Baffled

swwyocoyote

swwyocoyote

Member
I’m stumped and need some help. A couple of things are going the wrong way, and I have scrambled my brain trying to figure it out to the point I think I’m causing more issues. I hunt all over southwest Wyoming and see the issues wherever I head. I have run the X24 since it came out and have killed a lot of dogs over it. Early this fall I acquired a super revolt and called and killed a handful of dogs right out the gate with it, all of them hung up around 150-200 yds. So here is where my troubles start. Starting the first part of October, I hunted 2 full days with X24 and never called a dog (that I know of). I hunted a 3rd day with the super revolt and called dogs on 9 out of 12 stands but not one of them would come closer than 150 yds. All 3 of these days were in the same week. I did not hunt any of the same stands but did hunt some overlapping areas. Since then, I have alternated callers throughout the day and the X24 still has not produced a dog. All the dogs that I have pulled with super revolt are still hanging up and it seems the distance is getting greater. A guy I hunt with is running a revolt and we see a similar result when he calls. We experienced this all-day Saturday. If we tried vocals, we would get a ton of answers, but nothing would come in and some instantly booger barked at us. When that happens, I shut down, wait a few minutes and sneak out the best I can. I hunted most of the day Sunday using hand calls only and called 1 dog that tried to end up in my lap. I worry that maybe I am calling too loud with the super revolt. Yesterday I tried calling louder than usual with the X24 and had no call ins, so I called a few stands with the super revolt a little softer than I had been. I called 5 dogs but never could get any to commit to come closer than 500 yds. When these dogs hang up, I have tried all sorts of different prey distress and coyote sounds. I even sat both calls out yesterday and tried voles on the X24. I still have not called any of the same stands since September. I am faithful about washing all my clothes and storing them scent free, I am religious about checking my wind and trying to set up the best for the stand or saving the stand for another time. I usually get my truck hid well and walk at least a ¼ mile to the calling spot. I know we have experienced an influx of people calling the region. I am baffled- am I doing something in my setup wrong (maybe have got a bad habit I’m not realizing), not hiding the call good enough, calling too loud or these dogs just too overwhelmed & pressured? Something I have not tried is using the decoy due to limit success in the past and feeling like I had spooked dogs before when using it but maybe I will run it next go around.
Any thoughts?
 
The only question I can think to ask is, are you setting up with the sun at your back? If not are you using a face covering or face paint and gloves to hide your skin? We shine in the sun more than we realize and I've had coyotes hang up because of that in the past.
 
I agree with OKrattler. Take a look at your camo and concealment and see if you have anything that's sticking out or shining in the sun.
The volume may have something to do with it as well. If your getting close stuff with the handcalls and not the E call I would test it out with a buddy to find the ideal volume.
Setup 100 yards from your buddy and blow your hand call like normal then turn on the e call at what volume you think is right and see if it's the same or way louder and then adjust accordingly.
 
OKRattler- good point, I do try to setup with the sun at my back or to my side at minimum. I always wear a mask and gloves.

Yotarunner- I did switch to a kryptek coat this year from an old cabelas wool jacket. I will have to lay it out on a bush and see if it shines or reflects. Thanks for the idea on comparing volumes. I will test that out tomorrow.
 
What kind of volume levels are you running on the remote? I run my calls pretty loud often and get coyotes that still stick their faces in the speaker. I would lean towards the concealment/camo side as well. I find it odd that you’re getting a different scenarios between the 2 callers though? Maybe start messing with the FoxPitch feature on the X24 and see if there’s something with the air density and terrain you’re in.

I tend not to read that deep into this stuff, but if it is as you say, and not some weird coincidence, maybe playing around with the pitch would actually have some merit? I kinda doubt it, but what do you have to lose?
 
I'm no expert but hunted with Gerald Stewart at a PM hunt years ago. Being the son of Johnny Stewart and consultant of Hunter Specialties at the time you know he knows sounds and coyotes.
We alternated using my foxpro and his call with his "experimental " sounds.
We only called animals using the foxpro combo that day. Was it the call or the sounds used that made the difference or just luck up the draw?

No scientific way of proving. At least not from 1 day of hunting in an uncontrolled environment.

I tend not to over think it and just keep calling and having fun.
 
Try handcalls.

Is it possible the coyotes in your area are hearing the same calls from other hunters? If they survive the first encounter of being called in with a particular e-caller, they may be slow to respond, or hang up, because they have heard that exact sound before. If they were shot at and missed, I'm not sure that same exact sound will trick them again.
 
As for volumes- on the x24 I usually run between 18-24 depending on the size of the area. sometimes if the Wyoming breeze is present, I will bump up to 30. On the LD I had been running 16-24 on gain 3 bumping up to 26 with the wind. Unfortunately the X24 don't have FoxPitch.

Yesterday I took a friend and tried out Yotarunner's idea of comparing e-calls to hand calls. We found a similar sounding jack sound on both e-calls and used one of my favorite hand calls. Using my friends "calibrated" ear :ROFLMAO: I set him up about 75 yds from my location. I let him run the remotes and He alternated between me calling and the X24 then did it again with the LD. He felt around 20 on the X24 and 18 on LD was very similar to my hand call volume. I moved to his spot and felt that the 2 e-calls seemed similar in volume at those numbers. So that kind of put my mind at ease that maybe I'm not calling to loud.

