Help me learn from my first attempted coyote hunt!

G

grantg2002

New member
Just got back from Utah after my first (attempted) coyote hunt. I was unable to even call coyotes to my stands, let alone get one. I fully understand that hunting coyotes is very difficult and requires a lot of patience, I just want to make sure I'm not developing bad habits or making major mistakes preventing me from calling coyotes when I go again in the future.

Here's what I did:
Research beforehand to find where the coyotes might be. I ended up calling for 2 days near Blanding and for 1 day far west of Delta. Roughly 20 stands total between all the days, starting at 8:00am and ending around noon (wife gets tired). This was based on blogs, forum posts, youtube videos, the Utah DWR coyote heat map, and research into the type of terrain coyotes like to hang out in.

Saw a coyote from the car on the very first morning by Blanding, confirming they're in the area. Also supported by recent coyote tracks and scat found by most of my stands in both east and west areas.

Worked hard to find good stands. Focused on finding hills overlooking washes with plenty of areas for coyotes to approach from. Always hunted with the sun behind me. Placed the call down near the wash facing where the coyotes are likely to come from. Worked to be very aware of the wind, no stands had the likely coyote approach downwind from us, but still had a good view of the downwind.

Approached stands quietly and tactfully. Parked the car where it couldn't be seen, softly closed doors, and walked to the stand with no talking, minimizing moving noise. Avoided silhouetting. Used multicam scrim nets to camouflage when in the stand.

Had a Foxpro Patriot and tried some differing call sequences based on the prey that I saw near the stands. I tried mouse, cottontail, and jackrabbit distress calls at increasing volume, starting at around 6/20 and eventually moving to 12-14/20 volume. Sequences would usually start with 1-2 minutes of a certain call, then 2 minutes of silence, repeated at increased volume 2 more times. Around the 10 minute mark I'd switch to 1-2 minutes of pup distress, followed by another 2 minute silence, repeated once. Between minutes 15-20 I'd usually try a few interrogation howls and maybe a female invitation, interspersed with silence. I'd leave the stand around minute 20. All sounds used were the free Foxpro sounds downloaded from their website.

The only result I had was from a stand out in the west desert. I played a series of prey distress for 10 minutes, and upon switching to pup distress I began to hear distant, prolonged barking upwind of the stand that would persist even after stopping calls. The barking was from at least 2-3 animals, and I'd estimate over at least 1/2 mile away behind several hills (couldn't get visual). After spending 18 minutes at the stand and still hearing the persistent barking, we attempted to quietly approach the sound, walking upwind for 1/4 mile. During the entire approach we heard fairly consistent barks, still from multiple dogs in the same direction, over roughly 10 more minutes of the approach. Upon getting close enough to the sound where I was afraid we would crest a hill and actually see the dogs (and spook them), we set up a new stand to attempt to call them in. After a couple minutes of calling (1 prey distress, silence, then a pup distress), the barking stopped completely. Nothing came of the stand after that (still fun though!)

So my main questions are, what would you do different overall, and what does the experience with the barking mean to you?
 
Welcome to the forum. Still no replies so I'll give you my rookie perspective (1 year experience and I've shot 1 coyote)

What you posted for the most part sounds textbook, better than my stuff to be honest.

This place you were calling, do you think other people are calling there too and the coyotes are "educated" to people coming in with e callers and know what you're up to? Was it fairly out there where other callers probably aren't going to? Or just off the road nice and comfortable for you and others?

Also something I got from a dvd is the narrator described a coyotes life as similar to living in a prison without groceries and all the cells are open door. No free or easy meals and life is rough. Territory is everything. And his calling sequences were based on invading the coyotes territory, announcing yourself as a stranger coyote, portraying yourself as eating the food contained in that territory, and then letting it be known you're a beta or weaker coyote.

This made me think, if a person was brand new in a prison, and started hanging around a groups open cell block who he did not know, suddenly their instant noodles start going missing, and this new guy starts showing signs of weakness...things are gonna go down in a hurry. it's a very different vibe and much more intense and urgent than letting it be known there's ramen soups around in the other side of the prison in possibly some other groups cells/turf.

Or imagine you heard about a thief in town stole someone’s tools. How would you react? Compare that to a thief coming into your backyard a going thru your shed and stealing your tools. And when you look at him he’s a scrawny wimp who couldn’t punch his way out of a wet paper bag. Same reaction?

Now getting inside that coyotes territory up close and personal without alerting them…
 
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My thoughts.....

1. With big open country like that you may need a louder call.

2. I don't turn my call off and on whenever I am running a distress call. I leave it going.

3. The coyote was barking at you because he knew you were there. Seen you, smelled you, or has played the ol game many times before.

