46 replies to this topic

[Colin]

How about we give some tips to the new guys...I have around 50 coyotes under my belt, therefore, I am no newbie and by no means a professional. However, I may have some tips to help those newer to the calling game....I hope others will chime in with their ideas also...This is no competition...just experiences that can help others score that may be having trouble.A little about me...I've been a dedicated coyote hunter for around 20 years. I would love to say I am confident to 300 yards, but I am not. Regardless of the rifle in my hands, I am a 250 yard shooter and that is it. It took me SEVERAL years to admit that. I've shot coyotes with my .223, .243, 2 different .25-06's, shotgun (12 Gauge) and .300 Win Mag. I've been with others that have shot coyotes with .22LR, .222 Mag, .30-30, 7mm-08, .270, 7mm Mag, and .375 H&H Mag. I've shot at more than 10 coyotes over 300 yards and have yet to connect. I've missed coyotes as close as 10 yards and hit running coyotes at just over 200 yards...I am not an expert shooter, to say the least. I have become a big fan of watching coyotes come to the call. Within the past couple of years, I can't remember shooting a coyote beyond 150 yards, because of how much I enjoy watching them come to the call Let's get on with the tips...please feel free to add any responses....1. Most newbies I take out are far too loud geting to the stand. Take your time and keep your voice down. Watch where you step and get to your stand as quietly as you can. 2. Choose your stand carefully. Picture the event before it happens. Coyotes will take the easiest route to the call, meaning they will use trails. visualize, if they take trail #1, when and how you will be able to get your gun up, etc. 3. Coyotes are extremely sensitive to the human form (no matter how much camo you have on) and movement. 4. In heavily brushy areas, I find calling softly first tends to work well. If something doesn't show up within 10 minutes, I will up the volume a bit. 5. Don't bail out of your stand too early. Most often (for me) coyotes show up either within the first couple of minutes or around the 20-30 minute mark. I've had coyotes come to the call as much as 45 minutes into the stand. Please add on....

[fishandhunt4ever]

Thanks for the info. That was really cool of you to do this.

[milkman]

you should clip this up in the important topics...thank you..glenn

[OrneryOlMofo357]

Good points Collin.. agreed with everything you said, Not a pro here either but to add on what works for me..6 Get comfortable BEFORE starting to call.. No fidgiting on the stand.7 Look through your scope, make sure that everything is clear prior to calling.8 Have your rifle ready on the sticks.. I keep mine on my shoulder ready to shoot for as long as possible.9 Do a good inspection of the equipment before heading out. Ammo? Magazine for the rifle? If using a caller, Is it charged? Have you got the remote? " Dont ask me how I lnow these things" 10 Using an E caller, Mix up the sounds. Rabbit calls are good but dont be afraid to try other rodent, bird calls too.11 Your not gonna shoot anything sitting home on the couch.. Get out there and CaLL!

[ehd]

practice shooting with your gun and equipment. 1" groups @ 100 yards. Coyotes are not a big target. Add a little excitement and you have a really small area (3") to connect. A missed coyote is a TRAINED coyote. We all miss now and again,but I want it to be a real surprise when I do. When you set up to call, sit in the shadows and allow a natural spot for the coyote to come to a call. such as a trail etc.. Most times they will use that feature ,but be ready as some hard chargers come straight no matter what. learn to identify fresh sign, as you cant call a coyote if one isnt there. coyotes move with the feed ,no feed no coyotes, so be aware of what you see walking in setting up etc. after your hunt think about what worked and WHAT DIDNT , learn from your mistakes,cause we all make them.

[Frank]

Good idea, Colin, starting this topic...

Here's my thoughts, in no special order (& is worth exactly what one paid for it). LOL

1). Gain a little elevation over looking the terrain, if possible. I get the most fun out of watching them come in from a long ways out, watching their behavior & having more time to think on HOW I am going to kill mr. coyote.

2). And visa versa! Hunting in flat land, on level ground, with scattered vegetation can also be productive. Try to have at least a little clearing in front of you. Be ready, as they can be on you quick in this set up.

3). And still another is, hunt the top of a ridgeline. Sounds crazy, however, as long as you can find some concealment, whether by sitting next to a bush or lying down, you can be successful.

4). Have the sun at your back or at your side. They cannot see you if the sun is in their eyes; and your likely not to see them with the sun glaring through your scope either (if the sun is in front of you).

5). Try and sit in the shade; again, if at all possible

6). Paying attention to the wind is good... to a point, as it can, & does CONSTANTLY shift. I like a Cross wind best. For example; if you are DOWN wind like many hunters say, guess where the coyote can end up? That's right... BEHIND you! Especially a wiser / larger dog. This is where a partner can be a big help.

