Coyote hunting. Take a dog scented fabric for cover scent?

gunslinger81

gunslinger81

Member
I hunt some places that are hilly and pretty dense with a few large power lines that run through the property. However trying to set up for the wind is difficult, due to yotes coming from all directions. I have pretty good scent control but know you can't fool a k9 nose.

Just been studying this coyote hunting for a few years and notice that lots of people use decoy dogs when hunting yotes.
Well I don't have a dog but I have neighbors with a few and was wondering if taking along an article such as a shirt or something that has that doggie smell might be beneficial at all when hunting?
Think it could add to the realism and attraction to my e-caller, or is that just a stupid idea?
 
It's never stupid to be concerned about your scent. Problem is there's nothing you can dream up that will fool them if they are down wind in your scent cone. Inevitably every hunter faces the same problem. They can and do come from any direction. Face it, you are going to be busted from time to time, no big deal, pick up and move on down the road. It's not the end of the world. Wind does occasionally change direction. Generally they will try to get downwind of their prey. However, I've also had them walk by me coming from behind and downwind within 20 ft and either not pick me up or not care. Don't over think this and make it harder than it needs to be. Do the best you can with the wind, be prepared to see them sneaking downwind and try to pop them before the catch your scent. Good luck.
 
Your cover scent idea isn't the answer, no it's not going to help in any measurable way. A better idea is to really study the hilly terrain and woods/dense cover, power lines, any clearings or clear cuts or what ever it might be to find good set up sites. Before calling ask yourself where are the coyotes at that particular moment? I know you aren't always going to know that but there are things you can do. Locate them with a siren or howl, scout for tracks, scat, sign post scratching, evidence of kills and know where they like to lay up, best hunting areas for the coyotes, ect. Using the wind direction now you can decide a likely approach direction from the coyote and use the terrain and cover to situate yourself in a position to kill that coyote. Location, location, location!
 
" You can fool a yotes nose, just need to know how! "

" It's never stupid to be concerned about your scent. Problem is there's nothing you can dream up that will fool them if they are down wind in your scent cone. Inevitably every hunter faces the same problem. They can and do come from any direction. Face it, you are going to be busted from time to time, no big deal, pick up and move on down the road. It's not the end of the world. Wind does occasionally change direction. Generally they will try to get downwind of their prey. However, I've also had them walk by me coming from behind and downwind within 20 ft and either not pick me up or not care. Don't over think this and make it harder than it needs to be. Do the best you can with the wind, be prepared to see them sneaking downwind and try to pop them before the catch your scent. Good luck. "


" Your cover scent idea isn't the answer, no it's not going to help in any measurable way. A better idea is to really study the hilly terrain and woods/dense cover, power lines, any clearings or clear cuts or what ever it might be to find good set up sites. Before calling ask yourself where are the coyotes at that particular moment? I know you aren't always going to know that but there are things you can do. Locate them with a siren or howl, scout for tracks, scat, sign post scratching, evidence of kills and know where they like to lay up, best hunting areas for the coyotes, ect. Using the wind direction now you can decide a likely approach direction from the coyote and use the terrain and cover to situate yourself in a position to kill that coyote. Location, location, location! "

+ 1 to all.. True on all parts, I agree.
 
Hunting the wind is the only way to deal with a coyote's nose. Same for deer. Critters noses pick up very few parts per million.
 
Last edited:
occasionally and when available I will dip my foxjack (decoy) topper in my dog's fresh urine prior to heading out. Can't say it helps but feel confident it doesn't "hurt".
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: jf1073occasionally and when available I will dip my foxjack (decoy) topper in my dog's fresh urine prior to heading out. Can't say it helps but feel confident it doesn't "hurt".

Gross... How does that little pee dipped topper cover the scent of your body, your soap, shampoo, deodorant, your hat and all your clothing, rifle, hunting pack and all your gear? It isn't logical. While the coyote might smell that small bit of dog urine he is also smelling all of you and all of your gear. I don't care if you are a scent control fanatic and have fooled countless deer, a coyote is still going to smell you. Yes, they are that good at sifting through the layers of scents they smell and sorting out what is what.

