Wish it was called killing

[fordfan1]

This last saturday evening and sunday morning I went out coyote hunting for the first time with no success. I went out with a couple friends and a couple people I'd never met but when we got there the wind was howling. We set up at the best spot we could find that wasn't intensly windy and started calling. The guy that was running the caller I had never met and had said they were successful most of the time so I was excited. Probably about 30 minutes into calling with no response at all we all piled back into the trucks and drove to a different spot.

Now the sun had gone down but we still had light and started calling and had a coyote call back to us from the top of the hill but soon after it stopped and never came in. We tried calling into the night but nothing came in. I think it was the fact we were sitting around the trucks talking and once in awhile calling and checking if anything was coming into the field. Seems like a no brainer that we wouldn't see anything to me but I wasn't the one with the experience.

The night was freezing and windy in the back of a truck but I was hoping to get a shot at a dog in the morning. Turns out we woke up later than we wanted to, around the time the sun was just coming up, and sat around and then the guys with the caller and all the experience said they were going home.

All together it was a let down of a trip but I learned a little about coyote hunting. In my mind I learned what not to do. My question to you guys is do you think the strong winds swirling messed us up by the coyotes catching our scent? And also have any of you been successful with sitting around a truck talking or as I would assume if your hunting you need to stay quiet and still? Any words of wisdom would be appreciated.

 

[SoCalRebelHunter]

I'd say hunting from the truck was the biggest factor in not seeing anything. They're pretty smart about not running at a truck with four guys sitting in it. The wind might not have helped either. Hard for calls to travel very far in high winds. They would have to be pretty close to hear it.

I guess now you can take what you know how to do and what NOT to do and try it. Outcome may be different, but it all depends on your calling ability and the area. Good luck!

 

[Aeon]

Try not to over analyze what you did or did not do right. You got out and maybe had a little fun.

The wind can be a pain and it squelches your calling pretty bad. I do not call as much when its super windy and spend more time sitting still and glassing, Looking for dogs on the prowl. Coyotes have trouble on a windy night as well so they can get a lil active at last light knowing its going to be rough hunting on a windy night.

As far as scent goes i would say its not any more a factor than if it was calm . Your scent is always going to play a roll even when you think its dead ass calm. Scent is still drifting and sometimes that is even worse than a nice breeze.

Go back out and hunt alone... call a lil and glass even more. Listen to the world go by at first and last light and maybe for a while after last light. Dogs shock call at all kinds of random sounds.

Drive around looking for tracks on the side of the road and big turds on the road. Fresh turd and tracks = photo opportunity! Be sure to run over any turds you see near the road that way you know if a new one Pops up!

Get back out and have some fun and do not sweat it if you do not connect right away.

 

[breacher]

Have you ever heard the saying, "A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work."

Well its the same with hunting.

 

[NBK]

All the above info, including your experience is good and positive. Remember, 90% of hunting success is just getting out there. The other 10% can be split into 2 categories - 5% luck and 5% skill!

 

[Snake Charmer]

My instincts have led me to more animals than anyone ever instructed me, use yours, your questions are appropriate and seem to be intact. You'll get 'em just stay focused and keep trying...

 

[Sdbirds]

One day u will learn. If u want to kill something u will call your buddy who puts u on everything. U want to pop your dog cherry I can do that for u.

 

[josecasillas]

One day u will learn. If u want to kill something u will call your buddy who puts u on everything. U want to pop your dog cherry I can do that for u.

LOL!! i'd listen to johnny buddy! 8)

 

[D16hunter]

One day u will learn. If u want to kill something u will call your buddy who puts u on everything. U want to pop your dog cherry I can do that for u.

Lol I know who your talking about listen to Johnny best way to kill something find a buddy who knows where the game is and how to hunt it

 

[El Matavenados]

Well, if your predator hunting experience goes anything like mine, you will spend many hours hunting before you get a coyote to come in. If you're like my brother, you'll go out to those very same spots at a different time of the day/week, and see dogs without even calling. Or borrow my single-shot rifle and my calls, and then send me pictures of the two coyotes he shot within moments of each other while I'm at work.

