TonyTebbe
New member
BudmanDan requested that I record some sound clips with the new howler I built him (see "Whackem 'n Stackem Howler" on the Hand Call Maker Forum). I thought this would be a good opportunity to give my perspective on howling coyotes.
Note: These are not the best of recordings, as they were done inside my jeep, prior to shipping the howler to Dan.
Introduction
I'm, by far, no expert at howling coyotes, but these are my opionion and techniques that I've learned by trial and error over the past few years. I don't have a Doctorate Degree in Animal Behavioral Science. This equates to don't take this as Fact, as I'm sure my opinions are wide open for debate. This is just my perspective and what I found that works for me.
Much like duck calling, there a bunch of vocalizations, but I only use 3 or 4 when hunting. There is no reason to get fancy with your howls. I keep to short howls, leaving less room for error.
I primarily use the Interrogation Howl, Challenge Howl, Ki-Yi, and Pup distress.
Getting Started
I know it may sound funny, but how you hold your howler makes a big difference. I practice howling every day and found the following technique allows me to hold consistent notes on a howler. I place my index, middle, and ring fingers on top of the howler, with my thumb and pinky on the bottom. Pinch the bands on the mouthpiece with your index finger and thumb. Use your pink for the tilt (up and down), like your drinking a cup of tea in England. I get a good solid and controlled hold with this placement. Now here's the reason...
Tilt your howler up at about a 45 degree angle and rest your index finger on your top lip. Place your thumb against your chin. I tried freehanding a howler for the longest time and found this technique allows me to hold a non-breaking constant note by not shaking or wiggling the howler. I use my thumb to slide the howler out of my mouth to change the pitch. Also, I use one of my 2 front teeth to add pressure on the reed. Find out what works best for you, but this is what works for me.
By applying pressure at various points along the reed bridge, you can change the pitch. Deeper back produces a deeper sound, closer up produces higher pitch.
When using a howler, like most any calls, use your diaphramn to blow the call. If your cheeks are puffed out, then you're using your mouth. Keep your cheeks tight and use your stomach to force the air.
Like anything else, Practice is key. I practice every day going to and from work while driving. Much practice can be done on the mouthpiece without the horn. It will save your ears from ringing, as well. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Another great practice technique is to drive out into coyote areas at night and sing along with them. You'll here thousands of combinations and notes from coyotes and I just do what they are doing. Imitating them is the best practice.
Basic Sounds
Coyote vocalization is made of of basically 4 sounds. The Aggressive Bark, Non-Aggressive Bark, Constant Howl, and a Fluctuating Howl. Practice at these 4 basic sounds and you are on the road to mixing them up into vocalizations.
The Aggressive Bark requires quick/short puffs of air. This is a deliberate and hard bark. Much like any other canine that is a bit ticked off. Pop your tooth off the reed while doing this.
Aggressive Bark
Aggressive Bark on mouthpiece
The Non-Aggressive Bark also requires quick burst of air, but on a much softer tone. You'll hear coyotes do this in a non-alarming fashion. Same tooth popping technique just alot softer and milder tones.
Non-Aggressive Bark
Non-Aggressive Bark on mouthpiece
The Constant Howl is a long drawn-out howl that is non-alarming. The tone is constant, without any pitch changes. Find your tooth or lip placement and keep it there for the remainder of the howl.
Constant Howl
Constant Howl on mouthpiece
The Fluctuating Howl is a howl that changes pitch from deeper to higher. It's an aggressive howl. With your index finger against your top lip, quickly slide your teeth/lip a short distance up and down the reed to produce and up and down pitch change. I've also found that you can wiggle the howler and get a similar effect. I'm still working on the best technique for myself, as it is my most challenging.
Fluctuating Howl
Fluctuating Howl on mouthpiece
That's the 4 basic sounds. Practice them and get them down pat, as they are the building blocks to producing the vocalizations I use for howling coyotes.
