6 replies to this topic

[Rimrock]

I went out today. Ranch raods are too wet to drive so I walked. I made eight stand with no coyotes. On one stand I set my Woodpecker decoy, backed off about 50 yards and sat down (with my rifle behind me.) Turned around and a coyote had popped up at about 150 yards. It was looking right toward me and ambling toward the decoy. When it was about 75 yard from the decoy it spotted the whirling gadget, jumped straight up and lit running away. Oh well....I saw eight or nine coyotes. Most were a long way off. Only one other one that was close and it was skyined so I would not shoot at it. My coyote calling is not so good, but I called in a lot of these. That white spot next to the black steer second from right is my decoy.

[ShooterJohn]

Rod, I spotted your predicament right off. Them are cows not coyotes. Best to practice up a mite first and change from that moo call.

[Bill D.]

Yep - calling the wide open grasslands is tough....I have been busted many times by coyotes seeing me from 500 to 1,000 yards away while moving between setups. Those stocker calves are a pain in the arse!I wonder why the coyote bolted away from your decoy. Was the yote downwind of the decoy? Does your decoy make any kind of mechanical sound? I had one in Texas bolt from the decoy just as he got about 20 yards downwind of it......I am convinced the yote actually smelled human scent on the decoy from 20 yards away. He could have also smelled my foot tracks on the ground but he had not reached that spot yet......may have picked it up in the air. 99% of the time, a coyote will slam on the brakes when they get about 20 to 30 yards from the decoy and just stand still staring at it.Thanks for sharing your experience.

[Cranky Farmer]

Good calling! Now if only you could call the coyotes in with those kind of numbers you'd be SET !!

[Rimrock]

Bill,I have thought of the same things. I had almost a left to right wind and the coyote was at about 12 O'clock to me. I'm sure it never smelled me from where I was but there was a much better possibility that it could have picked up scent from the decoy, or even from my footpath even though it never got that far. The air is a good thought. I used to run hounds and I have seen them run a bear heads up, full bore, many yards off the actual trail.The decoy does not make a noise but I had one of those Foxpro Enticers sitting next to it. Maybe that was it but this coyote looked like it bolted on sight of the decoy.Thanks for your thoughts.

[keale73]

Is it true the yote will eat the calf as it is being born .Eating the feet and nose off.? Ive found drop calves eaten before ,but cant tell if they were dead before the coyotes got there.

Beleive it or not, a heffer that is calving is nothing to mess with. I have seen cows sidekick wild dogs.