White Smoke - Some Questions on calling sequence.

[TheGDog]

Good evening sir. With all your years going at it with predators... Specifically I wanted to pick your brain in regard to when do you start off a calling session with Locator howls before finally then later dropping into all the various other sounds you might elect to blow calls for.

Like what are THE criteria or reasons about one stand, as opposed to another that make you think for this particular stand you feel you should begin with a lone invitation Howl? Is it the way the terrain is laid out around this spot? Does it make you think that the invitation howl will be able to travel nice and far here, so why not?

Also, has it been your experience that when calling with mouth calls, that having a motion decoy set out provides benefit? Since they are likely to be honed-in and fixated on the source of the sound, which would be you, rather than the twirly-whirly MOJO?


Been thinking on one of the next times going out, I wanna focus and doing it all with mouthcalls. No eCaller in the mix, accept for one that you hand-hold it. It doesn't have a remote. So I kind wanted to get a feel for how much of initial Howling you might happen to start off a set with? And perhaps what outcomes in the calling would then make you elect to cease using the howling invitations, and start going right into the other kinds of distress calls.

Also, in terms of starting out quiet with a new sound, lets say playing on an eCaller, just how quietly to play it at first, and how long and how much to bump it up by over the coarse of the next 2-3 minutes.

And also, would you recommend carrying both rifle and shotgun when attempting to use just mouth blown calls?

 

[White Smoke]

I use the locator calls to find out where the coyotes are when I'm in a new area. I'll hit it, listen for a response and then move toward any response to set up a stand.

The lone female yodel howl (I call it the "I love you!" howl) works best at the beginning of pupping season when the coyotes are starting to pair up, typically December, January and February and sometimes into March. Aggressive challenge barks also work as the males are defending their territory at that time.

Decoys are pretty much a good idea anytime, both with a mouth call or an e-call, although, to be honest, I don't use one much with a mouth call. I always have several (4) with me at all times as they are attached to my lanyard. I have a cottontail, jackrabbit, Skyote and a cat call on the lanyard along with the e-call remote.

With your caller not having a remote, I would start out (right now) with a lone female long howl for a few minutes, wait a couple of minutes and go to a challenge bark for a minute or two. After that, try some prey calls, like a low baby cottontail, kitten distress or crying kittens, and then go to a bird call like a woodpecker. I always finish a session with a pup distress call.

If you want to go with just your mouth calls, rip a few howls with a howler (Skyote or similar) and then go with what calls you have. I would suggest having a cottontail and a jackrabbit call. Start with a low cottontail and slowly increase the volume as you progress over a few minutes. If nothing happens, switch to the jackrabbit at medium volume and go to 3/4 slowly.

It's always good to start out at a low volume for a couple of rounds, a "round" being about a minute, pause a minute and then resume for a minute. On the third round, go to half volume. On the fourth, go to 3/4. It's really rare to go to full volume except in really high wind. Sometimes, just call continually. Both work. Try a staggered routine for a few stands and then try continuous.

Absolutely on both a rifle and a shotgun. I once had a coyote jump right over me when I was tucked really tight into a brush line. (This was before e-calls, so I was using an old wood Circe cottontail call) Heavy brush blocked my view to my left. The first thing I saw was two coyotes at FULL speed at about 10 feet making a hard right turn and coming right at me. All I could do was duck. One peeled off and the other went right over me. Luckily, I didn't get bit and lucky again I was carrying a double-barrel shotgun at the time. The one that jumped over me got away.

Hope this helps. I would also suggest joining a local varmint club. You can get a lot of help from their members. Go out with some of their members and see how they do it. There is no "right" way or "wrong" way all the time. The "right" way is what's working right now. Where do you live?

 

[TheGDog]

Beautiful!!! Thank You!! This is EXACTLY the kind of detail and nuance about general strategies and technique I was hoping to hear about.

Live? I'm North OC, sorta near the Los Alamitos Air Base. So everywhere to legally shoot for coyotes is a bit of a drive for me since I'm near the Coast. That's part of the reason I appreciate helpful technique tips input like this because these outings are NOT short trips.

The two main areas I'm trying to work on, in opposite directions, one is 75mi each way , the other is around 110mi each way I think. And at best I can do about 2 per month... you know... since nobody else but Daddy seems to be able to Mow the bleeping lawns, Trim the Ivy, or Clean the pool filter elements... or fix whatever the hell is next to breakdown around this damn camp. (Sorry for the venting, obviously some of the reasons Hunting has an allure).

 

[TheGDog]

Reviewing your post here. I'm suspecting that yeah I've probably been laying into it too heavy with the volume, too early on in the sequence.

And like, with my mouth calls, I've been trying to really put a lot of emotion into it, make it sound like the most intense "Oh My God this thing is tearing me to pieces, Oh My God it Hurts!!!" type of feel to it I can produce.

Doing things like.. at the beginning of a "round" using the rasp you can achieve when blowing at full pressure with your air so that takes the reed right up "to the wall" in terms of its output, where it distorts and has that rasp at, and using my embouchure to give the sounds more realistic voice and shape . (I used to play Clarinet, so I got that part down no problem). Also I'll employ adding a bit of jitter or you might say twitch to the jawbone towards the end of a "round" of blowing to add that sorta "Oh My God i'm in such pain I'm about to pass-out" vibe to it.

So anyhoo, in looking at your notes, looks like I might benefit from trying to go a lot easier on it in the beginning with the mouth calls. Let it build up after a few rounds of the current call I'm using. Perhaps try saving that most frantic type of sound-off for the end of suing that call...if nothing else has worked so far might be a better move.

Oh... also... regarding volume. Would you say that when you have visually spotted a coyote coming in to your calling efforts, do you typically start trying to subtley pick moments during breaks in the playback to start bumping the volume down by a notch before each new blurb coming out in that calling "round"? So that by the time he's gotten real close to the caller, or your mouth call ... that the volume level you would now have with him so close to it won't seem soo freakishly out of place loud for such proximity? Or is it by that time the Coyotes have already committed to it, and it doesn't matter how loud it is at that point?

Hope I've worded that question specific enough to be properly understood.

 

[White Smoke]

When you spot the coyote coming in, just stop calling. It SHOULD continue in. If it does stop, give a soft blow on the call, like a very weak cry. If it's close, just do a lip squeak.
Look up the Orange County Predator Callers. It's a great group...and very active.