I'm no expert, so listen to these other guys' advice. But here are a couple things I've learned:
1. Pay attention to the wind. The coyotes often try to work their way downwind of you in order to figure out what's making that noise.
2. Don't use a .22 magnum, unless you're making (not just taking- making) headshots. It took a LONG time for me to finally be able to call in a coyote- I'm talking years. The first two I shot with my .22 WMR, and both ran off and died somewhere. I couldn't find them. My brother wouldn't stop giving me grief about that, so I started using my .30-06. First dog to come in after that, I missed- a sitting shot at 130 yards at a sitting coyote, but in an awkward direction. And the grief continued.
3. .30-06's leave big, gaping holes in coyotes shot from 30 yards. Disturbing!
4. A .223 will remove a standing coyote's huevos and sever the femoral artery, and the dog will run away, leaving a nice blood trail, until your friend rolls him at 270 with a .270, while the dog is trotting.
5. Coyotes have been known to come right in to turkey calls, barely acknowledging the noisy hunters who won't shut up when you shush them, and maul a turkey decoy. I've got a decoy with the teeth marks in it to prove it. We didn't shoot those two (even though they were only 15-20 feet away), because we wanted turkeys.
6. Deer (particularly, does) will come in to 25 yards in response to a jackrabbit in distress call, especially if you draw the cry out a little.
7. I've never had a crow come in to a crow call, but 6 out of 10 times I call coyotes, the crows come looking for dinner.
8. Barn owls (as many as 3) might just buzz you if you call at dusk.
9. Take kids coyote hunting. Even if they miss, they'll never forget the experience.
10. You will encounter coyotes of the 2-legged sort if you hunt near the border. Boy, you can see a pair of white tennis shoes from a long way off!

And now that I think about it, my coyote hunting has been a dismal failure, if dog count is the measure. I've spent so many hours doing it, and have very little to show for it. In fact, I can only recall 9 coyotes that have come to my calls, and of the 7 that were fired upon by me or those with me, only 4 were hit, and only 2 were recovered. But even though the animals don't come running in to my calls like they do in one of Randy Anderson's videos (if you haven't seen them, you must!), I greatly enjoy trying.

 

[OCOutdoors]

I would have to say that depending on your location coyotes will come into a call even if you are in/by your truck and somewhat noisy. I've never done it but my dad has a buddy who used to be in a varmint club and his truck was set up for night hunting with a hatch on the top of his camper. It is more for night hunting though. Also you need to really pay attention and scan the area, dogs will come in from both close and far without you even knowing. Many times I would get up after not seeing anything just to watch a dog turn around and walk off. Other times I would keep scanning an area before I would finally see one standing there not moving. It is harder the more people you have but we've killed dogs with 2 of us and 4 kids. I'm not going to tell you to buy the best camo you could afford cause I've killed plenty wearing shorts/jeans but if you are going to hunt the morning/evening try to surround yourself with brush and stay in the shadows, even in camo you will stick out like a sore thumb if the sunn is bearing on you.

El Matavenados- even though you haven't been all that successful sounds like you have a lot of good memories in your head and that is what it's all about. I've made some really good shots on dogs and missed a lot wondering how that is even possible.

 

[El Matavenados]

El Matavenados- even though you haven't been all that successful sounds like you have a lot of good memories in your head and that is what it's all about. I've made some really good shots on dogs and missed a lot wondering how that is even possible.

100% true! Coyote hunting has taken me all over this county, and Imperial County too. Off-roading, hiking, making sweet song-dog music, hearing a pack answer the howler from deep in a canyon or over the next ridge, having them sound off from a couple hundred yards away in the dark when you blow the howler, run-ins with the Border Patrol ("hey, you guys shouldn't be driving along the border fence- they like to throw rocks at vehicles passing by, and we've even had them shoot at us" they always say), rosy boas, skunks, rattlesnakes, turkeys, quail...all part of the experience.

2 stories and I'll shut up. I took a 2 kids coyote hunting with me after hitting the turkey tune-up (the younger drew a youth hunt at Sutherland, which is where the decoy mauling happened) a couple years back. We went up to Palomar Mt, and were disappointed to see a couple hunters with their electronic caller had arrived before us, and were leaving as we arrived. We hunted anyway, with the 3 of us sitting at the base of a big oak, each facing a different direction. I started calling, and I looked across the field, and saw a skunk running across. I don't know that I had ever seen a skunk out in the daytime. A few minutes later, another crossed, but on the opposite end of the field. After 5-6 minutes of calling, a coyote trotted into view. I was leaning too far back (lounging, really) to get my rifle up, so I hissed at the elder of the boys, "shoot it!". He didn't hear me, because he was wearing ear protection. "SHOOT IT!!!" I hissed again and again. Finally, he spotted it, and raised the rifle. The dog started running off, and he took a shot- missed. He sent two more after it, but none connected. What a cool afternoon, though! And, we called a coyote using mouth calls, out of a spot where others had failed with an e-caller.

