Coyote hunting questions
02-17-2010, 07:40 PM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: southeast missouri
Posts: 191
Coyote hunting questions
I entered a 2 day coyote hunting contest for this weekend. Not having hunted coyotes very much I was hoping for a few pointers and maybe some highly protected secrets LOL. I have at my disposal around 2,000+ private acres. Our's, grandpa's and cousins. It is mixed fescue pasture and woods with quite a few briar thickets. We had a bad storm last year and most all the wooded acres have major tree blowdowns. How far away should I be from the electronic call speaker. It is remotely controlled. Should I just stick to cottontail rabbit distress calls or is it close to breading season where I might want to use the female yote sounds? The weapons I have are 30-06(4-10x45 scope), AR-15(4x scope), and mossberg 835(aimpoint scope). any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Kev
02-18-2010, 04:58 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Elizabeth Colo. USA
Posts: 4,413
How far from the speaker really depends on how far can you see. If you're in thick cover and can't see more than 50 yards, then you certainly don't want the speaker 50 yards away. BUT if you can see a long ways, then you can put it out away from you more.
How much calling pressure have the coyotes had this winter. If you, your cousin, or anyone else has been in the area more than once already and used cottontail distress, then by all means, use a different sound. Howling this time of year should be productive, but again, have the coyotes already heard every howling sound from your ecaller already this winter, if not, by all means, do some female invite., or other non-aggressive howls to start the stand, wait at least five minutes before doing any distress if nothing show up. IF the coyotes have been called to with distress this winter, it could be productive to use ONLY howls, for the whole stand. Not constant howling, but a few every now and then could bring them to you. Don't expect them to respond vocally, as they seldom do.
Use the weapon that fits the terrain. If you can't see 50 yards, carry the shotgun. If you can see more rifle distance, then use the AR-15.
Good luck!
How much calling pressure have the coyotes had this winter. If you, your cousin, or anyone else has been in the area more than once already and used cottontail distress, then by all means, use a different sound. Howling this time of year should be productive, but again, have the coyotes already heard every howling sound from your ecaller already this winter, if not, by all means, do some female invite., or other non-aggressive howls to start the stand, wait at least five minutes before doing any distress if nothing show up. IF the coyotes have been called to with distress this winter, it could be productive to use ONLY howls, for the whole stand. Not constant howling, but a few every now and then could bring them to you. Don't expect them to respond vocally, as they seldom do.
Use the weapon that fits the terrain. If you can't see 50 yards, carry the shotgun. If you can see more rifle distance, then use the AR-15.
Good luck!
02-18-2010, 08:35 PM
#3
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: southeast missouri
Posts: 191
coyote hunting
Thanks for the response/advise Howler. I don't know of any pressure on the coyotes in my areas. Nobody I know of does any yote hunting here. That doesn't mean some don't come in from around the area unanounced. I have seen on some old posts that 10 or 15 min to 30 min are possible setup times to wait for them to appear. Does weather have an effect on how to hunt them. It might be raining/sleeting or lightly snowing with temps in low 30s. Will only be daytime hunting. Is howling ok at any time during the day? I don't remember hearing any yotes howling during the day.
02-19-2010, 01:59 AM
#4
Spike
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 6
Coyote hunting can be an exhilarating pastime. They are very challenging to hunt because of the senses and skills that they have evolved. Coyotes are very adaptable animals with great survival skills and keen senses,Coyote hunting is quickly becoming a popular pastime for hunters all across North America largely due to the sheer excitement it has to offer.
02-19-2010, 08:00 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Elizabeth Colo. USA
Posts: 4,413
In general, colder temps. are better. But what is concidered "cold" varies as much as terrain does across the country. Colder than average "for your region" in general means that coyotes need to eat more and eat more often, because their bodys burn calories just to stay warm, BUT that doesn't mean that they won't come when it's above average temps.
Precipitation isn't a deal killer. BUT heavy precip. isn't good. Light to moderate precip. won't hurt anything.
Just because they don't howl during the day doesn't mean that "howling" won't work to call them in during the day. Even out here in the west, they rarely howl much after sun rise, BUT they still come to howls because they are hard wired to respond to such things. They are territorial, and this is what you'll be triggering with howls. They most likely won't answer vocally, on rare occasions they will, BUT they will come to investigate the new coyote/s and possibly to guard their territoy, or pausably they may come looking for a pausable mate. In general, coyotes that come to "howling" come slower and more cautious, when compared to those that come for hunger reasons to distress. SO, I'd say if you're going to use howling on a stand, best get comfy and plan to sit 30 minutes, or even 45 minutes. And don't get caught with your pants down, because they could show up at any time in that period.
Recently I was in a contest in eastern KS. and the coyotes don't howl back there during the day time either, but we used a lot of vocals, on nearly every stand. Started with a few female invitation sounds nearly every stand, and on the one late evening stand that we had right at sun down, I even through in wolf howls along with the female invitiation sounds, and we had a pair come, the big male didn't leave the scene. We used no distress on that stand, howls only.
Precipitation isn't a deal killer. BUT heavy precip. isn't good. Light to moderate precip. won't hurt anything.
Just because they don't howl during the day doesn't mean that "howling" won't work to call them in during the day. Even out here in the west, they rarely howl much after sun rise, BUT they still come to howls because they are hard wired to respond to such things. They are territorial, and this is what you'll be triggering with howls. They most likely won't answer vocally, on rare occasions they will, BUT they will come to investigate the new coyote/s and possibly to guard their territoy, or pausably they may come looking for a pausable mate. In general, coyotes that come to "howling" come slower and more cautious, when compared to those that come for hunger reasons to distress. SO, I'd say if you're going to use howling on a stand, best get comfy and plan to sit 30 minutes, or even 45 minutes. And don't get caught with your pants down, because they could show up at any time in that period.
Recently I was in a contest in eastern KS. and the coyotes don't howl back there during the day time either, but we used a lot of vocals, on nearly every stand. Started with a few female invitation sounds nearly every stand, and on the one late evening stand that we had right at sun down, I even through in wolf howls along with the female invitiation sounds, and we had a pair come, the big male didn't leave the scene. We used no distress on that stand, howls only.
