

maugus63 · 12-16-2005, 07:11 AM

I got into it last year after Deer season closed as a way to cure cabin fever and got severely addicted!!
I went every chance I could and in all kinds of weather. I only called in two all of last year and missed them both but it is a rush when all of the sudden one shows up out of no where! It is kind of neat when you think about the fact that you are actually the one being hunted when they respond to a distress call.
MIKE

setter77 · 12-17-2005, 06:09 PM

You guys ever sign up for a money paying coyote hunt??