Coyotes and pheasants

[Alex4200]

I am not a coyote hunter even though I have shot a few over the years. Spend most of my time chasing upland birds these days. Just got back from a day of looking for pheasants in the Columbia basin area. I know, that is more of a waste of time than anything else but at least the dogs and I get some exercise. Since we have gotten snow on the ground this year the one thing that I have noticed is that almost every time I find chicken tracks it is not long before I find coyote tracks on top of them. Followed one set today until I found bloody snow. Seems worse this year than what I remember in past years. What I am wondering is has anyone here tried calling coyotes with pheasant sounds if you are in pheasant looking habitat?

[wolftrapper]

I haven't tried it, but have thought about it plenty.  I am normally an avid pheasant hunter, but have turned to coyotes because my dog is too old to hunt much.

If you know of a call that will mimic a pheasant, I'd like to try it.  I am always looking for something that maybe no one else has tried.  These older coyotes have heard the dying rabbit call too many times, for it to be effective.

[bowtechian]

I would look at a electronic predator call dogs are territorial make it sound like their tuff has a intruder

[jjaba]

I downloaded the Pheasant in distress to my foxpro.  I tried near a pheasant release site. no luck but going to try again here when have a chance.

[cdriver]

I've been attempting to call/hunt coyotes at one of the pheasant sites around Mason Lake. Seeing lots of sign but no yotes yet. I don't have any dedicated bird distress calls but like the area and it's prospects. Will work on modifying some of the distress calling I do.

[Ole man fintucky]

This coyote got greedy, I called him in using vole squeaks. He had that pheasant in his mouth when I shot him.

[Peeshooter]

Great picture....

[nwwanderer]

Ringnecks make a bunch of strange sounds, I have not heard them recorded. 

[AWS]

I think your overthinking this, coyotes aren't like people just because they've been feeding on pheasants they aren't going to turn their nose up at any other easy meal.  I suppose if you find coyote crap with apple peels or russian olives in it your going to want to find a call that sounds like fruit falling to the ground.  What about hunting where the coyotes have been feeding on carrots(commercial farm), now that's strange looking crap when you come across it.  Wonder what a carrot sounds like.

[Alex4200]

Aws, I think you are spot on. Yotes are survivors. They wouldn't pass up a meal for anything even if that meal doesn't make a sound. I guess part of my original post was just a thought about how people always talk about coyotes becoming call shy. My thought was just to add a different sound that they haven't heard used that often. Predator calls are usually made to mimic a wounded rodent because those have been proven to work. Pheasants make noises and I know my dogs are attracted to that sound. I suppose a quail recall sound might be something that would work also. Anyway, a reduction of coyotes in bird habitat has to be benifical to bird populations so anyone willing to thin out coyotes in bird habitat is welcomed in my book. It doesn't matter how they are called in.

[Evil_EdwardO]

They do make pheasant calls, maybe try one. I have called in coyotes with a quail call before.

[AWS]

Interest that you brought up a pheasant call, my uncle invented the first successful pheasant call in the 1950's and I spent many nights with my dad turning out walnut barrels for them.  I believe he sold the patent to Faulk's.  His name was Ken Heuser and was a CO outfitter, writer for outdoor magazines and outdoor book author.

Dad and I would sit on the back porch and call pheasants into the backyard.

[b23]

have turned to coyotes because my dog is too old to hunt much.

LOL   I find myself having the same problem except it's not my dog that's getting to old to hunt much.  Except for coyotes.

[YoteSlayer61]

I have a young pheasant in  distress on my Primos alpha dog I'm pretty sure you can purchase them for FoxPro or  primos or any digital caller...One thing you may consider is the amount of hunting pressure and human presence  that are in those pheasant release areas Coyotes become call Shy very quickly very smart when it comes to humans in the area if you don't believe me go to one of those areas on a holiday weekend there will be several vehicles and hunter orange everywhere coyotes are opportunistic predators so any kind of a distressed sound will probably get their attention and I think they are somewhat curious as well but might just come in to take a look to figure out what the hell that sound is a lot of these digital callers have goat in distress cat in distress and several other barnyard sounds.....don't know why I'm telling you this but I often use magpie and crow/ Raven gathering sounds like there is a carcass in the area they are feeding on

[JDHasty]

There used to be a guy who advertised guided coyote hunting on the Scatter Creek release site in Western Washington Fishing & Hunting News.  He was very successful and he used a taxi rooster, or two and a mouth blown pheasant call.  I forget what brand it was.  I think it was Lohman. 

This was in the 1980s, I watched him set up and then his client close the deal a few times from up in the Port Blakely tree farm looking down.  Normally he set up up on the pole line cut though.