Critique my hunt - it's not working

Phillip Howard

New member
I'm going to run through everything - please critique

85 acres
100% woods - mature hardwoods, pines and pine thickets
Creeks that run parallel to the property
ALOT of ridges

I usually walk in about 350 yards, go to one of my favorite deer hunting ridges that looks over a creek bottom and on the other side of the creek, its very thick young pines (where most of my deer come from and go to) - I figure coyotes, foxes, bobcats etc will bed in there too. I put the caller (Foxpro Hellfire) about 20 yards straight in front of me and the Mojo Critter decoy next to it or a little in front. I sit on the ground, back against a tree, the wind is blowing from the South 90% of the time which is a perfect crosswind - from what I've read, that's what most of you prefer and I rest my gun on my knee and begin calling. I usually start off with Lightning Jack or Baybee cottontail on volume 7 and let play for about 5 minutes, then I will pause for about a minute and just listen. I will then increase the volume to level 10 and let play another 10 minutes and then pause for a minute. If nothing still doesn't show, I will switch sounds to either Lightning Jack or Bay Bee Cottontail (which ever I didn't use first) and play for about 5. If still nothing, I will cut it off and wait about 5 minutes before going to get the call.

I usually afternoon hunt between 3-5:30pm. I have tried in the mornings but it's hard to get out of bed when your confidence is in the dumps. Hawks and crows are always sure to get there within the first minute or two upon turning on the call if that means anything

What do you see in my story that could be the determining factor why I'm not seeing or killing anything? I know they're there.



 
#1. You're hunting an 85 acre tract. Coyotes in Ga. have a 17 square mile home range. NC is probably similar.
#2. It is wooded and hilly and you're not using enough volume. Start at 50%, gradually increase to 100% briefly, and back it down to 50% or less. If they can't hear you, they won't come. Also switch sounds every 5 minutes.
#3. Your pics are at night and you hunt during the day.
#4. Put the call as far away as you can from you.
 
I understand that coyotes have a big home range, I guess I'll just have to get lucky and be there when they happen to be there. But is the area of home range the same or even remotely close or similar for foxes and bobcats? My theory on using half volume was that I could make two or three stands on the property instead of one. And your comment about the time of day that the pictures were taken I think is irrelevant. I posted the pictures to solely prove that the animals are there. Whether or not the pictures were day or night, they were out looking for food on their own, not coming into the call.
 
I'm a pretty sucky hunter in general but I hunt the thick woods a lot.
Getting to the point where I almost prefer the woods to the open areas.

And I've gone out with a few folks that aren't having any luck.
I noticed all of them fixate on the place where they think coyotes will show up.
They just glue their eyes and wait for the coyote to appear right there.

My best advice is to keep scanning the area. Don't look for a coyote, scan for
movement, any movement. If you see movement, then look the spot over more closely.
If you move your head while scanning, move it slowly and fluidly.

Call for short periods of time and then stop. Open your ears and listen. Not for
coyotes but for different sounds. Dead leaves rustling, squirrels chattering and
especially the birds. Birds are great. Lots of times they'll let you know if anything
is coming. Crows will start flying over it and make all sorts of sounds. But then again
once in awhile they'll do the same thing to the hunter.

And keep those eyes scanning for movement.

If you are in the open areas where cows, horses, donkeys, etc are around, watch them
also. If their heads go up and they all stare at the same area, watch what they are
watching.

I got an odd color bobcat a few weeks ago by scanning and watching the crows.
The cat blended in so well to the leaves and trees that I wouldn't have known it was
there if the crows hadn't started up and I finally saw it twitch it's tail. After that
I was able to focus in on the area and saw the cat.

My last little tidbit. I believe that coyotes, etc know you are in the woods just as soon
as you get there. They may not know your exact location but they'll smell and hear you
coming. Keep movements as few as possible and on your walk in, stay to the edge of the
trails near the trees, walk slowly, fluidly and just as quiet as you can.
 
Originally Posted By: Phillip Howard. And your comment about the time of day that the pictures were taken I think is irrelevant. I posted the pictures to solely prove that the animals are there. Whether or not the pictures were day or night, they were out looking for food on their own, not coming into the call.

If it were pictures of deer at night, would you think it relevant? How far do you think an eastern predator will come to investigate a call?
 
I wouldn't go as far into the woods as you describe. I believe that they can hear it and come if they want it. I have never had much luck going that far into woods.
 
