Question for the experienced predator hunters

[clindsayrun]

Okay, so I'm pretty new to predator calling. I've had success, albeit limited, in calling several young coyotes into range but so far I thought this season was going great.
So yesterday, just when I'm starting to feel like I've got a clue I was put back in my place by a wary 'yote.

I was hunting along the lake shore, near some apple orchards overlooking several fields. My first stand of the day I started out with a short howler session, followed up by a distress call. I immediately received a response.

I saw a coyote running out of the brush toward me from all the way across the lake. He came angled 45 degrees to the wind toward me. At 400 yards he stopped and began heading into the wind up wind of me. He went up about 500 yards and started toward me. I thought he was coming in but instead he just did a big loop and went back out to that 400 yard line. Then he went down wind of me 500 yards, did a loop and went back out to that 400 yard line out there on the ice. It was like there was a wall at that 400 yard line. He would sneak back and forth 100 yards above me to 100 yards below me, watching the entire time, but never committed.

I had lure, and I know he could see it. And I don't think for a second that he could see me. 

This coyote toyed with me for three hours, just going back and forth. After an hour I even just shut up to see if he would come in...nope! I softened my calling, I became more distressed. I tried rodent squeaks. I gave some action to my lure.

So...What did I do wrong? What do you experts do when a coyote hangs up on you?

Should I not have switched distress calls and just stuck with one the entire time?

Anyway after three hours  I was pretty frustrated and freezing cold so I packed it in. From the truck I glassed him and he had simply curled up and was laying on the ice...right at that 400 yard line.

Let me know what you think, I'd really appreciate it.

[AWS]

I think you ran into a coyote that's been called before.

A couple years ago we had one that did  about the samething, we didn't wait as long as you, maybe a 30 min. and pulled out.  When we got back to the truck I relized I had left my glasses back at the stand.  I left my rifle  at the truck and hiked back to get my glasses as I crested the knob my stand was on there sat the same coyote(dark colour) staring into the sage bush the decoy had been set in.

Next time if everything is the same, wind direction etc. set your caller in the same place but set yourself closer to where he stopped.

AWS

[rainshadow1]

Very possible he was educated, but hanging around that long... he really wanted to come in. Sounds to me like you had a great stand set-up, but he hit a territorial line he just didn't have the courage to cross.

You never know. But when he hung around for that long, it makes me think you did everything right, he just didn't want to get beat up for taking his neighbor's dinner!

[JoshT]

Why didn't you shoot him?

Sometimes they just hang-up... that's why you need that rangefinder and some turrets. I pitty the poor dog that decides 400 yards is a safe distance to chill-out.

[SpokaneSlayer]

Very possible he was educated, but hanging around that long... he really wanted to come in. Sounds to me like you had a great stand set-up, but he hit a territorial line he just didn't have the courage to cross.

You never know. But when he hung around for that long, it makes me think you did everything right, he just didn't want to get beat up for taking his neighbor's dinner!

   Stuff happens.  You'll get him next time.

[jjhunter]

Why didn't you shoot him?

Sometimes they just hang-up... that's why you need that rangefinder and some turrets. I pitty the poor dog that decides 400 yards is a safe distance to chill-out.

Amen!

[rasbo]

sounds like the dog was a wimp..I think the howling puzzled him.400 yrd is a long way.should have came in closer.no way he could see ya could he?

[clindsayrun]

Can't say that I didn't think about taking a swat at him. However, it would have been an unsafe shot. He was out on the ice are there are houses on the other side of the lake. Had he been on north or south or east of me...I would have tried it. I honestly didn't expect anything to come from the direction he came out of. 

[docsven]

Very possible he was educated, but hanging around that long... he really wanted to come in. Sounds to me like you had a great stand set-up, but he hit a territorial line he just didn't have the courage to cross.

You never know. But when he hung around for that long, it makes me think you did everything right, he just didn't want to get beat up for taking his neighbor's dinner!

   Stuff happens.  You'll get him next time.

Territory or thin ice

[deaddog]

I think rainshadow hit it on the head, coyotes can have a home range or territory. He may have been on that range line and did not want to cross over to another dogs territory. I would go back and make your set in the area he would not leave and Ill bet you will get him. let us know if you go back to that area and how it worked out for you. I look at those kind of hunts as an opp to learn more about the critters habits and try and out smart him next time. Dame, dogs are a blast, arnt they.

[runniNgunnin]

 

[tlbradford]

Good advice all, but I think everyone missed the most obvious reason...

From the truck I glassed him and he had simply curled up and was laying on the ice...right at that 400 yard line.

This sounds exactly like the behavior of a coyote that spots your vehicle.  If you could glass him from the truck, then the coyote could see it.

[boneaddict]