I have been predator hunting in southside Virginia for years with sporadic success at best. I hunt fields/pastures that are near thick cover. Anyone have any tips on call volume/calling sequences? I typically play a baby rabbit distress at 6, a rabbit distress at 9-10, and either platinum grey fox or some coyote howls depending on what I think is in the area at 9-10. (my callers max volume is 20) I play each sound for 3-5 minutes and normally have 1-2 minutes of nothing in between. I might have success 1 in 10 stands and they are all places I have trail camera pictures or have seen sign of predators.
Calling in Southside VA
- Thread starter Ramb
- Start date
Spurchaser
Well-known member
Don’t take this wrong because I’m still fairly new at this, but if what you’re doing isn’t working, change it.
I may play nothing but prey sounds and have success, but when that doesn’t work I’ll switch to coyote vocals.
From reading on here the past few weeks, I’ve really been playing howls and getting responses.
Disclaimer: I also listen to FoxPro podcasts even though I don’t have a FoxPro. They have some pretty insightful talks that will work for every caller.
I may play nothing but prey sounds and have success, but when that doesn’t work I’ll switch to coyote vocals.
From reading on here the past few weeks, I’ve really been playing howls and getting responses.
Disclaimer: I also listen to FoxPro podcasts even though I don’t have a FoxPro. They have some pretty insightful talks that will work for every caller.
hunt0168
Well-known member
Like Spurchaser said, if it isn't working, change things up. This time of year, let those vocals rip. Lead off with them. Don't be afraid to go louder. Coyotes will respond to very loud calls without hesitation a lot of times. Check out those FoxPro podcasts that Spurchaser mentioned. Look for anything with Tory Cook in the title as he usually mentions sequences that produce based on the time of year they're talking about. There's something for every season.
Some questions... Do you have a lot of places to call? How frequently do you call your spots? Do you ever use other sounds, like birds and different rodents? Do you call from the same positions all the time at your spots? Do other people call the same places that you call? There are a lot more things that lead to success than just the sounds you play?
Some questions... Do you have a lot of places to call? How frequently do you call your spots? Do you ever use other sounds, like birds and different rodents? Do you call from the same positions all the time at your spots? Do other people call the same places that you call? There are a lot more things that lead to success than just the sounds you play?
DoubleLungRage
Well-known member
A few years ago I had been hunting this nice buck all season. Finally in the last few days of the season he started showing up in the food plot during shooting hours. The day before season was over I was hunting that evening and he came out into the food plot with 5-6 does. I settled the cross hairs behind his shoulder and sent one. He ran about 30 yards then crashed just inside the woods. As soon as he hit the ground a pack of coyotes went off less than 100 yards from me. It was as insane how loud they got. It was like I could feel their howls they were so loud. That was a big eye opener to me just how loud coyotes were. So when it comes to vocals, I don't really think you can get too loud.
Thanks for the advice about louder, I’ve always been scared to go much louder for fear of blowing something out that is close. I have mixed in birds and rodents, the only call other than rabbits/howls I remember working is a fox a couple years ago coming to Kitten Distress 2. I am the only one that hunts the properties I go to, but I know there are other people that call on neighboring properties. I have found some recent success from calling on the other side of a field than where I had previously set up. When I play howls, should I just let it howl once or twice or let the sound play for a few minutes? Also, how frequent is too much per spot? I always give a break of at least a week or two if I shoot, but will go back in a couple days if I don’t.
I started listening to that podcast a few months ago and it’s great. Are you making stands with just vocals or always do a mix of both? Do you think order that you play calls in matters or not really?
hunt0168
Well-known member
There's a lot of "Feel" that goes into calling. Comes with experience. Doesn't hurt to start low volume. But never feel it's a negative to get loud. Distress or vocals. More than once I have seen coyotes stick their nose right into a FoxPro caller on max volume!
Sounds like kittens and the domestics can work, but I honestly don't use them often. Lamb sounds have been money around sheep farms that I hunt. Anything can work, and it's never wrong to try even the most ridiculous sounds If nothing else is producing, I will try anything that is out of the norm to trigger.
Moving around is a key tactic. if you call from the same spot time and time again, you're probably getting patterned by the coyotes. Especially if they've made you before. If you get coyotes to respond and they won't commit, if possible, move closer and call from a different position. get in their bubble and often they will show themselves.
Frequency... If I call a spot and don't get a response or showing, I am more likely to call that spot again without a long wait. If I get a response with no showing I will give it a bit before trying again. At least a week or maybe more depending on pressure. If I can setup on the same coyotes from a different position completely, I will shorten the time if conditions permit. If I know I have been busted, it will be two, three or maybe four weeks before I try again on those coyotes. And from a completely different calling position.
Howls... I usually start out with a lone howl. Followed a minute or two later with a pair howl. if no response, depending o time of year I might go into some whimpers, a fight, or pup distress. a lot depends on where in the life cycle of the coyotes I'm calling to are. Here in NY we can't hunt them for half the year. We start in October so we're calling to young of the year and family groups early season. We end at the tail end of the breeding season in March. Not sure if VA has year round hunting, but I again say listen to the podcasts from FoxPro to get an idea of sequences by the calendar.