When I first started to use an e-caller and decoy I would spritz a little squirt or two of fox pee around the area I would set the caller and decoy. Several times I called hard charging coyotes on a crosswind set-up that couldn't get my scent directly and went straight to the caller. Because they were fast movers in the big timber and brushy mountain country I hunt I thought I would wait to shoot until they got to the caller and there I should get a better shot. Never one time did it happen. I thought the coyote would get to the caller and stop or at least slow and circle the decoy or some scenario like that. Nope, they would get there and smell my scent from being there setting up and my scent on the caller and would ALWAYS start grabbing gears getting outta Dodge. If I thought they came in fast, it was nothing like when they left!

Dipping your topper in dog piss just makes it nasty for you to handle and does nothing to aid in making the stand more successful.
 
Originally Posted By: GCOriginally Posted By: jf1073occasionally and when available I will dip my foxjack (decoy) topper in my dog's fresh urine prior to heading out. Can't say it helps but feel confident it doesn't "hurt".

Gross... How does that little pee dipped topper cover the scent of your body, your soap, shampoo, deodorant, your hat and all your clothing, rifle, hunting pack and all your gear? It isn't logical. While the coyote might smell that small bit of dog urine he is also smelling all of you and all of your gear. I don't care if you are a scent control fanatic and have fooled countless deer, a coyote is still going to smell you. Yes, they are that good at sifting through the layers of scents they smell and sorting out what is what.

When I first started to use an e-caller and decoy I would spritz a little squirt or two of fox pee around the area I would set the caller and decoy. Several times I called hard charging coyotes on a crosswind set-up that couldn't get my scent directly and went straight to the caller. Because they were fast movers in the big timber and brushy mountain country I hunt I thought I would wait to shoot until they got to the caller and there I should get a better shot. Never one time did it happen. I thought the coyote would get to the caller and stop or at least slow and circle the decoy or some scenario like that. Nope, they would get there and smell my scent from being there setting up and my scent on the caller and would ALWAYS start grabbing gears getting outta Dodge. If I thought they came in fast, it was nothing like when they left!

Dipping your topper in dog piss just makes it nasty for you to handle and does nothing to aid in making the stand more successful.

+10 and a few more
 
Originally Posted By: DropadoglvYou can fool a yotes nose, just need to know how!

Confusing it for 3-5 seconds by misting isn't exactly the same as actually fooling it. If that's what you are alluding to. It may work well enough for a shot in certain situations and not so well in others. Otherwise like the other guys I'm all ears...
 
+1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.000Originally Posted By: SlickerThanSnotOriginally Posted By: GCOriginally Posted By: jf1073occasionally and when available I will dip my foxjack (decoy) topper in my dog's fresh urine prior to heading out. Can't say it helps but feel confident it doesn't "hurt".

Gross... How does that little pee dipped topper cover the scent of your body, your soap, shampoo, deodorant, your hat and all your clothing, rifle, hunting pack and all your gear? It isn't logical. While the coyote might smell that small bit of dog urine he is also smelling all of you and all of your gear. I don't care if you are a scent control fanatic and have fooled countless deer, a coyote is still going to smell you. Yes, they are that good at sifting through the layers of scents they smell and sorting out what is what.

When I first started to use an e-caller and decoy I would spritz a little squirt or two of fox pee around the area I would set the caller and decoy. Several times I called hard charging coyotes on a crosswind set-up that couldn't get my scent directly and went straight to the caller. Because they were fast movers in the big timber and brushy mountain country I hunt I thought I would wait to shoot until they got to the caller and there I should get a better shot. Never one time did it happen. I thought the coyote would get to the caller and stop or at least slow and circle the decoy or some scenario like that. Nope, they would get there and smell my scent from being there setting up and my scent on the caller and would ALWAYS start grabbing gears getting outta Dodge. If I thought they came in fast, it was nothing like when they left!

Dipping your topper in dog piss just makes it nasty for you to handle and does nothing to aid in making the stand more successful.

+10 and a few more
 
Well now that we have that cover scent part cleared up, would you rather have wind or not? I hunt a lot of pine plantations and the dogs are there but they are within 100yards when you see them and sometimes much closer. I killed one that the wadding went past where the dog fell. Anyway I like a little breeze, I get busted, even by deer on those dead calm days that let the thermals run amok. Give me some air movement so that at least the front and sides are clear instead of a 360 degree scent area.