7). Shooting skills... this has been the # 1 downfall in my experience. Learn proper shooting skills, first from a bench. Also trajectorys! KNOW your rifle! I can't stress this one enough. One young friend in his teens missed 7 coyotes & 1 bobcat in a row.

8). Eliminate Guess Work... goes with # 7 above & for "rifle hunters in semi open terrain". Build a "300" yard coyote rifle. Use a caliber & bullet that will give the flattest trajectory out to 300(+) yards. And the heaviest bullets within said caliber ain't it. Forget B.C., a common mistake! We are not shooting prairie dogs @ 500 yards & beyond & normally not in high winds, where B.C.(bullet coefficient) would make a difference!

Coyotes often times will "hang up" (or stop) around the 300(+/-) yard mark. Having the proper 300 yard caliber, bullet & velocity can be the difference between success or failure.

9). Use shooting stix... to go with # 7 & 8 above.

10). Wear a camo face net & boonie hat. Forget the baseball caps as they do not break up your outline. They just look cool; which ain't all bad either, I guess. lol

11). Don't move... having someone moving like s/he has ants in their pants will be quickly spotted by mr. wiley.

12). Just do it... as there's nothing like plain old experience, & just getting out. We all learn as we go, so might as well get started now. And while we do improve the more we do it, we also never STOP learning either. And if we did (stop learning), we're obviously in the wrong sport or hobby. No experts; except in their own mind!

13). Just blow on that mouth call. It does NOT matter how bad one sounds on a distress rabbit call. One can sound gawd awful & be almost embarrassing to listen to, only to see one or more coyotes come charging in.

14). GO TO "ALLPREDATORCALLS.COM" on the net and order one or more of Randy Anderson's dvds. You will be glad you did! "Mastering the Art", the 3 hr version is a great one.

Good Luck
Frank

[OrneryOlMofo357]

Good thoughts Frank! I like the practice like you hunt theme. If you want to hit 2-300 yd targets from sticks or a Bipod, you gotta practice it. You may not get the bragger pics of groups that can be covered with a dime, but it will sure boost your confidence while hunting. I have a home made portable bench for initial load testing, but lots of times I just plop my butt down and shoot from the hunting rest /sticks/Bipod.Great Thread guys !

[Frank]

Right on, Grant, right on Colin, I TOTALLY agree on your #5. However, I'm afraid you & I are in the minority on that one, with seemingly many folks going only 15 minuntes max on a stand. Which is fine & is another way of doing this, but just not for us anyhow. You nailed it with many coyotes either showing up early (approx 5 minutes or less) or arriving around the 20-30 minute mark. I absolutely agree and has been my experience also. Again, Good Job/ThreadFrank

[Hutch]

Elevation. If the terrain permits, try to set up on a hill. Doing so will give you a much greater field of view.

[Colin]

Great replies everybody. Thanks for joining in....I will add more, when I have more time.

[usahunter]

Try to create a scenario, here in So Ca. our coyotes are pressured and have heard just about everything, so, confuse them , use your e caller and your mouth call at the same time, try to think like an animal thats at deaths door and wants everybody to know it, vary your call intensity and volume, call soft then real loud then back down to soft and the occasional moan's, switch off on calls, use something that they probably have not heard before, I've used baby pig in distress in an area that has never seen a pig and it worked, they want an easy meal but they don't want to get killed getting it.regarding movement, most guys think they sit motionless, I taped a kid who told me he sits very still , I can't tell you how many times he itched his ear, wiped his nose etc, we all move , but be aware and move as slow as possible and keep your hands/arms within your body profile. DECOY'S, sometimes they work , sometimes not, but most critters want to see something when they reach a certain point, in a turkey rich area I've used my bobble head hen and turkey called constantly just varying the tone and volume, calling much more than if it was turkey season (not during turkey season of course ), CAMO, don't think you have to buy expensive camo, if you can afford it great but military camo will work very well, you're not trying to become a tree or bush , you're trying to breakup your profile, nothing in the woods looks like us , animals see our profile as a beachball perched on a triangle, thats where the floppy boonie hat comes in, enough for now.

[Big Ty]

Thanks for the posts. I've been reading everything I can get my hands on but have unfortunately haven't been able to go lately, bad foot. God I miss the desert. Soon. Have a great day.Ty :tinfoilhatsmile:

[Yodel Dog]

... but have unfortunately haven't been able to go lately, bad foot.

You're doing it wrong. You are supposed to call them TO you, not chase them down.

[Shoot-it]

I always make sure to look at my scope settings and turn them to 3 or 4 power.I used a 3x9 for my coyote gun.

[peeker seeker]

My biggist thing to learn was to stay on the set longer. So get cumfy. Let them get close, I like to seeum up close. I can nail them at past 300 easy with the 25-06 But at fifty is more exciting. Practice shooting. And just go. Bring water. And a snack. AND DO NOT LAY ON THE SNAKES. Thats not fun. I know.

