Do you paint your call?

O

OKRattler

Well-known member
Had something happen this weekend that I've never had a problem with. I thought I had the call hidden good enough but apparently just enough was showing from the direction the coyote was coming from that it saw the sunlight glaring off of the tan paint on the caller.

I've always sat the call in a clump of weeds or something so I guess up until now I've hidden it pretty well. But I know the coyote saw the call and decided it wasn't having none of that. Needless the say, the coyote lived and got just a little smarter.

Do any of y'all paint your call to make it less noticeable or do you just leave it as is and try your best to hide it? I've always kind of wondered why calls don't come painted camo from the factory to blend in better. With a finish that's not glossy of course. Seems to me that would make more sense than a solid color that has more of a glossy finish that's more likely to shine in the sun and make coyotes stop and second guess their choices in life. Things can go right a thousand times but it only takes once for me to second guess myself and question why I'm not doing something better. People wear camo when they hunt coyotes. It only seems reasonable that a coyote call should too. It's the one making all the noise after all. The hunter is supposed to be making very little if at all possible.
 
Paint your Ecall ?, I don't I paint nothing I use hunting. Paint smells bad ? It also pretty impossible to know what exactly spooked your coyote to do a 180 . but a dog does live by sight, smell, and behavior learned.
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depending on what call you have some companies make slip on covers for them. how far away was the coyote ? if it was close its possible it got your scent off the call.
 
I don't think it was the sight of the call, an errant sound, swirly wind or something else. I've had coyotes jump up and rip callers out of bushes. I hunt with a white caller, not in winter. I have vet wrapped the outside of the bell but mainly to keep things from banging against it the inside that faces where I expect coyotes are going to come from is still white. I usually elevate my call in a bush or on a cactus.

Running it fully exposed
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White bell on caller
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There are just so many pieces of trash out there, DEF bottles, oil jugs, water bottles, Walmart bags, beer and pop cans and bottles that another piece of plastic isn't going to spook a coyote.
 
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I was concealed in the shadows and hid really good. The coyote came from the South and the wind was blowing straight North and it never made it to where it could wind me or the call. After looking I did see that it was pretty exposed where the speaker was. The coyote sat down and watched just inside a tree row and cautiously approached. Got to around 100 yards and was staring at the call. All the sudden it started loping back towards the trees like it got spooked. It would stop and look every once in a while so I know it was curious but very suspicious of what that thing was making noise. It casually walked back into the trees, never to be seen again. I played a few more sounds to get it to come back out but it wouldn't do it.

I could tell it wanted to come in. It was a young coyote but it knew something just didn't look right. It had its eyes locked on the call the whole time. I don't think it ever knew I was there. I didn't ever have a good enough shot so I decided it would be better to just let it go instead of risking a miss and making it even more leary the next time.

I was using my buddies Foxpro X24. So I can't paint it because it's not mine. If it were I would.
 
Sounds to me that the coyote didn't see what he was hearing so he put two and two together and got out of Dodge.

That happens, especially during a very bright moon in a big open field.
 
That could have been. I can only speculate but that's the only thing I could think happened. But also it doesn't make sense that he could see the call because the sun was at my back. I'm cautious about that because I try to minimize any shining or anything.
 
"Do you paint your call?" Yes, I painted my Shockwave, mostly because I think the factory finish is too glossy and reflective in the harsh sun of the desert. I also painted the legs of my Trigger Sticks for the same reason. I use matte finish paint in three "military" colors - tan, brown, and OD.
 
I have had way more coyotes run right up to my e-callers that are hidden in the grass, weeds or rocks than run up to a decoy or a caller that doesn't blend in with the ground or grass. If a coyote can clearly see your e-caller that is shiny or doesn't blend in with the ground or cover there is a good chance that coyote will stop to look at it.
If your shooting a rifle it not as big of a deal if the coyote stops but if your shooting a shotgun the coyote stopping is not a good thing.
IMG_0852 - Copy by https://www.flickr.com/photos/156463377@N08/, on Flickr
In the above picture my camo painted e-caller, speaker and camo bag did their job. I know some coyotes will run right up to e-callers that can clearly be seen or moving decoys. But I have had more coyotes run right up to my e-callers that are hidden or blend in with the surrounding ground cover.
 
They make covers for calls. I put a fur looking cover on my Foxpro X-24 that I bought from "Life is Now Outdoors". I don't know if it helps or doesn't but it gives me piece of mind and that's worth something to me.
 
Lazer32 said:
They make covers for calls. I put a fur looking cover on my Foxpro X-24 that I bought from "Life is Now Outdoors". I don't know if it helps or doesn't but it gives me piece of mind and that's worth something to me.
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Telling my buddy to order one now. I'd feel better having that as well. Thank you.
 
I agree the finish on the Shockwave is too glossy. I painted one for my brother with Duracoat.
First, I degreased it with brake cleaner and that actually took most of the gloss off. I could have just left it that way, but was already set up to paint it, so I did.

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I have a little piece of ghille suit that I drape over my X24. It seems to work well.

In general, it seems that you don't want the coyote to be able to see exactly where the sound is coming from. If they can, they often check up.
 
we hunt at night and have had owls sit close to call. probably trying to figure out what it is. my partner has the X24 and it has a cover.
 
Two weeks ago I had a coyote come in from behind me and ran by me within 3 feet and ran over an knocked my Lucky Duck out of the sagebrush it was sitting in.
 
I've had coyotes run up to the call and a few even bit it. But who's to say those coyotes weren't pretty dumb? I may never have a problem with it again but there's a chance that one more coyote may get away because of it. That's one too many. If I'm putting forth effort to hunt and kill these things I'm taking every advantage away from them that I possibly can. If it could possibly hinder my ability to kill coyotes ,I don't need it or I need to make it to where it's working with me instead of against me. That's just my way of thinking.
 
OKRattler said:
Had something happen this weekend that I've never had a problem with. I thought I had the call hidden good enough but apparently just enough was showing from the direction the coyote was coming from that it saw the sunlight glaring off of the tan paint on the caller.

I've always sat the call in a clump of weeds or something so I guess up until now I've hidden it pretty well. But I know the coyote saw the call and decided it wasn't having none of that. Needless the say, the coyote lived and got just a little smarter.

Do any of y'all paint your call to make it less noticeable or do you just leave it as is and try your best to hide it? I've always kind of wondered why calls don't come painted camo from the factory to blend in better. With a finish that's not glossy of course. Seems to me that would make more sense than a solid color that has more of a glossy finish that's more likely to shine in the sun and make coyotes stop and second guess their choices in life. Things can go right a thousand times but it only takes once for me to second guess myself and question why I'm not doing something better. People wear camo when they hunt coyotes. It only seems reasonable that a coyote call should too. It's the one making all the noise after all. The hunter is supposed to be making very little if at all possible.
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I'll say this about coyotes. Older territorial coyotes specifically. It is my belief. They know or have seen/covered every square foot of their territory. Most of whom, know when something looks different or out of place. I've only painted my firearms a flat white, not any hand or E-caller. Because I mostly hunt on snow cover. I use "flat" white color on my firearms. So as to the Sun not casting any "glint or shine" on my firearm. I also view all coyotes as having varying degrees of experiences/intelligence. Few, I would put into the category of the "village idiot". Because they drop all caution & wariness. When they do a certain action to a certain stimulus.
 
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