Deep Snow & Bitter Cold

[KennyLL]

I would sure appreciate some advice on calling and shooting coyotes under these very wintry conditions. I know coyotes are in the area, but so far I havent had any sucess. The deep snow has drifted in all the grass type cover here in SW Minn. Coyotes seem to be hanging around old farm groves, but their tracks are everywhere. I have a JS remote type electronic caller, but not sure if i am using it correctly. I have been using mostly the rabbit destress call. Should i be using a different sound or sequence of sounds on it??? If I set up in a certain location , can I go back there again the next day? How often should call at a location??
I really think that once I learn the ins and outs of calling, it will be a blast!! There some hunters around here who chase coyotes out somewhere and then send their greyhound dogs after them. I find that not very challenging or very sportmanlike either!!
Any feedback will be greatly appreciated?

 

[SBruce]

Hard to say why you haven't had any success yet without seeing it first hand. I don't presume to know the thickness of the vegetation and cover, or the type of terrain where you are hunting.

Possibilities:

The coyotes are not within range to hear your call at the time you are there.
The coyotes that are there can hear you, but have been well educated to the rabbit sound, and will avoid it. Maybe try a fawn bawl, bird or kitten distress, coyote distress, coyotes howling, ect.
Their bellies are already full of some other type of prey.
You have called in some but haven't seen them..............because they smelled you or your "footprints" into the area. Try to set where they have to expose themselves in order to get downwind of the caller. Try to set up where you can see downwind to some degree too.
You have called some to the edge of cover, but they saw a reflection or glare that wasn't natural in the vicinity of the sound, or they could see your vehicle back behind the vicinity of the sound...............they will stay in the cover.
Your volumn may be too loud, or too quiet, hard to say without being there.
You may not be staying there long enough for them to come all the way in before you get up and leave (happens in open country where they may be coming from over 1/2 a mile)........Stay put for at least 15 min. 30 is better in open country.

As you can see, there are TONS of reasons why we may not get a coyote.
If you think that the coyotes are not there when you are, it doesn't hurt to try the same spot on consecutive days. Just don't overdue it and educate them to every sound in your arsenal. I've always liked to give the area a little rest, no matter if I had any success in that spot or not.

When playing the Electronic Caller, are you playing it constant or are you playing for a bit then pausing (silent) for a bit?? Which do think is more realistic??

You can try to locate some before calling (by listening for their howls early morning or using a "coyote locator" sound on your Johny Stewart). A person can hear coyotes howling on a calm day out to about 2 miles in open country, less in timber/heavy vegetation or hilly country. Once you've got an aproximate fix on their direction, you can close the distance quietly and set up/call every 1/4 mile or so. Once you learn to estimate their distance from you by the volumn of their howls, you can sneak right into position and go for glory. If the country is "open" enough, you can locate them via binoculars/spotting scope (works really well when everything is white). Once you spot some, sneak into them (try to get 1/4 to 1/2 mile from them without exposing yourself) and then go for glory.

Your best bet may be to locate someone in your area that is having or has had good success, then go out hunting together. 4 eyes are better than 2 when it comes to spotting incoming predators sometimes anyway.

Hopefully this gives you some ideas and some better luck.

 

[KennyLL]

Thanks so much for your input. Many of the things you mentioned I try to do. Here in SW Minn, it is farmlaned usually one square mile sections, although there are a few 2 mile sections very nearby. Tipically there are fencelines, creekbottoms, pastures, and old farm groves for wildlife to live. The terrain here is mainly flat, some rolls slopes here or there. I havent try much of the coyote howling type sounds. I have a little but never and response. If a coyote hears a howl or distress, do they usually answer? I am pretty sure that there are no other hunters who call predators in this area. More like hunters who run the coyote from one section to the next with dogs or trucks!!!! Also here there are getting to be more and more coyotes every year, but its not South Dakota or Nebraska. My wife thinks I am crazy for getting up an hour before sunrise and going out and sitting somewhere when its 20 below zero!! I will keep you posted my my succuss or lack of!!!

 

[SBruce]

If a coyote hears a howl or distress, do they usually answer?

That is variable.............they usually don't answer a coyote distress verbally, mostly physical responses there.

They will often times respond to another coyote howling, both physically and verbally. Sometimes they won't answer, they will just come in to see who's there. Other times they will answer verbally and not come in, that's when you go to them. Sometimes they will answer AND come in, that's when your job is easiest.

Coyotes can and will travel a huge amount of country in a day if the snow is hard enough for them to trot on. They may not be within the section you are hunting at the time. If they are being run by dogs, you may have to try and find some farms that are more off the "beaten path". I've never hunted with hounds for coyotes, but am under the impession those hunters will travel the roads. When they see a fresh track or see a coyote, then they'll let the dogs out?? Perhaps some of these hunters are calling in the coyotes and then letting the dogs out..............bad news for you, because any coyote that has managed to escaped the dogs will be educated to calling too.

 

[KennyLL]

The hunters here who use the dogs would normally stop at slough or abadoned farm place. Get out and shoot a 22 around a bit and see if anything comes busting out the other end. If a coyote or fox comes out, they turn their greyhounds loose. The dogs will chase that coyote until it is so tired that it is a very easy shot for the hunter on the other side of the section, or the dogs tear the coyote to shreds, whichever comes first! To my knowledge they dont use calls while hunting like this.

 

[Waltech Jim]

The hunters here who use the dogs would normally stop at slough or abadoned farm place. Get out and shoot a 22 around a bit and see if anything comes busting out the other end. If a coyote or fox comes out, they turn their greyhounds loose. The dogs will chase that coyote until it is so tired that it is a very easy shot for the hunter on the other side of the section, or the dogs tear the coyote to shreds, whichever comes first! To my knowledge they dont use calls while hunting like this.

Hi Kenny,

I think you might actually have a very common situation. I am guessing your coyotes are probably totally nocturnal.

Although I am getting too old to chase them like I used to, I still get out to the Dakotas and Montana for coyote hunting once in a while. In comparison, I am amazed at the change in the coyotes in Wisconsin and Minnesota. They are getting pressure from more and more hunters and dogs in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and in spite of all the pressure, just as you noted, there is no shortage of coyotes.

The coyotes that survive the first year to reproduce are smart enough to stay away from any roads and trails where they can be spotted and shot at, or run with dogs. If a vehicle comes too close they will ghost out of the area while you are still several hundred yards away. They know they can not be out hunting during the daylight or they will be shot at or run. I can't prove it, but (during the day) I believe they can resist even the most tempting dying rabbit.

If you are going to try howling, I would use a mouth call, and spend as much time as you can listening to your local population at night. Howling is a very effective method if done correctly, but coyotes in different areas have somewhat different vocalization patterns, and to be effective you have to learn them and practice them.

Coyote calling is getting tougher and tougher every year. If you are seeing tracks all over the place (like you said I believe), these tracks are from them moving at night. If you are expecting any consistent success, you'll have to learn to hunt them at night.

Good luck.

Jim