How many times hunt same area and how much time apart?

L

lifesupport4u

New member
I went ice fishing and saw 3 coyotes on my way up on nearby private land. I went back the next day to surrounding public land and tried to call (FoxPro Hellfire). I did 4 stands and was skunked. The coyotes were responding to howls and locator calls though. I tried various rabbit distress calls but no animals came in. It was pretty cold (-15 F) when we arrived, and clear/sunny once the sun came up.

How long would you wait to hunt this same area again?

Besides wind direction (which was ok)- if you know there are coyotes in the area that will not come in to calls - what if anything would you do differently your second trip out?

Could it just be weather? A big storm had just gone through 2 days before so I figured they would be looking for a snack, but it was colder than I anticipated when I got there. The day before it had been 0 at sunrise and I expected it to be warmer, not colder.
 
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Last weekend 2 spots that were dry for me during the daylight both produced shots about 8 hours later after dark. I know guys who won't call an area anymore frequently than once every 2 weeks or so, but if I know there are coyotes in the area I will keep trying them until they come in.
 
If you know there are coyotes in the area keep trying. Your call will be heard eventually. Its pretty late in the year too though so they're not responding to distress calls. At least seems to be the case for me anyways. This late in the year I don't use rabbit in distress for coyotes. I'll throw bird sounds and things like that at em to change things up and maybe catch their attention. I'll start off with coyote yips and howls too more times than not. As for how often I hunt a spot even if I am successful. I'll wait a few weeks then try again if its a really good spot. For example I killed a coyote in one of my calling spots this year,waited almost two weeks,killed another one,waited almost two weeks and killed another. A week later I went back and called in 3. Last week I killed one there but it had been at least a month since calling it last. If there's alot of coyotes around you can hit an area pretty often just as long as you're calling them in and killing them. Once they're educated that area ain't no good till next year.
 
I forgot to add that later on in the year I stay on stand longer. If the area I'm calling has been called before or I missed a coyote there earlier on in the year I set up in a different location and use a different sound. I killed 3 educated yotes by doing that this year. One came in,in 25 minutes,one took about 30 minutes and one coyote took 35 minutes to show up. If they don't come in,in 15 minutes earlier in the year I move on. It might be worth a try staying a little longer just in case that area has been called before. They're leary as all get out after being shot at but it is possible to call them in again. If that doesn't work and neither do coyote vocals.....wait till there's young ones there that haven't heard a bullet whizzing through the air before.
 
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Thanks for the help and advice.

I did not realize there is much of a season - where they respond to different calls. I figure a distress call is good year round. What influences the season and when does it start / stop?
 
January through February they're breeding. During the time they're pairing up they'll respond to coyote vocals pretty well but still have to eat so distress calls still do work. The problem with distress calls that late in the year is alot of coyotes have been called already. The ones that are not dead after coming to the call only to be shot at will not make the same mistake twice. Once that happens all you can do is change tactics and hope for the best. Unless you live in an area that doesn't get called much then you won't have to worry about that as much. November is the easiest time to call coyotes. Or at least for me it is because there are young coyotes around that have only heard the real scream of a rabbit so they're more eager to run to the call. As for the Spring and Summer months I can't say because I don't hunt them until it gets cold. But any time there are young coyotes around and the adult yotes are more concerned about eating than making little coyotes my success rate goes up so I can only assume everyone elses does too. During breeding season you can still use distress calls and call coyotes in. But alot of times they'll be coming in for a different reason other than being hungry. They're territorial so challenge howls,female invitation or even a single howl or a yips and howls could trigger a response rather than just a rabbit in distress and nothing else.
 
I'm sure there are things I forgot to add and there a certainly things I don't know about coyote calling so hopefully if there's anything else you should know someone else will chime in. I'll openly admit I'm no expert at calling during the breeding season or any other time for that matter. But its hit and miss for me and here lately I've been gettin skunked big time. I know what calls have worked and will work but talking the talk is easier than walking the walk. During November I went 12 coyotes for 10 stands in a row and called over 40 in total up till this point. I can run a rabbit in distress call with the best of them but I straight suck at speaking coyote and I'll admit it. I can howl but when it comes having alot of success even when I'm using an e-call and sounds I know coyotes make.....happens maybe once every ten to twelve stands. Not the best call to kill ratio out there. So maybe we'll both learn something from this.
 
I'll save myself some typing and just post a link.
Coyote Voodoo

I'm gonna let you in on the secret of the ONLY absolute guarantee in coyote hunting: if you don't hunt them, you won't kill them.
 
being that cold and then having the sun come up............sometimes I think mid-morning is good when it warms up. Plus you might have the chance to get set up while they are napping and wake 'em with a dinner bell as opposed to going in early when they may still be vigilant.
 
This is a very unusual circumstance but, I have a new property I have permission to hunt on that the landowners want the coyotes gone now. I figured the first stand or 2 would be successful, after that they'd be shy and wary. Long story shot I've hunted the property 5 times and have an 80% killed coyote percentage. Most places I strive to wait a month between calling. Changing your calling style, and hunting the circumstamces are the most important factors in not over calling an area. That and don't miss. Would you come back if you had bullets flying at you?
 
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