Good luck!
Sounds like kittens and the domestics can work, but I honestly don't use them often. Lamb sounds have been money around sheep farms that I hunt. Anything can work, and it's never wrong to try even the most ridiculous sounds If nothing else is producing, I will try anything that is out of the norm to trigger.
Moving around is a key tactic. if you call from the same spot time and time again, you're probably getting patterned by the coyotes. Especially if they've made you before. If you get coyotes to respond and they won't commit, if possible, move closer and call from a different position. get in their bubble and often they will show themselves.
Frequency... If I call a spot and don't get a response or showing, I am more likely to call that spot again without a long wait. If I get a response with no showing I will give it a bit before trying again. At least a week or maybe more depending on pressure. If I can setup on the same coyotes from a different position completely, I will shorten the time if conditions permit. If I know I have been busted, it will be two, three or maybe four weeks before I try again on those coyotes. And from a completely different calling position.
Howls... I usually start out with a lone howl. Followed a minute or two later with a pair howl. if no response, depending o time of year I might go into some whimpers, a fight, or pup distress. a lot depends on where in the life cycle of the coyotes I'm calling to are. Here in NY we can't hunt them for half the year. We start in October so we're calling to young of the year and family groups early season. We end at the tail end of the breeding season in March. Not sure if VA has year round hunting, but I again say listen to the podcasts from FoxPro to get an idea of sequences by the calendar.
Good luck!
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Thank you so much for the tips. We do have year round coyote hunting in VA.
Spurchaser
Well-known member
Where I call dictates what sounds I’m using.
Small pines next to a swamp or larger pines I’m definitely starting with prey distress sounds at a lower volume just because they may be close. If that doesn’t produce immediately, I’ll start cranking up the volume. Wind speed also dictates how loud I play the caller.
If I’m in an open area I’ll still start with some prey sounds but after a few minutes of quiet time, I’ll go into vocals.
If I’m unsure about an area I’ll go out and just do some howls at different parts of the property to just see if I can get a response. When/if I do, I mark approximate location on OnX and move on to see if I can find another group.
When I find some groups I’ll look at the map and figure the best place to enter and call from and the best wind to do it. When the conditions are right, I’ll go back and try them.
For me, the closer I can get to where I “think” they are, the better chance I have of calling them in. I’ve played the vocal game withh coyotes several hundred yards away for hours and they won’t budge. But you get with 100-150yds from them and they’ll react.
When I know where they are I’ll go in early and just wait until they sound off before ever making a sound. It’s close to 90% if they sound off first and I hit them back they definitely react. Of course I’m already in their bubble which has a lot to do with it.
As far as volume, yeah I’ve been playing max volume of prey and vocals and had them literally in the call, both coyotes and cats. It’s so loud that close it hurts my ears, but they act like it’s nothing to them. Yet according to some, they’ll hear the click of the safety.
Small pines next to a swamp or larger pines I’m definitely starting with prey distress sounds at a lower volume just because they may be close. If that doesn’t produce immediately, I’ll start cranking up the volume. Wind speed also dictates how loud I play the caller.
If I’m in an open area I’ll still start with some prey sounds but after a few minutes of quiet time, I’ll go into vocals.
If I’m unsure about an area I’ll go out and just do some howls at different parts of the property to just see if I can get a response. When/if I do, I mark approximate location on OnX and move on to see if I can find another group.
When I find some groups I’ll look at the map and figure the best place to enter and call from and the best wind to do it. When the conditions are right, I’ll go back and try them.
For me, the closer I can get to where I “think” they are, the better chance I have of calling them in. I’ve played the vocal game withh coyotes several hundred yards away for hours and they won’t budge. But you get with 100-150yds from them and they’ll react.
When I know where they are I’ll go in early and just wait until they sound off before ever making a sound. It’s close to 90% if they sound off first and I hit them back they definitely react. Of course I’m already in their bubble which has a lot to do with it.
As far as volume, yeah I’ve been playing max volume of prey and vocals and had them literally in the call, both coyotes and cats. It’s so loud that close it hurts my ears, but they act like it’s nothing to them. Yet according to some, they’ll hear the click of the safety.
I had always figured for animals that are supposed to have great hearing that quieter would be better, seems from this thread I was definitely wrong. My next chance to go try some will be Saturday. My plan is to still start off with quieter prey distress just because I have had some come in very quick to that, but then go much louder if that doesn’t produce quickly. Do you have favorite howls for this time of year? Do you think pup distress would be good or not until later in the year?
hunt0168
Well-known member
Lone howls, pair howls. Yip howls, group howls. Whines and chirps. Fights. They all work at times. Nothing works every time. Common practice to save pup distress for the stand finisher or immediately after you shoot at one. Many times the second coyote will stop and give you a shot opportunity to pup distress. I don’t leave a set EVER without playing pup distress to finish.
Thanks, you and everyone else in the thread have given me alot of advice I plan to test out this weekend.