[JakeKelley]

I completely agree Frank, you hit it dead on. I always bring a small pack with water and a power bar. One time I waited for a yote for 45 minutes then finally he came out of the bushes.

[CA Desert Dog]

How To Screw Up a Coyote Hunt From the RedHunterLLC.com web siteScaring animals away by starting out with a interrogation howl.Wearing camo that's too dark.Don't cover your hands or face.Moving your head too much and too fast while trying to see the coyote come in.Moving your hands too much.Picking your nose, your butt or re-arranging "the boys" on stand.Forgetting to load your gun or chamber a round.Leaving the stand too early.Stopping calling and leaving the stand after you shoot just one dog.Don't leave the predator a comfortable approach lane to come in to your call.Walking into the bush on the way to your stand "with" the wind.Having the sun in your face on stand.Howling too much on a stand.Making longer than 20 minute stands.Not having your rifle zeroed.Using different ammo on a hunt before trying it at the range.Calling in an area that you're not familiar with.Hunting with a partner that is a "loud talker". Skylining yourself on a ridge top. Taking someone that does not want to be there and won't sit still.Hunt while sick (coughing or sneezing a little too much).Not taking extra batteries or not taking a fully charged battery for light, caller or illuminated optic.Not checking all your gear before the trip.Not thoroughly servicing your hunting rig.Not oiling those squeaky door hinges on your truck.Always slam the door when you leave your truck.Always walk to your stand stepping on sticks, etc..Always wait until the coyote is real close before racking your shotgun's action or chambering a rifle round.Always pass gas as loudly as possible before you begin calling.Keep adjusting your seated position.Not having your rifle already in a comfortable shooting position.Always take two or three uninterested spectators along on your calling hunt.Accidentally pull the wires loose from your light.Not having a back-up light.Forget spare fuses for your truck or rig, hunt light, etc.Forget your ammo or bring the wrong ammo.Bring different ammo that the stuff you used to sight in your rifle.Forget to range various points around your stand area.Sit on a cactus, ant hill, snake, scorpion, or other desert delight.Accidentally take a swig out of your rabbit urine bottle (I hate when that happens).Have two cups of coffee and a bran muffin for a snack.Take your wife on the hunt.Added now:Take Bruce on the hunt.Use bubble wrap for a cushion.Hunt in a yellow Mini-Cooper.Keep your cell phone ringer on "loud".Bring a laptop to stay in touch with the CPC forum.

[Haywood]

This happened to me so I'll throw out. I have an alarm on my cellphone that is a really loud an annoying warning siren (think all hell broke loose on a military base type siren), and apparently I needed to be somewhere for something and forgot to turn it off and five minutes into a stand it went off. So either silence your cell phones or leave them in the truck. And one of, if not the most important thing to remember, hunt legally, have permission slips and licenses on hand, don't do anything to get you run off a piece of property.

[JakeKelley]

That really sucks! Sorry that happened.

[pveh]

last week i was with my sister trying to get set up to walk into a spot that looked like it might be good. I always lock the door using the inside switch then gently close up the rig...jane wants to help though and hit the remote door lock but actually hits the panic alarm. Between that and the perfume....oh well she was here on vacation and wanted to go out. Sometimes I guess we just assume people understand hunting but do not ever assume. I once took out a coworkers husband that was a fellow hunter so I was told and when he showed up wearing jeans, a white t-shirt and cologne I asked him what he was thinking and he said he thought about wearing camo but wasn't sure he needed to...what? He did pay for gas and lunch though.

[SoCalNewby]

Hello EveryoneI am new to this forum. In fact I am new to hunting in California. I have been hunting (8 years)Deer and Squirrel in Kentucky and Oregon. Funny thing is I have lived here in California Most of my life. I don't know anyone who hunts here. So I have no clue where to hunt. The California Regulations are hard to read and there is not much information that I have found for hunting any where close to the Orange County area. My buddy and I have completed the Hunter Safety Course and are looking to go hunting. Coyoty hunting interests us. Any help and sugestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time.

[Yodel Dog]

Welcome SoCalNewby!Do some reading in the older posts. Most of the info will start making sense, but don't hesitate to ask for clarification. The regs here in CA are hard to understand and will contradict themselves. Many of the members here have been where you are, jump in and have fun.

[sixgun]

wow - this is a great thread ... lots of tips and info from those who have done it ... this was one of the reasons i joined this forum, thanks to all of you in the know and sharing with us (me)

[Colin]

There are many things that can go wrong....I took a newby out and about 5 minutes into the call, I smell smoke. I look over and he has a bright yellow big gulp cup in his hand and he is smoking a cigarette!!!Another buddy that I hunt with (he is an older guy) is really, really slow getting on target. Literally, he has taken several minutes to pull the trigger once a coyote comes in. So, get on target as quickly as you can.