It drives me nuts to see some tv hunter spout off about this scent blocker suit, this gizmo, or this spray to cover human scent. Then stick a felt cowboy hat on that has sweat rings all the way around it. Not knocking the hat, just dont tell me that two squirts from the majic potion made it smell like roses.
 
Last edited:
Yes I agree you can fool their nose.. I think I have read some where that dogs can smell seven different things at one time.. not like us we smell as a whole more or less..
But I also usually hunt out of the back of my truck which has probably 3798274829 smells on it..

But I still use scent kill.. what can it hurt besides my pocket... and in the winter I spray a few cotton balls with skunk who knows if it really helps..

But, if the wind is heavy I tend to get lazy and just stay home. I just stay home and not waste my gas and try to get some work done...(getting 12 mile per a gallon doesnt help)

but the only way to kill coyotes is be out there with them.. just practice and try different spots.. coyotes are not perfect.. one will screw up and give you a shot.
 
Originally Posted By: jayatnightYes I agree you can fool their nose.. I think I have read some where that dogs can smell seven different things at one time.. not like us we smell as a whole more or less..



This is kind of what I was talking about. I remember from watching some dog documentary recently and they reinforce the fact that dogs smell individual items. Such as they don't smell a hotdog like we do. They smell the bread, wiener,ketchup,mustard, and other ingredients individually.

Thanks for the comments guys. I was just thinking maybe it would give a coyote a little added motivation if he thought there was another dog in the area. I don't think you can truly fool their nose, but if it made one just a little more careless then it might have a positive effect, even mixed with human scent.
 
There is a product called Forget the Wind that is nothing short of amazing in how it dilutes human scent. Friends and family have been using it for about 8 years now. We have seen some amazing things using this product. I started hunting coyotes in 1976 in S. Ca., so I have seen more than a few coyotes, deer, elk not pick up my scent.

Forget the Wind is not a hoax, in how it works. This product eats bacteria that causes the smell. It does take an effort to cover your scent, and for some it is just too intense.

I do not sell the stuff, and if you want to try the stuff, send me a pm and I will give you the contact info.
 
Originally Posted By: GCOriginally Posted By: jf1073occasionally and when available I will dip my foxjack (decoy) topper in my dog's fresh urine prior to heading out. Can't say it helps but feel confident it doesn't "hurt".

Gross... How does that little pee dipped topper cover the scent of your body, your soap, shampoo, deodorant, your hat and all your clothing, rifle, hunting pack and all your gear? It isn't logical. While the coyote might smell that small bit of dog urine he is also smelling all of you and all of your gear. I don't care if you are a scent control fanatic and have fooled countless deer, a coyote is still going to smell you. Yes, they are that good at sifting through the layers of scents they smell and sorting out what is what.

When I first started to use an e-caller and decoy I would spritz a little squirt or two of fox pee around the area I would set the caller and decoy. Several times I called hard charging coyotes on a crosswind set-up that couldn't get my scent directly and went straight to the caller. Because they were fast movers in the big timber and brushy mountain country I hunt I thought I would wait to shoot until they got to the caller and there I should get a better shot. Never one time did it happen. I thought the coyote would get to the caller and stop or at least slow and circle the decoy or some scenario like that. Nope, they would get there and smell my scent from being there setting up and my scent on the caller and would ALWAYS start grabbing gears getting outta Dodge. If I thought they came in fast, it was nothing like when they left!

Dipping your topper in dog piss just makes it nasty for you to handle and does nothing to aid in making the stand more successful.

When my EC is set 50 plus yards in front of me at a cross wind and a coyote approaches from downwind of the caller as opposed to downwind of me...and providing scent cones do not cross.....I think there may be some benefit.
As I said, I have no evidence it helps and its not something I do everytime as a matter of fact I probably do it less than 10% of the time. But, I highly doubt it hurts. And hey, the ladies love it.
90% of the time I give scent no consideration other than wind.
edited to add my 2 cents on the wind question....personally I like a steady 5-10 mph breeze. I also seem to do better with straight winds as in outta of N as opposed to NE or NW. Think that's more an issue of available stand spots at the places I hunt than it is with the actual wind though.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top