Putting Them Together
The Interrogation Howl (aka Lonesome, Locator, etc..) is made up of some Non-Aggressive Barks and a Constant Howl.
Interrogation Howl
I refer to it as my "Hello Howl". I use this howl for locating coyotes. It means "Hello, I'm here....Anyone else out there?". They may return with an Iterrogation Howl, a Challenge Howl, or just come in silently to check out the newcommer. I use this quite a bit for locating coyotes. Especially in pre-dawn hours before I make my stands.
The Challenge Howl is distictly different than the Interrogation Howl. There is no mistaking the two. It is made up of Aggressive Barks and a Fluctuating Howl.
Challenge Howl
I refer to this as the "I'm Gonna Kick Your Butt Howl". It means, "Back off Jackson, this is our spot!". It's a bluffing technique that coyotes use. Slip into their core area and throw out some Challenge Howls. Sometimes, they may Challenge Howl you back and forth for a period of time. Othertimes, they will come in silently, looking for a fight. They will have the hair standing when they come in. This works great in the Spring.
Another great sound to learn is the Ki-Yi (aka. Hurt dog, Hurt Pup, Coyote Distress). It requires tooth placement on the first 1/3 of the reed bridge and fluctuating your tooth placement, similar to the Fluctuating Howl. You are trying to imitate a hurt canine, like a dog hit by a car.
Ki-Yi
You can produce Pup Distress sounds by Ki-Yi with the mouthpiece.
Pup Distress on mouthpiece
This is another Springtime coyote-getter sound.
Something to avoid
One howl that I don't want to do, is an Alarm Howl. I call it the "Busted Howl". It means the gig is up and every coyote in hearing distance knows it. To me, it sounds similar to the Challenge Howl, but it is made up of Aggressive Barks and a Constant Howl.
I try not to do this.
Busted Howl
Like I said, I'm no expert, but this is what works for me. There are a bunch of other vocalizations with Yips and Chuckles, but I find them personally challenging to produce and don't use them when hunting. I stick to the basics and get good results from them.
Of course, I maybe wrong...
Thanks...Tony
Note: These are not the best of recordings, as they were done inside my jeep, prior to shipping the howler to Dan.
Introduction
I'm, by far, no expert at howling coyotes, but these are my opionion and techniques that I've learned by trial and error over the past few years. I don't have a Doctorate Degree in Animal Behavioral Science. This equates to don't take this as Fact, as I'm sure my opinions are wide open for debate. This is just my perspective and what I found that works for me.
Much like duck calling, there a bunch of vocalizations, but I only use 3 or 4 when hunting. There is no reason to get fancy with your howls. I keep to short howls, leaving less room for error.
I primarily use the Interrogation Howl, Challenge Howl, Ki-Yi, and Pup distress.
Getting Started
I know it may sound funny, but how you hold your howler makes a big difference. I practice howling every day and found the following technique allows me to hold consistent notes on a howler. I place my index, middle, and ring fingers on top of the howler, with my thumb and pinky on the bottom. Pinch the bands on the mouthpiece with your index finger and thumb. Use your pink for the tilt (up and down), like your drinking a cup of tea in England. I get a good solid and controlled hold with this placement. Now here's the reason...
Tilt your howler up at about a 45 degree angle and rest your index finger on your top lip. Place your thumb against your chin. I tried freehanding a howler for the longest time and found this technique allows me to hold a non-breaking constant note by not shaking or wiggling the howler. I use my thumb to slide the howler out of my mouth to change the pitch. Also, I use one of my 2 front teeth to add pressure on the reed. Find out what works best for you, but this is what works for me.
By applying pressure at various points along the reed bridge, you can change the pitch. Deeper back produces a deeper sound, closer up produces higher pitch.
When using a howler, like most any calls, use your diaphramn to blow the call. If your cheeks are puffed out, then you're using your mouth. Keep your cheeks tight and use your stomach to force the air.
