13 replies to this topic

[I-Hunt]

hey ya'll I have been wanting to give coyote hunting a try for sometime now and im finally setting up my first hunt. I plan on going out to los padres national forrest (specifically figueroa mountian area) and just was wanting some advice and wanted to know if anyone has tried calling around this area before. I plan on using hand calls only and was wondering if a decoy would help me out at all. Any input would be much appreciated

[DirtyDave]

Decoy: There are more guys that hunt without one than with one. Some will say it spooks more yotes than it brings in. For me, I just dont want to carry any extra weight or gear. A good location that has yotes is the most important thing when calling yotes. If there are yotes in the area, they can be called in with or without a decoy.
Have you ever been to this area? Hunted rabbits or quail there? Seen yote tracks and poop? Water? If there is small game there, then there will be predators there to eat them.

[I-Hunt]

I have been through the area alot they do have quail and rabbits, but there isnt a whole lot of them. Seen alot of coyote poop but rarely see tracks. There are a few water sources I will have to check out. Thanks for the advice on the decoy
I think the main thing I need to do is get out and give it a try and hopefully get lucky

[NVWalt]

I-Hunt,
I grew up in Lompoc and called all over the area. Lots of bobcats. Used just an old Weems call . Good area for cats, lots of cover. Good luck and don't give up.

[Frank]

I think the main thing I need to do is get out and give it a try and hopefully get lucky

Exactly... And as Walt stated, "don't give up".... That's pretty much the bottom line. Once you connect, you'll be (very) glad you did.

As far as decoys go, some folks like 'em, others don't. I'm one of the ones that don't! Probably being lazy has more to do with it than anything, & I have enough cxxp to carry as it is. Plus, as Dave stated, they can also work against you by scaring the coyote. Another is, a hard charging coyote can be gone faster than he came in with a decoy. Happens with e callers too, but I doubt as often, as the coyote usually has to look for the e call. Doesn't take him long of course to find the e call, but still normally gives the hunter a tad more time, and may, or may not be easier to stop the coyote by barking at him when using just an e call & no decoy.

However, with that said, you could take a large bird feather & string and tie it to a stick or bush, making sure it can blow freely in the wind. Since you are using a hand call, it may help get the attention off of you, Especially in lion & bear country! A BIG plus!

Good Luck and let us know how you do

[Broncowilly]

Ditto what the others have said. Good luck and be persistant!

[I-Hunt]

Thanks everybody! This is really helping me out!

Frank: Thats one thing I gotta watch out for! dont wana get a lion or bear sneakin up on me out there!

[Frank]

This is an old story I've repeated often, but I will say it again since we're on the subject...

Frank: Thats one thing I gotta watch out for! dont wana get a lion or bear sneakin up on me out there!

That is exactly what happened to me, almost 44 yrs ago when I was 21 yrs old hunting with my dad. We had a huge cougar come in from behind both of us, stopping right next to my dad just a few feet away, looking at each other eye to eye. My dad could have almost petted him. Did I say that cat was HUGE? I will never forget his HUGE head, eyes, long heavy tail, and HUGE GIRTH that seemed to almost touch the ground. Almost! And almost ruined my predator hunting forever.

That only happened to me once, as far as I know. Other hunters have had similar, & more experiences of course. Same can happen with bears.

Sorta puts the wild in wilderness doesn't it? lol Nothing exciting about this sport at all! Just hang on for the ride - it will happen!

[jawbreaker]

Did you really just say he had huge girth that almost touched the ground...

[Frank]

Nope... you left out the word "seemed" to, & ignored "almost" touch the ground. Key word!

It was only meant to emphasize larger than average or normal, which I am sure most folks probably got the "drift" of. But then again, maybe not, eh?

[Broncowilly]

Wow! That would be scary!

[modoc squeek shooter]

Friend of mine was calling coyotes. We have lots of rimrocks in this country. Hewas sitting with his back to one, it was probably 6ft high. A bobcat jumped over him lol. Needless to say my friend had to change his pants lol. Ed

[KNOCKED UP]

I-Hunt,
I grew up in Lompoc and called all over the area. Lots of bobcats. Used just an old Weems call . Good area for cats, lots of cover. Good luck and don't give up.

I grew up in Lompoc also,
As a kid we hunted everything you can think of, But I also had a lot of friends that lived in the country,
so private land was no problem. I left Lompoc in 1967, so I am sure things have changed.
Tom

[NVWalt]

Tom,
That's when I left Lompoc also. Went to Cabrillo High up in Vandenburg Village, I lived in Mission Hills. Small world. Moved to Longview Washington and my senior year of HS. Called up my first lion in Mission Hills out on the State park land. No gun and a funky camera. There werent any callers back then so the calling really was pretty good with a lot of uneducated cats and dogs around. Now you have a hard time finding an area that hasn't been saturated with foxpro sounds. Anyways, watch the wind and keep at it. You will find you call up more than you realize, you just don't see them slip in and leave, but the tracks will tell you a differant story.I cant swear to it but I think I have made more Texas heart shots on bobcats than front or side shots. How is it you dont see an animal a few yards out?