New to Coyote Hunting.. ADVICE?

[VarmintVentilator]

Brush at your back, sit right up in it.  Have good clear view in front of you, got to see'em to shoot'em.  Just something to think about.  Don't give up.  ( cool look'in country I might add. )

[Raul Duke]

Do you mean the movement or the black and white blocks that are your face and facemask?

The black face mask. Didn't realize it was so noticeable. Got a tan one now to match. When I'm sitting, I do not move untill I see a yote. Then long follow it with my eyes.   I was getting up, in that pic.

[Gringo31]

There are a lot of guys on here that are much better callers than myself.  Hell, I use a fox pro 99% of the time.  But I think you are doing something wrong.  It's not your gear, or your mask IMHO.  I prefer to lay prone when I can because that is how I shoot most accurate, but to do so you need to have a very good idea which direction they are coming from.  It just pains me some to see someone put out such effort with poor results.  It has got to be something obvious.  Where are you located.  I'm guessing someone on here is close enough for an afternoon of calling to find out just what that is and get you on your way.  My gut tells me it is either your calling or how you appoach a stand.....something is up.  You mentioned earlier that you've seen them but it ran off.  Why?  Downwind?  Saw movement?  Watched for a bit and split?  Fill us in on more details and maybe we can get this figured out.  You are in good looking country, it should be happening.

Keep at it!

[Heredoggydoggy]

I've been kind of a drag on the team too.  Planning on a Monday late afternoon/evening hunt.  Got the interior of my hunting rig torn out, and trying to get it back together.  Patched the mouse holes in the headliner and recovered it with camo fleece today.  Still got a buzz going from the contact cement fumes   

[Big10gauge]

Here's a post from several years back. Hope this helps


The guys above have pretty much summed it up. Here’s what I use to determine where to hunt and call from. You have to do you homework during the “off-season” to find the good areas, but the coyotes may be in another area depending on time of year. I was lucky enough to have a mentor for several years that breathed and lived for coyotes, mostly nite hunting but hunted quite a bit during the day, Unfortunately his health has become terminal. I’ve seen pictures of him with his pickup full of coyotes just from a weekend hunt and a 400yrd shot to him was a “gimme”. That was back in the 60’s and 70”s. Anyway back to the topic.

1.   Coyotes: Needs to be a fairly good concentration of coyotes in area, this will change depending on time of year. Now knowing how to find those areas you gotta know what is going to make a coyote stay in those areas.
2.   Approach:  Needs to be quiet and not visible and not with the wind blowing from you into your calling area. No excess movement including glassing for coyotes, that's for at the end of the set
3.   Calls: Well everybody has their favorite, I think call duration/sequence is probably a more important factor than type.(Unless it’s mating season, then good luck)
4.   Calling: Should be dictated with the weather. If the wind is blowing, call more frequently in smaller distances between sets. If it’s over 20 mph you might as well resign yourself to a slow day.(of course there are exceptions) Try to set up in a crosswind or upwind if posible.
5.   Set Location:  Needs to be a place where the coyote will not have an problem
coming in and you have good visibility. (You can call them across open areas, but it will reduce your chances)
6.    Wind vs Terrain:I feel that terrain plays a more important part than wind direction, Unless you’re trying to get the coyote is as close as possible, coyotes usually will not circle downwind unless they are suspicious or really close. Close to us is 100 yrds.
7.   Scent: Coyotes will seldom cross where you have walked in. I suppose there are exceptions but we’ve had them hit our scent many many times where we have walked and it’s like a brick wall to them.
8.   Decoys: I decided not to use them for the most part, the motorized ones make too much noise, and by placing the decoy out all you are doing is making more movement.
9.    E-Callers: Learn to handcall first, callers do have the advantageof getting the sound away from you.Also it takes a long time to learn to hand call vocals.
10.   Movement: During calling the most important time not to move is during the actual call, that is when the coyote stops and orients on the sound. When they are moving I don’t think it is as critical as we quite often talk in low tones to each other.
11.   Distance to first set:. I’ve heard people saying that you have to ease the door closed when exiting the truck and gently cycle your bolt .Well if that’s the case you are hunting way too close to your truck and any coyotes in the immediate area have already heard anything you’re going to throw at them, or know better than to come in.
12.   Once you called them in you have to hit them, Take your gun(s) out and shoot at the distances you will be expecting to see coyotes and use the same set-up you will be using while hunting, Shoot from different positions, this will tell you what if any issues you will have with your set-up. We also use mildots or similar reticles. If you plan on shooting coyotes over 300 yrds, practice and practice some more. Especially on leading and shooting in a crosswind.
13.   Use a rangefinder for the longer distances.
14.   One more thing please treat the coyote as you would any other animal, it deserves as quick a humane death as possible, follow up your so-so hits to the best of your ability.