On another occasion, I had 3 or 4 other kids out in East County, and I set one of them up with my single-shot .223. I called for a bit, and then spotted an incoming coyote up on the hill. But after coming for a bit, he hung up, and wouldn't come any closer. When he started moving away, I told the kid to take the shot when ol' Wiley stopped. I thought the distance was about 300 yards, so I told him to hold just a few inches above his back. The boy took the shot, and to my disappointment, it went just under. The mongrel jumped and ran like his tail was on fire. We looked for blood, but it was a clean miss. I ranged the shot, and found that it was more like 365 yards, so he likely missed because of the bad dope I gave him. Come to think of it, some of those same kids were there when I blew the balls off the coyote I mentioned previously, and it was their brother-in-law who put it down with a running shot at 270 yards, and; the kid that took the shot and missed was with me the following day when we called 2 does in to 25 yards.

I think the hunting I enjoy the most is when animals come in to the calls or the decoys. Anyone can jump ducks off a canal or dike, or road hunt deer, coyotes, or whatever. But tricking an animal into coming to you is just cool!

 

[Lungpopper]

"But tricking an animal into coming to you is just cool!"

So true. A coyotes senses are top notch. To trick them into coming to you is a true accomplishment. To kill one is a bonus.

 

[NBK]

That is why goose hunting is so cool. Getting those big birds to try and land in your decoys is like no other rush I know. And when you hook up, it is like 747's falling out of the sky!

Fooling game is awesome!

 

[OCOutdoors]

El Matavenados- great stories

 

[NBK]

And that too! Thanks for such a great post El Matavenados!

 

[fordfan1]

Thanks guys, all that info will really help. I definently had fun and it was better than sitting at home. I'm looking into buying a caller myself so I can go experiment by myself. Or actually maybe I'll take you up on your guide service again SDB.

 

[josecasillas]

Thanks guys, all that info will really help. I definently had fun and it was better than sitting at home. I'm looking into buying a caller myself so I can go experiment by myself. Or actually maybe I'll take you up on your guide service again SDB.

hes gonna charge you!

 

[SoCalRebelHunter]

Well, if your predator hunting experience goes anything like mine, you will spend many hours hunting before you get a coyote to come in. If you're like my brother, you'll go out to those very same spots at a different time of the day/week, and see dogs without even calling. Or borrow my single-shot rifle and my calls, and then send me pictures of the two coyotes he shot within moments of each other while I'm at work.

I'm no expert, so listen to these other guys' advice. But here are a couple things I've learned:
1. Pay attention to the wind. The coyotes often try to work their way downwind of you in order to figure out what's making that noise.
2. Don't use a .22 magnum, unless you're making (not just taking- making) headshots. It took a LONG time for me to finally be able to call in a coyote- I'm talking years. The first two I shot with my .22 WMR, and both ran off and died somewhere. I couldn't find them. My brother wouldn't stop giving me grief about that, so I started using my .30-06. First dog to come in after that, I missed- a sitting shot at 130 yards at a sitting coyote, but in an awkward direction. And the grief continued.
3. .30-06's leave big, gaping holes in coyotes shot from 30 yards. Disturbing!
4. A .223 will remove a standing coyote's huevos and sever the femoral artery, and the dog will run away, leaving a nice blood trail, until your friend rolls him at 270 with a .270, while the dog is trotting.
5. Coyotes have been known to come right in to turkey calls, barely acknowledging the noisy hunters who won't shut up when you shush them, and maul a turkey decoy. I've got a decoy with the teeth marks in it to prove it. We didn't shoot those two (even though they were only 15-20 feet away), because we wanted turkeys.
6. Deer (particularly, does) will come in to 25 yards in response to a jackrabbit in distress call, especially if you draw the cry out a little.
7. I've never had a crow come in to a crow call, but 6 out of 10 times I call coyotes, the crows come looking for dinner.
8. Barn owls (as many as 3) might just buzz you if you call at dusk.
9. Take kids coyote hunting. Even if they miss, they'll never forget the experience.
10. You will encounter coyotes of the 2-legged sort if you hunt near the border. Boy, you can see a pair of white tennis shoes from a long way off!

And now that I think about it, my coyote hunting has been a dismal failure, if dog count is the measure. I've spent so many hours doing it, and have very little to show for it. In fact, I can only recall 9 coyotes that have come to my calls, and of the 7 that were fired upon by me or those with me, only 4 were hit, and only 2 were recovered. But even though the animals don't come running in to my calls like they do in one of Randy Anderson's videos (if you haven't seen them, you must!), I greatly enjoy trying.

Probably one of the funniest and still most insightful posts about coyote hunting. Cheers my friend! That is an awesome post!