4. Time of day. I don't do much day time hunting here, but when I'm out and about it seems like I see more coyotes during the mid mornings 10-11am.
 
You seem to have a decent grasp of picking sets and being aware of the wind, which is the #1 priority. Also, moving in closer on located coyotes is a good tactic.
I don't know that you necessarily did anything "wrong". Sometimes coyotes just aren't there, or aren't in the mood.
It's hard to say for sure without hearing the barking myself, but likely it was 'warning barks' because they had you pegged one way or another.
Couple things I'll add, based on yours and other's comments:
  • I almost always start with howls, especially in the early morning, or toward evening. If it doesn't trigger a territorial response, it may at least get their attention.
  • People have had success with silence between sounds and with just running the call continuously. It can work either way.
  • I don't think coyotes are capable of rational thought, like "hey it sounded like a coyote over there earlier, now it sounds like a rabbit getting mauled. Maybe that coyote is stealing "my" rabbits". Instead, I think they're just triggered by instincts (territory, hunger, breeding, etc).
  • I start my caller on the softer side in case something is close, but don't be afraid to crank it up if nothing comes within the first couple minutes.
  • "Matching the prey" of the area can work, but isn't really necessary. For example, you can call coyotes using a jackrabbit distress in an area with no jacks. Also, woodpecker seems to work for guys, but how many injured woodpeckers do you think a given coyote has ever heard? -- Goes back to the 'triggered by instinct vs rational thought' idea.
 
DoubleLungRage said:
My thoughts.....

1. With big open country like that you may need a louder call.

2. I don't turn my call off and on whenever I am running a distress call. I leave it going.

3. The coyote was barking at you because he knew you were there. Seen you, smelled you, or has played the ol game many times before.

4. Time of day. I don't do much day time hunting here, but when I'm out and about it seems like I see more coyotes during the mid mornings 10-11am.
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Thanks for the help, all great notes. I think my biggest uncertainty while I was out there was related to turning the call off and on; from youtube videos I had a hard time telling if they were just leaving the distress on or cycling it, very glad to have some guidance on that!
 
SupressYourself said:
You seem to have a decent grasp of picking sets and being aware of the wind, which is the #1 priority. Also, moving in closer on located coyotes is a good tactic.
I don't know that you necessarily did anything "wrong". Sometimes coyotes just aren't there, or aren't in the mood.
It's hard to say for sure without hearing the barking myself, but likely it was 'warning barks' because they had you pegged one way or another.
Couple things I'll add, based on yours and other's comments:
  • I almost always start with howls, especially in the early morning, or toward evening. If it doesn't trigger a territorial response, it may at least get their attention.
  • People have had success with silence between sounds and with just running the call continuously. It can work either way.
  • I don't think coyotes are capable of rational thought, like "hey it sounded like a coyote over there earlier, now it sounds like a rabbit getting mauled. Maybe that coyote is stealing "my" rabbits". Instead, I think they're just triggered by instincts (territory, hunger, breeding, etc).
  • I start my caller on the softer side in case something is close, but don't be afraid to crank it up if nothing comes within the first couple minutes.
  • "Matching the prey" of the area can work, but isn't really necessary. For example, you can call coyotes using a jackrabbit distress in an area with no jacks. Also, woodpecker seems to work for guys, but how many injured woodpeckers do you think a given coyote has ever heard? -- Goes back to the 'triggered by instinct vs rational thought' idea.
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Thanks for the help! My general assumption if I can't call in dogs is that they're just not there, but I'd be pretty ticked at myself if I was making any glaring mistakes! I'll definitely have to try out starting with howls next time, I haven't done that yet.
 
It’s been mentioned already but some days they just don’t respond (and it sucks!). I Went out and did a 8 mile loop yesterday in my best calling area. There’s no roads around and it gets very minimal pressure. It snowed a little the previous night and continued to lightly snow throughout the day. The only thing that wasn’t perfect was the slight east wind. Our predominate wind is a north west wind so not sure if that throws stuff off a bit. Only a coyote could tell us that haha.

However, I thought it was going to be prime time and I would run out of bullets with all the coyotes waiting to come into my call. I got my butt kicked and only truly called 1 in. It didn’t matter what I played (distress, vocals, fights) they just weren’t responding. Saw at least 8-9 mousing around and they definitely heard the call. They just didn’t want to respond.

My opinion, go back out and hit some new areas. Come back to those spots in a few weeks and try it again.
 
rational thought - they don't have it! Just taught responses and normal food/shelter/protection/curiosity. Could have been one that was closer, sensed danger - ran off and sounded the alert. Got one that was sitting in the bushes watching for dinner. Once no sounds until I started calling, then howls from all sides. good 1/2 mi away. Wed night, howls all around, one from bushes 80 yds away. Never could get it into the open. Biggest problem is doe that come to the feeder and won't go away!
Sounds? Some alert them, some bring them in. Some they IGNORE.
 
