They wouldn't budge??

Jim Byers

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Sunday evenings find me commuting to my home away from home. Working out of town sucks for the most part, but with decent coyote country around I've been trying to make the most of it.

Last night I had time for 1 set along the way. I've killed 2 here before, in as many stands. Usually scattergun range. This evening had a pair show up at 5 minutes on the far ridge just beyond the willows. They wouldn't budge, and I threw my whole playlist at them.. lol. I'm thinking possible territory boundary, but what do you guys think? Wind was perfect, I'm certain they didn't see me set up.
 
If I had a hunting spot with that view, I'd just chalk it up to another great day hunting.

You'll get 'em eventually. Sooner or later they always make a mistake
 
Originally Posted By: Jim ByersThe latest was about 6 weeks ago..a pretty good male... Maybe that pair doesn't realize he's dead yet?.. lol

That pair may have watched or heard you kill that male.

Even when I do kill every coyote that I call in on a area after a few calling trips I start to see and hear coyotes that are wise.

After calling and then shooting a coyote there is no telling how many times a coyote or coyotes are watching you walk back to your vehicle.

I saw the same thing years ago when I was trapping coyotes. The coyotes would see and hear coyotes in my traps and would smell the lure I was using to trap the coyotes. So they got up close to the stressed out coyotes in my traps and smelled the lure at the stressed out coyotes and learned to fear the smell of that lure.
 
+1 Bob!

Also, coyotes come in to a call for a longer period of time than we often have patience for. They come running through 45 minutes after you have left, smell you...the gig is up!

Also, about 60% of what we kill are yearlings. Those two that hung up may have been old, smart coyotes. Question is, was the wind blowing in their direction? 1-3mph breeze will carry a scent for 300 yards we have seen.

Also, in that kind of country, smart coyotes may spot your face if you are not wearing a face mask, or seen the slightest movement of your head as you looked around.
 
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They were 7-800 yards out. If I knew how to get videos on here I'd post the footage.. started carrying my camera again.. could have gotten some great footage over the last few weeks.. tried a new spot tonight. But it didn't look as good in person as it did while e scouting..

Be back at it tomorrow evening.
 
Wind was perfect... The approach is completely hidden until you pop over.. I watched them come over the far ridge ... They traveled some distance to get there I believe.
 
IF, and I highly doubt it, this was the first time that you had some hung up that wouldn't come on in, it won't be the last. It happens, probably more times then we know.

There is no one that hunts coyotes that hasn't had it happen to them. If there's someone that believes they call in and see every coyote with-in ear shot of their call, they have a lot to learn.

Don't lose any sleep over it because it's just part of the game.
 
Had plenty hang up, I usually attribute it to stand locations where the coyote can see well, and they simply don't see what the sounds tell them they should be seeing... I had my dog back at the truck, would have been interesting to see if things would have gone differently had he had been with me. I'll try a different approach in a month or so at that location.
 
I have Vole Squeaks on about half volume as a pre-set sound for coaxing in coyotes.

If a coyote or coyotes stop at 300 to 500 yards out I hit my pre-set button to play Vole Squeaks. Quite often it works at bringing the coyotes in closer.

About the middle of the below video Al Morris uses Vole Squeaks to coax in a coyote.


Most of the coyotes that I have coaxed in with Vole Squeaks do the same head tilting thing as they come in.

A high pitched rat, mouse or bird sound played at low volume may also work.
 
Yeah, we carry a cheap little squeeze mouse squeaker that has worked more times than not for hung up coyotes. I actually made fun of my buddy when he bought it. Yes, I had to eat crow when it has worked over and over again.
 
There maybe a dominant coyote in the area that loves to fight, coyotes are scared to death of each other for this reason.

We have watched them hang up at 250-350, start to circle and never come in, down in Mexico where they had never heard a varmint call.

We hedged our bets with scent of two socks with Sardines in oil in them, plus rabbit urine, and lip squeeking killed many. Misting with the rabbit urine at the beginning of the stand teaches you a lot on what you think is a dead calm wind, but there are slight drafts that carry a scent cone a long ways.

We can guess, but that is all.
 
I think trying to call coyote across territorial boundaries is a bigger problem than "educated" coyote. Around me, you can find male scratching and urine(male and female) marking on field approaches. On north south roads these will often separate coyote groups in a generalized north south pattern as the coyote are traveling east/west on boundary edges.
 
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I once set up on what believe was a boundary between 3 pairs.. it was completely by accident on my part. I howled once and all 3 pairs lit up in 3 opposite directions.. I never made another sound and they converged on one another almost 300 yards in front of us.. a pretty good scrap began between all six. Looked like a coyote version of a professional wrestling match.. I was so taken aback from what I was watching I almost forgot to shoot. Ended up with only 1 of the six. But it was pretty cool to see.
 
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