Hear them all around but they don't come a runnin?

JoshuaN

New member
Curious if someone could shed some light on this situation I ran into yesterday. I found a nice little honey hole of coyotes and when I was calling this stand I could hear them on my left, in front of me, and to my right. The wind was at my face so I thought I was in a great spot, couldn't believe how many different coyotes were responding to my ki-yi's, howl's, and even my distress calls.

I think they must have spotted me but they didn't leave the area which is a good thing. I had my decoy setup and I think I may have been too close to it as well. The setup was perfect but I obviously didn't get something right.

What sounds would have been better in this situation if they were responding to everything I was putting out there? Also they really never moved because the sounds kept coming from the same locations with exception to #3 and #5 sounded like they got closer at one point but I never saw anything.

I've provided a picture of the setup.

#1 is my stand

#2-#5 were all locations of responding coyotes. It was pretty early in the am but the sun was up when I walked in just barely.
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Originally Posted By: Arizona BushmanSilence would have been the best call.

When they become vocal, shut the call off and wait.

I don't use a shut off call but I get the point none the less. So stop, interesting. I will definitely be heading back to this spoint in a few weeks, going to try and get there earlier though.
 
As AZ said earlier.


Also it is very possible you were offering Weiners when they wanted Steak.

It could be a multitude of things, that is why it is called hunting and not killing.

One thing i would have probably tried is grabbing the call and quickly moving closer to one of the groups upwind. Get closer to their territory/hunting grounds.


Just a thought!
 
Originally Posted By: Mr. PoppadopalisAs AZ said earlier.


Also it is very possible you were offering Weiners when they wanted Steak.

It could be a multitude of things, that is why it is called hunting and not killing.

One thing i would have probably tried is grabbing the call and quickly moving closer to one of the groups upwind. Get closer to their territory/hunting grounds.


Just a thought!








Good analogy.

I could have moved toward any one of them as they were all upwind, why didn't I think of that?
 
Just looking at that picture there are sure a lot of roads. If that is public ground then there is a fair chance that the coyotes there have heard it all before. I seem to be more successful where the access is tougher. Not sure about the lay of the land from that photo, but if they saw or heard a vehicle come into the area, even if was parked over the rise, that may have chilled their possible response.
 
It's not heavily traveled public land but then again I'm not there ever day and there are cattle grazing all over the place. Next time I head up I'm going to buck up and hike in I can always go get the ride to pick up my bounty.
 
In my experience most hunters over call. They hear it and will pin point your location with extreme accuracy within the first few notes in open country. They may not see or smell ya but they know exactly where the sound it coming from. I don't call very loud or more than 10 seconds the first series. Its amazing that an animal can hear a distress sound from a 1/2 mile and know within 10 feet of where the sound is coming from. I don't call the same area more than once a year. Blowing the same hand call in the same area a few weeks apart is no different than blasting lighting jack over and over. I've hunted with successful callers who wont blow a call more than 4 times in a 20 min stand. I feel like I could go home and mow the lawn in between each series. The versatility or variety of sounds with an electronic call can help. The combo of both types of calls on the same stand can used with good success if used properly.
 
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Sounds to me like they are call shy from other hunters. All the locations you have pointed out look like areas with patches of cover. I would try again but I would try to think outside the box on a sound that most don,t have or use. Try woodpecker or something less common and it may do the trick. Sounds to me like they have heard the same old howls, screams and ki yi's that everyone likes to use.
 
Originally Posted By: YoteslayerWASounds to me like they are call shy from other hunters. All the locations you have pointed out look like areas with patches of cover. I would try again but I would try to think outside the box on a sound that most don,t have or use. Try woodpecker or something less common and it may do the trick. Sounds to me like they have heard the same old howls, screams and ki yi's that everyone likes to use.

I would like to think the sounds I make are different from others that may hunt the area. I don't use an electronic call, and I'm certain they've heard it all before. I try and use different calls every time I head out to this particular area, and there is plenty of space that I can work with in regards to mixing it up. I think I'll give this area a break for a month it's just so conveniently located it's tough to stay away especially when I know they are out there. The coyote I killed a few weeks ago came out of the general vicinity of where I have been hunting.

I think it's a mix of things, and cover is something that I'll be taking into account more so in the future, and hunting them, not just sitting around being a lazy hunter waiting for them to come in every time.. I have to out smart them and doing things differently than what other hunters might be doing is probably the ticket. I personally don't think the area I was hitting gets to much traffic on a regular basis because it's off of the main road but I'm fairly confident in saying that the farmers are out and about quite a bit.

I think that's one of the toughest things I have to deal with and that's the cattle everywhere.
 
Now that you know where they are, I would sneak in on #2 first and wait for targets of opportunity after a quick howl to get them to pop out of their cover.

Then do it to 5, 4 and 3.
 
Originally Posted By: titch--Now that you know where they are, I would sneak in on #2 first and wait for targets of opportunity after a quick howl to get them to pop out of their cover.

Then do it to 5, 4 and 3.

Thanks for the tips.

Originally Posted By: obaroCattle=coyotes. Peas and carrots. Milk and cookies. Bo and Luke Duke.

Too funny.
 
Talkative pups, call shy adults, or.....a lot of times this time of year, the adults are a couple miles away from the pups early in the morning. Next time wait till mid morning, howl once and wait...
 
I like to put a shooter on the downwind side (backdoor).
If one downwind got a whiff and sounded the alarm, well its over.
 
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Originally Posted By: tripod3I like to put a shooter on the downwind side (backdoor).
If one downwind got a whiff and sounded the alarm, well its over.

I'm unfortunately hunting alone most times.
 
Originally Posted By: JoshuaNOriginally Posted By: tripod3I like to put a shooter on the downwind side (backdoor).
If one downwind got a whiff and sounded the alarm, well its over.

I'm unfortunately hunting alone most times.

Nothing wrong with that as I do myself often. However I thought you stated you were face to the wind. Thats good for walking in, but over 90% of the coyotes I call in approach from the downwind. So if I dont have a downwind shooter then it is best to sit crosswind or face downwind.
sometimes a non prey sound or mating season will bring a dog or pup from upwind.
I have watched coyotes wind me or spot me and turn tail at great distance.
 
Originally Posted By: tripod3Originally Posted By: JoshuaNOriginally Posted By: tripod3I like to put a shooter on the downwind side (backdoor).
If one downwind got a whiff and sounded the alarm, well its over.

I'm unfortunately hunting alone most times.

Nothing wrong with that as I do myself often. However I thought you stated you were face to the wind. Thats good for walking in, but over 90% of the coyotes I call in approach from the downwind. So if I dont have a downwind shooter then it is best to sit crosswind or face downwind.
sometimes a non prey sound or mating season will bring a dog or pup from upwind.
I have watched coyotes wind me or spot me and turn tail at great distance.

Thanks for the crosswind tip I'm going to be using that tactic this weekend.
 
Originally Posted By: tripod3I have watched coyotes wind me or spot me and turn tail at great distance.

not so much spot me because i am normally prone and not moving. but yes i have seen them come from downwind and get a whiff of me from great, great, great distance. it amazes me how far they can smell something.
 
I had a similar experience, last winter. I got rid of the decoy (my problems began the first time that I used it)...end of problem. Nearly every time I used the decoy, coyotes howling at me, not coming in. Without it, I got shooting, not howling. I know a lot of hunters use them successfully, but didn't work for me.
 
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