What am I doing wrong?

Jason50cal

New member
Just started coyote hunting in the last year and not having much luck. We have been 30 or so times and only killed one coyote. We spray down with scent away and try to set up with the wind in our favor. We can get them to answer us with a locator call but won't come in with any distress call we have tried. The only one we killed came in to a rodent squeak. Any help would be appreciated as I'm starting to get discouraged. Thanks
 
Wait til it gets closer to winter and competition for food will make it easier. You will probably only be successful in freshly mowed hay fields this time of year or in pastures

If you are using a light throw it away or give it to someone whom you wish to fail.

Keep in mind if you get them to locate you may have to move closer to them because you may be beyond their territory boundaries.
 
Like BleedsBlue said, if you're locating them, try moving in on them. It's tough here in western PA, unless you get permission for all the surrounding properties. Also, they'll use landscaping boundaries as lines and NOT cross them (creeks, roads, trails, etcetera). Keep an eye on those with Google Earth or the like. As far as lights go, that's all we can legally use here, so, if you have the money for thermal or night vision, I'd consider investing in those.

Good luck!
 
Give coyote vocals and pup distress a full deployment, I hardly ever use prey distress anymore and honestly it's only worked for me a handful of times in my area. That's a secret up here in the east. Start your stand with group howls and eventually end it with pup distress and give some silent pauses in between.

Majority of mine I kill within a minute or two of the initial opening howls or within the last minutes of pup distress at the end of my stand.

 
Calling coyotes is not as easy here in the northeast as it is in other parts of the country. There is a lot to learn and many variables so it is difficult to cover everything in a post. If you have time and would like to call me I would be more than happy to discuss how I setup my stands.

With reference to using lights, it is all on how they are used. As stated by Flesh Eater, we can only use lights here in PA. The use of lights is an art and it takes practice and discipline to master it. I occasionally forget to do everything correctly even after 40 years of experience. However, if lights are used correctly success will follow.

Joe (814) 364-9660
 
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up here in Maine, coyote calling is difficult, it's common to go 50 set-ups or more without seeing one, so you're not far off. right now howls and pup distress work best with some lip squeeks. but the big thing is persistence you've got to hang in there. I only hunt daylight
don
 
Keep at it, I will reinforce persistence is the key. I don't get out as much this time of year, but got my first one to come in at last light yesterday. Howls and pup distress seems to work well. I use this time of year to scout as much as hunt, I can definitely cover more ground on foot without the snow.
 
Coyotes will be in the thick stuff during daylight. Don't know where you're from, but south and east Ohio has a lot of big overgrown clearcuts. Setup in the hardwoods on the edges of those and things will happen. Target the thick stuff and go after them.
 
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What do you mean by "wind in our favor"?, Some guys think it is wind in their face and some think it is wind at their back.
For me it is both, wind in the face going in to most stands and hunting some deer stands.
For most coyotes sets I find wind at my back looking downwind to open area spells success.
 
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