Frequently some coyotes can have a pattern much like us, They go to a food source (kitchen) and they travel back to their place where they feel at ease ( big recliner/couch), head out for some recreation (tavern) and then head for their sleeping area (bed) and start the process again. You have to figure out what part of their pattern they are doing on that property. Luckily they are up and about more in the colder weather and spending less time on the "couch" Pretty soon they will be spending a lot of time at the tavern hoping to get laid lucky

[Heredoggydoggy]

I must be part coyote--that last part describes me, in my younger days..... 

[Raul Duke]

.  You mentioned earlier that you've seen them but it ran off.  Why?  Downwind?  Saw movement?  Watched for a bit and split?  Fill us in on more details and maybe we can get this figured out.  You are in good looking country, it should be happening.

Keep at it!

Well, here we go.
Pull up at my "spot"  usally parked about 1/4 walk in distance from my stand.  Jump out the truck, load the shotgun & .22-250  Spray my decoy, hat, boots and geasr with "Sent-A-Way"
  On stands where I have orchards, vinyards, corn fields near by I walk threw the vinyard,orchard along the side of the corn. Into my stand.  Walking threw the 15-20 row, so I can't really see the hill I'm hunting. So I hope they can't see me. Get to the last row, Glass , listen , look around, from a knee position.   This is usally around 6:45am , just befor sunrise. 
 Set out my MoJo critter, about 25-30yrds from my stand. Go back sit down, and wait untill I can see the hils, open country in front of me. About 10-15 min wait. 
  Start off with a howl (white lil' dog) wait a couple seconds might let out a 2nd howl (respond) with the green lil dog.    Half the time I got 2 sets of youtes to responds, and start howling to my right, and another group srats responding to the left.  I wait it out, and see nothing.   Once everything quiets down, start with a distress call. Either a Pup, or rabbit. 
 Call for about 30-45sec, wait 4-5min call again , but just a little louder.  wait 4-5min switch to other distress call.   Do another set.  Wait 10-15 min after my last set of calls, Glass everything , get up , move out.

On stands where its open country, I park off the side of a road. Then walk up hill into a Valley.  Aslo atleast a 1/4 walk.   This is my how my morning usally plays out.  Stands can be from 2-5 miles apart.   I try to have wind at my back, or left-right, right -left.   

All this typing, and all I can think is, Is it sunday yet, to go try it again. 

[Jack Diamond]

I believe that most people will call me a liar, however this calling thing has really became a sales and marketing racket.
I have every year called dogs in while sitting in my pickup, while parked in a circle or around other farm equipment,only using
hand calls. it truly is not that complicated. coyotes like most animals in the east side do not really have the fear of vehicles
as they see them every day, however someone walking is an unusual sight, and they will split.
In the country I hunt the only time someone is walking is someone hunting, coyotes follow farm machinery all the time.
If I am positive there are dogs in a drainage I will only walk a minimum distance, to keep the scent trail small.
In my opinion you do not need the latest "hot" "cool" and "must have" gadgets.
Raul- if you have standing corn that you walk through, I will bet the dogs are in the standing corn.
I would rather walk the sage, and Call the standing corn, but if the corn has been cut the dogs are in the brush,ditches,drain-pipes.
been doing this for a few years, and have to think 54-0 is a bad score. Good-Luck.

[Special T]

Dogs LOVE corn, and the pheasant in them.  I would agree on the trucks to a point, however they normally know what a stopping truck means. 

[Jack Diamond]

Big difference from a suddenly stopping vehicle and one that's been parked for twenty
Minutes.

[VarmintVentilator]

Jack you are exactly right.  My pickup that is parked in my wheat stubble field, they'll walk right by it.  If I'm driving up through the field, they are high tailing it out of there asap.

[FALFire]

Jack you are exactly right.  My pickup that is parked in my wheat stubble field, they'll walk right by it.  If I'm driving up through the field, they are high tailing it out of there asap.

If ya saw his pickup, you would walk right by it too 

[Raul Duke]

went out Wedns night & Thurs night.  Nothing Wends, Seen 3 Thurs but to far away. Did a soft distress call. Stopped one for a split second. He looked around and kept going on his way.  Just to far of a shot, so I let them be. 
  Went out this morning, but for was just to thick. Could olny see about 60yrd in front of me.  Going to try again about 3pm.

56-0

[trippledigitss]

I'd start over with your count  - I think it may be getting in your head!  Plus I think calling/seeing them still counts for something more than a ZERO even though you didnt take one down. And give yourself some credit for not taking a wild low percentage shot too!

[CAMPMEAT]

My camo is solid black, hat, gloves, balacava, coat etc. The coyotes think you're a rock, stump, shadow or whatever. Blends in good with tree shadows sitting next to one.  Maybe try that.