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Where was the wind hitting you as you walked in? Itd be tough to always call with the sun behind you and wind right, it is doable, but does take alot of work to make sure every stand throughout a day is set up right without knowing the land.

How close were you to these draws? Couldve been "too deep". Let the coyote come to you a little, instead of you getting into its normal bedding area. 100 yards from breaking over a hill is great in some/most country around here. Keeps them from spotting you coming in, but doesnt put you out of range for them coming in. Ive seen coyotes respond from a mile away, 100 extra yards is nothing.

Turn that caller up. Use a quiet call at first incase you come up on one napping, then turn the volume up, Ive sit down 20ish yards from a sleeping coyote once. That call isnt going to play too loud. When I see one at a distance, I tend to turn the volume down or off. If they lose interest a little Ill turn it up a bit to get their attention back then turn it back down.

Do you have a sat or topo picture of a stand? Mark wind and sun on it and thatd help guys give you more advice.
 
While the poke may be free, the jab to cure what ales you after the fact is not. Then there is the incurable and the KGBVD (Rotchyacockoff).
 
In heavily hunted areas, use handcalls.

I'm not picking on Foxpro/Luckyduck, but, every new guy that uses a Foxpro/Luckyduck, is using the exact same sounds, meaning the exact same Cottontail/Jackrabbit/Woodpecker sound comes out of most every Foxpro/Luckyduck.

If the new guy gets busted while playing the Cottontail on the Foxpro/Luckyduck, that coyote might be much harder to call in a 2nd with the Cottontail on the Foxpro/Luckyduck.

My experience has been, once I get barked at, I've been busted, so I pack up and go somewhere else.

As others have posted, sometimes, coyotes just won't respond, even though they hear the call.

If you can, go to a large State Park or other open area, where you can't hunt coyotes, and make some stands there. If you start calling those 'park' coyotes in, you know you are on the right track. Watch how, and from where, they approach, and try to figure out why they came from 'there' and not where you thought they should come from.

And, of course, read these current and past posts. This place is a wealth of knowledge, with many, many excellent coyote hunters on it.

Good luck, and keep us posted.
 
Public ground predator hunts(daytime) can be VERY UNSUCCESSFUL during and shortly after firearms big game seasons. Boots,guns have been making noise and leaving gut piles and wounded game (night time spot source food) that predators will travel long distances from safe daytime locations. Location,location and timing. Stay calm and make a good shot, success will happen.
 
I rarely worry about the sun, only have it at my back if convenient. My biggest concern is the wind. I really like a crosswind so I can see a down wind approach. Wind in my face if I have room for a coyote circling down wind cuts in front of me. I always approach a stand so the wind never carries my scent across the area I plan to call. Try to set up so a coyote never has to cross my trail in. I had too many stop and turn back at my trail even coming in on a packed trail..

99% of my hunting is on public land. 100% daylight.
 
Personally, I think you're overthinking all of it. How far did you travel to get to the areas you were hunting? I take it you don't live in Utah. Right there is a problem. You are hunting land you know absolutely nothing about. It's hard enough to raise a coyote in an area you're familiar with, let alone trying to figure them out in new country.
I only use mouth calls, mainly because I don't haul around extra equipment.
When I get to my first stand, I call for no more than a minute. I start out low and slow. Then the wait begins. More than what gun you use, what call you use, whether you wear camo, patience is the most important. I try to use high ground and try to sit in front of a rock or brush to break up my outline. Wait, maybe at least 10 min. You might get lucky. You might get one in close. You also might get one curious at the furthest range of your call, so give it time to cover the ground. I've watched them cover great distances on the way to the call. If you see them coming, stay off the call. You can only screw things up.
If I were you, I'd stick close to home so I could really learn the area I am hunting. Hone my calling skills and learn to have an abundance of patience. Call and scan. Sometimes they will come at you like a freight train, sometimes they will be cautious and take forever. Basically, it's on the job training.
 
I’ve had a lot of consecutive dry stands. If I hadn’t called coyotes before, I’d have sworn it wasn’t possible. You sound like you’ve got a good handle on what to do. If you keep after em, it will happen.
 
Your tactics appear to be pretty good. Sometimes it just doesn't work. Only about 10% of my stands usually produce anything. My most successful stands are always at first and last light. My second most successful time is usually before 10AM. After that its usually any time before noon. A successful midday stand has always been pretty rare for me. A lot of making a successful stand is just being in the right place at the right time and then applying the right tactics.

Something to consider is not getting busted on the way to your stand. Play the wind on the way to your stand with where you think the coyotes currently are in mind.
 
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