Like anything else, Practice is key. I practice every day going to and from work while driving. Much practice can be done on the mouthpiece without the horn. It will save your ears from ringing, as well. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Another great practice technique is to drive out into coyote areas at night and sing along with them. You'll here thousands of combinations and notes from coyotes and I just do what they are doing. Imitating them is the best practice.
Basic Sounds
Coyote vocalization is made of of basically 4 sounds. The Aggressive Bark, Non-Aggressive Bark, Constant Howl, and a Fluctuating Howl. Practice at these 4 basic sounds and you are on the road to mixing them up into vocalizations.
The Aggressive Bark requires quick/short puffs of air. This is a deliberate and hard bark. Much like any other canine that is a bit ticked off. Pop your tooth off the reed while doing this.
Aggressive Bark
Aggressive Bark on mouthpiece
The Non-Aggressive Bark also requires quick burst of air, but on a much softer tone. You'll hear coyotes do this in a non-alarming fashion. Same tooth popping technique just alot softer and milder tones.
Non-Aggressive Bark
Non-Aggressive Bark on mouthpiece
The Constant Howl is a long drawn-out howl that is non-alarming. The tone is constant, without any pitch changes. Find your tooth or lip placement and keep it there for the remainder of the howl.
Constant Howl
Constant Howl on mouthpiece
The Fluctuating Howl is a howl that changes pitch from deeper to higher. It's an aggressive howl. With your index finger against your top lip, quickly slide your teeth/lip a short distance up and down the reed to produce and up and down pitch change. I've also found that you can wiggle the howler and get a similar effect. I'm still working on the best technique for myself, as it is my most challenging.
Fluctuating Howl
Fluctuating Howl on mouthpiece
That's the 4 basic sounds. Practice them and get them down pat, as they are the building blocks to producing the vocalizations I use for howling coyotes.
Putting Them Together
The Interrogation Howl (aka Lonesome, Locator, etc..) is made up of some Non-Aggressive Barks and a Constant Howl.
Interrogation Howl
I refer to it as my "Hello Howl". I use this howl for locating coyotes. It means "Hello, I'm here....Anyone else out there?". They may return with an Iterrogation Howl, a Challenge Howl, or just come in silently to check out the newcommer. I use this quite a bit for locating coyotes. Especially in pre-dawn hours before I make my stands.
The Challenge Howl is distictly different than the Interrogation Howl. There is no mistaking the two. It is made up of Aggressive Barks and a Fluctuating Howl.
Challenge Howl
I refer to this as the "I'm Gonna Kick Your Butt Howl". It means, "Back off Jackson, this is our spot!". It's a bluffing technique that coyotes use. Slip into their core area and throw out some Challenge Howls. Sometimes, they may Challenge Howl you back and forth for a period of time. Othertimes, they will come in silently, looking for a fight. They will have the hair standing when they come in. This works great in the Spring.
Another great sound to learn is the Ki-Yi (aka. Hurt dog, Hurt Pup, Coyote Distress). It requires tooth placement on the first 1/3 of the reed bridge and fluctuating your tooth placement, similar to the Fluctuating Howl. You are trying to imitate a hurt canine, like a dog hit by a car.
Ki-Yi
You can produce Pup Distress sounds by Ki-Yi with the mouthpiece.
Pup Distress on mouthpiece
This is another Springtime coyote-getter sound.
Something to avoid
One howl that I don't want to do, is an Alarm Howl. I call it the "Busted Howl". It means the gig is up and every coyote in hearing distance knows it. To me, it sounds similar to the Challenge Howl, but it is made up of Aggressive Barks and a Constant Howl.
I try not to do this.
Busted Howl
Like I said, I'm no expert, but this is what works for me. There are a bunch of other vocalizations with Yips and Chuckles, but I find them personally challenging to produce and don't use them when hunting. I stick to the basics and get good results from them.
Of course, I maybe wrong...
Thanks...Tony
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