85 acres isn't a whole lot of calling area. I would make one, maybe two stands at the most, to limit the amount of movement around the place. They see or hear you moving from stand to stand, and they are out of there. Likewise, if they can't hear the call, they probably aren't coming in. JMO
 
I should have clarified, the track I have to hunt is 85 acres but is surrounded by a few hundred. I think the next time I go out, I will set up on the outskirts of the property and play the call wide open after a few minutes at half volume and see what happens
 
Originally Posted By: KizmoOriginally Posted By: Phillip Howard. And your comment about the time of day that the pictures were taken I think is irrelevant. I posted the pictures to solely prove that the animals are there. Whether or not the pictures were day or night, they were out looking for food on their own, not coming into the call.

If it were pictures of deer at night, would you think it relevant? How far do you think an eastern predator will come to investigate a call?

But the difference between deer hunting and calling in foxes and coyotes..you don't call deer in; you scout and find out where they're spending most of their time feeding and which areas they're traveling between bed and food. They don't have near the range of coyotes therefore I imagine the hunting tactics to be quite different.
 
I would psych myself up and switch to some morning hunts. Like RJM mentioned, don't focus on a specific area, but scan at least a 180° arc and listen for anything behind you as well. Sometimes just a glint of sunlight hitting the fur, or a bit of movement is all you will see. One way to sharpen you spotting skills is to watch for movement from birds. Train yourself to see a flutter in the brush and you will start seeing more and more critters.
In my experience, some folks couldn't pick out a Bull Moose moving in the brush and others can spot a butterfly at 100 yards!
Unless you are calling the area too frequently, I'm betting the yotes have come in, but you just haven't seen them.
\Next time you go out, choose a different time slot and use a different sound than you have been. It could be they have patterned you and need something different to bring them in.
 
Originally Posted By: Phillip Howard
But the difference between deer hunting and calling in foxes and coyotes..you don't call deer in

And that is your biggest "mistake"...overestimating the importance (& effect) of calling. You wanted a "critique" and you got it. Don't get defensive because you don't like what you hear.
 
Originally Posted By: KizmoOriginally Posted By: Phillip Howard
But the difference between deer hunting and calling in foxes and coyotes..you don't call deer in

And that is your biggest "mistake"...overestimating the importance (& effect) of calling. You wanted a "critique" and you got it. Don't get defensive because you don't like what you hear.

I am very thankful for everyone's replies and critiques, but I am confused by what you meant in the first sentence in your last post - "And that is your biggest "mistake"...overestimating the importance (& effect) of calling." Are you saying that I am relying too heavily on calling and I'm not practicing the basics - setups, wind direction, etc?
 
I would like to point out time of day is important. I run some traps pretty much in my front yard. I catch coyotes there, but they don't come in to a call. Personally I don't think they are comfortable where my traps are to be there during daylight. My opinion is some areas are transition areas and hunting areas not necessarily bedding down areas where they will hang around.
 
I definitely agree with kizmo on this. The times of your pics are relevant but I will explain it a bit differently. You are hunting during the day and your pics are at night but that doesn't matter by your train of thought. So by your logic those same animals could trail cam you during the day and they should fear for their lives at night because they know you are there during the day.
 
can you hunt at night with light?

keep the camera on them and try and get a better pattern, and I like your thought of calling each end of the property, that's what I like about coyotes you can call them off the neighbors place.

try some bird sounds or soft rodent, and set your call farther out and more down wind say 50-50 or 75-75 yards

hope it helps, and call constantly and longer for that cat, good luck
 
Phillip, are you hunting just this one property? This is your property I assume and you just want to call and kill a predator there? Try hunting out of a tree stand and stay off any paths or deer trails on your approach. I think you should hunt more properties. This way you'll gain more experience and confidence and with that the kills will come. Having said that I'm mostly a night hunter.
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Doc, that makes a ton of sense. I have never seen a coyote while deer or turkey hunting on that property.

Dogslayer, the way you explained, whether that's what Kizmo was saying or not, it makes a lot of sense.

Impactzone, I can hunt with a light over there, I just haven't yet. Do you think it would be better to get in the stand 30 mins before dark and let things calm down or just go in quietly at dark? Also, if I'm using a red light, how come they saw the infrared on the camera when it went off? As dim as that is, they're definitely going to see a really bright red one, right?

& rpc55, this isn't the only property that I hunt but it's one I'm really trying to manage for deer and turkey. I guess that's why I want to kill one/some so badly over there.
 
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