[Frank]

Yikes, Colin... either of them wouldn't happen to drive a mini cooper would they? I guess "Murphy's Law" is still alive and well, eh? LOLFrank

[Colin]

Nope, The first guy I have nic-named "Good Luck". If something can go bad, it will go bad to him. He is a chemical engineer and I thought teaching him reloading would be easy. The day after I taught him, he filled a primed .22-250 case with powder and lit it off with a torch!!! He was in a squatting position reaching up to his work bench. After the smoke cleared, the cartridge was lodged in the garage ceiling, the primer shot through the work bench, off the floor and hit him near his "danglers". To his credit...he told me that he put his safety goggles on!!! Needless to say, I acquired all of his reloading equipment as his Wife made him get rid of it. Another time after a fishing trip on his new $30,000 boat, I'd asked if he needed help tying it down. "Nope, I got it." He said. A few miles down the road I see him in my rear view mirror. I called him and asked if he had tied the boat down. All I saw was him swerve into a turnout....He called later and thanked me for reminding him...AND THE LIST GOES ON. I DO NOT hunt with this guy anymore. The other guy is a joy to hunt with. He is in his 70's and just slow getting on target. I've been on a few out of State hunts with him and it is a pleasure to have him around. Very, very nice guy.

[Mick17]

To Colin--Thanks for starting the ball rolling. To the rest of you--Thanks for the good advice. I've been coyote hunting for a few years now and have not had as much success as most of you. I'm always willing to learn! Thanks!!

[Colin]

Mick, Keep at it friend. I've gone from one hand call, to all sorts of electronic calls and decoys. I am reverting back to the basics, so to speak. The electronics are heavy and I disturb the area too much by trying to set everything up, and spread my scent all over creation while setting it up. Get to your stand quietly, visualize what is the most likely approach for a coyote, and get comfortable. Fidgeting is not an option. Sometimes it helps to get set up and wait for 15 or 20 minutes before calling. Let the area "settle down" a bit. Once you start hearing the birds singing and landing in trees around you is a good signal the area has calmed down. Start your first series and keep the volume relatively low. Keep your gun at the ready. Call for a few minutes, then sit and wait. Your next few series, try upping the volume a bit. Once I see a coyote, I stay off the call. I use a kissing sound to bring them in from there. You will be amazed at how far away they can hear that kissing sound. Tuck yourself into the shadows, but give yourself plenty of room to swing your rifle/shotgun. Search with your eyes, not your head. Don't use your binoculars...too much movement. Cover your hands and face with camo. Picture a rabbit in the talons of a hawk and imagine what sounds you would make if you were in the same situation. I wouldn't be whimpering like a baby, I would be screaming....I then try to taper off the end of a series with some whimpers, coughs and chokes. The typical "Whaaaa-whaaaa" sound works, but I have found that rolling my tongue (with closed reed calls) and varying the pitch from low to high and vice-versa with open reed calls sounds a lot more like the injured rabbits I have heard. Choking off the air flow with my hand gives the effect of the windpipe being cut off, etc, etc. I call it "pouring the sauce on the call". Make as many stands as you can during the day. Many rookies calling in the foothills don't realize how far their calls travel. Some will make an unsuccessful stand, and walk 400 yards over the ridge and make another stand. Unless it is very brushy, you will need to travel much farther than that for your next stand. One time calling in the wide open flats, my buddy and I watched a coyote come full speed from over a mile away to my little hand call, and I was not at full volume!!! I killed that coyote at 150 yards. He was full speed, judging by his dust trail, until he stopped at 150 yards for the shot. That is the key to staying off the call once you see a coyote. From over a mile out, he'd pinpointed the call to within 150 yards. ( I did not call or kiss once I saw him headed in). My buddy has a couple on film that were called in from over 1/2 mile in rolling grass hills, blah, blah, blah. Same story again. Sometimes, they will sneak in, sometimes they will run you over. Many times, I have given up on a set only to look over my shoulder to have a coyote standing there within just a few yards. I do the best to hide my truck, but have called in coyotes that have come in, running right past my truck. Other times I've had them hang up way out there, not knowing why, only to find out they could see my truck from their vantage point, several hundred yards away.

[Colin]

BgBamBoo has posted a handful of videos on here that are excellent. Those guys seem to have very good luck with decoys. Watching their videos will give you some tips. They narrate the video so you know exactly what the set up is and what their thoughts are on choosing a stand. Not only are they educational, but they get me fired up to go after some coyotes.

[Braz]

Yea, but don't follow Franks lead, you are suppose to hit and kill the coyote so the camera can see the animal up close.