While we were out we laid some of my camo out and there was an obvious sheen from my newer coat and my snow cover up jacket was dang near reflective (n). Who knows what the UV looks like. So back to old stuff for now. Sure this led to some concealment issues on stands of questionable setup. Thinking everything over and reading the responses, I think I'm probably moving to much on stand for how I'm setup. So I will have to move less or hide better.

K22-hornet - seems like the area is getting a lot more pressure than in the previous years. I am thinking the hand calls are going to be my go-to for the rest of the year. Just wish my vocals weren't so terrible lol. Will try some odd ball stuff and uncommon sounds when using the e-call.

Have a few things to work on, including not overthinking it and just enjoying the time out- win, lose or draw.
Thanks for the ideas and help everyone.
 
swwyocoyote said:
Unfortunately the X24 don't have FoxPitch.
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I wasn’t aware of that. I run the X2s and it has ifoxpitch and a bunch of other features I don’t use much if ever. At least I think it does?! Lol…
swwyocoyote said:
While we were out we laid some of my camo out and there was an obvious sheen from my newer coat and my snow cover up jacket was dang near reflective (n). Who knows what the UV looks like.
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I can tell you from experience that not all snow camo is the same! Years ago I bought a lightweight snow camo suit to use as a cover up for regular camo. I think it was made by Huntworth or something like that. First time I wore it I had deer picking me out and running away while I was stationary and with no chance of being scented. As daylight faded to dusk I noticed that the white parts of the suit were glowing violet like they were under a blacklight! My snow camo gloves that I had worn for a while were not glowing violet so the difference was very obvious. Another time coyote hunting I grabbed a white knit hat off the rack to wear that wasn't mine. Think it was my wife or daughter’s? 🤣 same thing… went outside and that thing looked like it was glowing compared to my old faithful snow camo suit.

I do believe animals can detect this. Even during the daytime. Just my experiences.
 
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Spurchaser said:
Best way to see how your camo looks to critters is to walk in front of a trail cam. If you can’t pick yourself out then they can’t either. If you “shine” then that’s what they see as well.
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That is interesting, I will have to borrow a camera and see what it shows.
Thank you
 
If coyotes are stopping and looking towards your e-caller at 200 yards away and farther they maybe looking at your e-caller. If the coyotes are looking at you it maybe your camo.

About the third or fourth year that I called coyotes with a cassette caller I had way more coyotes stop and look at my caller than the previous years. I started thinking that I had the volume to high. This happened during a drought year when there was no grass. The coyotes could plainly see my cassette caller because there was no grass to help hide the caller. As soon as I put my caller down next to a bush or put it in some rocks to help hide it more coyotes ran right up to my e-caller again.

From what I have seen some coyotes like decoys that move and some don't. I have had more coyotes run right up to my Foxpro if it is hidden in the grass, bushes or rocks than when my Foxpro is sitting in plain sight. If you give a coyote something to look at quite often they will stop and look at it.

Do you use a rodent sound or "Vole Squeaks" sound at low volume to try and coax in the coyotes that have stopped?
Al Morris got a video of a coyote being coaxed in in Arizona using Vole Squeaks. Check it out in the below video.


I don't think it is the volume that is stopping the coyotes. I use full volume 40 sometime during every stand I make and quite often I have coyotes run right up to my caller while it is playing on full blast volume 40.

The year that we called in and killed 97 coyotes we still had 5 days that we didn't call in and kill any coyotes on those 5 days.
 
derbyacresbob said:
If coyotes are stopping and looking towards your e-caller at 200 yards away and farther they maybe looking at your e-caller. If the coyotes are looking at you it maybe your camo.

About the third or fourth year that I called coyotes with a cassette caller I had way more coyotes stop and look at my caller than the previous years. I started thinking that I had the volume to high. This happened during a drought year when there was no grass. The coyotes could plainly see my cassette caller because there was no grass to help hide the caller. As soon as I put my caller down next to a bush or put it in some rocks to help hide it more coyotes ran right up to my e-caller again.

From what I have seen some coyotes like decoys that move and some don't. I have had more coyotes run right up to my Foxpro if it is hidden in the grass, bushes or rocks than when my Foxpro is sitting in plain sight. If you give a coyote something to look at quite often they will stop and look at it.

Do you use a rodent sound or "Vole Squeaks" sound at low volume to try and coax in the coyotes that have stopped?
Al Morris got a video of a coyote being coaxed in in Arizona using Vole Squeaks. Check it out in the below video.


I don't think it is the volume that is stopping the coyotes. I use full volume 40 sometime during every stand I make and quite often I have coyotes run right up to my caller while it is playing on full blast volume 40.

The year that we called in and killed 97 coyotes we still had 5 days that we didn't call in and kill any coyotes on those 5 days.
Click to expand...

Words of wisdom….
 
Thanks Bob, I will pay attention and see if they are looking at me directly or the e-call. Which thinking about it, I have been a little lax about hiding it.
I have kind of forgot about rodent sounds the last few years.
 
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