Ramblings and Such From Hunting Coyote
- Thread starter DSheetz
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Windypants; That's doing good, this is the time of the year when they have their areas set up and are getting ready to clean out a den so they should be responding to some coyote vocalizations very well. I mostly like using my howlers and some other hand calls, like the medium crittr-call, as I am a believer in traveling light. I tend to believe that carrying a lot of gear around with me makes extra noise as well as weight that slows me down and after five or six miles of walking up and down hills wares me out more. Today's e-callers are a lot better sounding and have a larger selection of sounds. I use a wounded coyote squalling sound often when I shoot one to get the others to stop for my second shot. A long lone howl this time of the year gets a lot of them to go to a hilltop and stand for a person to see them. A few locator howls gets them to talk for you and come to you now as well when you have quietly invaded their territory, less is most times the best at this time so that they don't get overwhelmed, you want them to think they can come and run you out of their home range. One of the biggest things that I have observed over the years is that if what you are doing works for you in your area that's the way to go till it stops then figure out something different.
Several years ago a friend of mine called me and asked me if I would take another guy and him out calling. I said that I would, so we met the next morning and headed out to his dads place out north of town over 60 miles out. There was close to a foot of powdery snow, and it was below zero in early March. We got out there as it was getting light enough to shoot got set up on a high cut bank overlooking the Chyenne River. I waited several minutes just listening to the world, then let out a lone howl waited several seconds then did a locator call. down the river three coyotes answered me. I replied to them with the same as they said to me and stopped calling. The river being frozen you could hear them walking on it as they started coming to investigate who was in their area. Soon they came around a bend and into sight as they got to about a hundred yards my friend shot the one on the left the other guy shot but missed his mark. two coyotes ran to my right out into the weeds and brush. I got on my howler and did the wounded coyote squalls. they turned and started running back towards the one that was shot. The one would raise up on its hind legs trying to get a view of the lost coyote. I got the one on my side lined up my friend got the one on his side lined up I made our hissing sound that signaled to shoot our shots were nearly at the same millisecond both coyotes fell. When we went down to retrieve them, the first one had been the heavy female, the one that had been standing up on its hind legs was the male and the other one was a young female that wasn't bred. My friend and I had hunted together often and had our signals worked out to the place where we really didn't need to say anything when we were in the stand, a nod, a point or sitttt noise was all that we needed. We got two more that day the new guy didn't ever get one I sighted his rifle in and it couldn't hit anything at first, but I got it to hit pretty consistently.
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windypants
Well-Known Member
I'm kind of a minimalist as far as what I carry, too. And I much prefer spot and stalk hunting without calling to announce my presence. I'm even that way hunting elk during the rut. But calling definitely has its place and I'm trying to learn to use it more effectively. I don't know much yet, but after reading your "book" here and following this thread, I think I'm in a good place to really start learning 'coyote'.
windypants
Well-Known Member
Well, I was still on a roll this morning. I headed out at daylight and spotted the first coyote right after leaving the house. I had to close the distance on foot by about 800 yards. Then I whiffed it at 645 yards. That should have been an easy shot for this rifle, but I had just changed scopes and I didn't get my zero right. I hiked over there so I could see exactly where I hit, and then lowered my zero by 2 clicks. Then I went back up to the neighbors calving ground, thinking that I would hunt another direction. Right away I saw 3 coyotes near where I had shot the last two, and another one up on the ridgetop. I watched them a while and it looked like they were going to stay put, so I headed that way. I was already tired from the deep (in places) crusted snow, but I couldn't pass that up. As I was approaching my shooting position an hour later, wondering if they were going to still be there, they howled for me. Beautiful! I got set up and was looking them over to decide which one to shoot first. Two were bedded at 452 yards and one was just returning from a short hunt (hence the howling). Then one got up and started toward the other bedded one, and it got up. So I settled my sight on it and waited. The other one walked in front of it and I finished my squeeze and drilled them both with one shot! I couldn't believe my luck! The coyote fight call didn't stop the third one this time.
WYO300RUM
Well-Known Member
Nice work ! I may have missed it but what round are you shooting ?
Thanks!
Windypants; did you take note of the howl made as they got back together so you can duplicate them or have them on your caller? The length of the howls, the pitch of them were there any barks with them, before or after the howls, were they low pitched male or high-pitched female or young coyote? Do you have a wounded coyote squeal on your e-caller? It sounds like if you accidentally step on your dog's foot when it jumps up on you, or if it gets hurt somehow. Nice shooting by the way a twofur not all that common but a rush for sure.
windypants
Well-Known Member
It's a wheeler 30-28 Nosler shooting Berger 230 OTM's @3125fps. Kind of overkill for coyotes but extremely accurate at long range and does well in the wind. And I just love shooting it!
windypants
Well-Known Member
I already had my earplugs in at that point, but it sounded like a chorus of short, high-pitched howls and some barks, and didn't last long. Maybe what is described as a ki-yi? I have a very basic caller with just 12 different calls. The coyote fight is that type of sound, only prolonged. I would prefer to learn how to use mouth calls, but it's really handy for a lone hunter to just push a button so I can concentrate on all there is to do to get set up for the shot.
Gregg
WYO300RUM
Well-Known Member
Dam !
That was their greeting talk. Normally it will be a long lone howl, a few seconds pause then two half-length howls and two quick barks. That lets the other know they are coming home. The other one will respond with a long lone howl thus the pause after it. after the next set of two half-length howls then two quick barks the second one will answer them with the same. The kiyi's come when they get together and are rubbing noses and sniffing each other. Some situations they will give the half howls then the barks that is a non-threating sound. When it's later in the day during the winter an old dog will give two barks and two mid length howls to tell his group or mate he is up and ready to get together. I keep my calls on a lanyard around my neck tucked in my coat next to my body, so they stay warm in the winter. I use a sitting position curled up and support my off hands elbow with my offside leg and knee, my back is supported by a tree, rock or cut bank, that way I can keep my call in my mouth and get ready for a follow up shot and be able to get on my call fast if needed. The next day after I have killed and removed the coyote's body but had one leave without killing it, I will get close to where that happened and give one long lone howl wait for up to a minute then give my two short howls and two quick barks wait several seconds to a minute and repeat the howls and barks doing that for up to 10 minutes. Here I am I'm back and looking for you. The tone will depend on what sex the coyote was that I shot low for a male and higher pitched for a female. You should get a vocal response and then go quiet they most times will go silent and start traveling to you, so you want to get yourself ready to get them in the scope follow them in and ready to bark to stop them. All the things you have done before. I use what used to be the military standard sitting shooting position, so I am able to move somewhat, and follow them as they approach when I'm not sniping them. It's just more tools in my toolbox. I love to learn new things and practice them in my off time so that when I go out to put them to use I kind of have a chance at doing okay with them. It's just part of the enjoyment of it all. I am glad to hear that you do use hearing protection that beats the he87 out of hearing aids latter on!
This time of the year it doesn't make much difference what caliber you use the fur value isn't there, they are rubbed, broken and singed anyway. I just want accurate rifles and one that I truly enjoy using my old 30-06 Winchester is my fun gun.
windypants
Well-Known Member
I'll be listening for those calls and sequences now. It'll be great to have a little understanding of what I'm hearing. I've heard and recognized the greeting sounds many times, but other calls didn't have any meaning to me.
