What should I have done??

john300exc

New member
Stopped my truck to look at a valley surrounded by large pines along the surrounding ridges and smaller pines toward the floor. When I killed the engine I instantly hear multiple coyote howles. I backed the truck up about 300 yds out of sight and quietly walked to the valley. I entered the valley on the slope containing scattered short pines. I walked about 25 yds in the open to place my caller and decoy. Three groups of howles were still going. One to my left toward the top of a ridge, one to the end of the valley about 400 yds and another across the valley from me along the other ridge.
What should I have played on my Foxpro Fusion?
I am asking because I failed to call in a single coyote when there were multiple coyotes close by. I'm very frustrated!!
 
They may have heard or spotted you, but with three groups, they already had enough on their mind, didn’t need another curiosity factor
 
I would have walked the area after the failed stand and find a couple more ideal stands that could be called in different wind conditions and approached silently at a later date. Go back, get the n the stand with just a minimal disturbance and start with some really subtle prey sounds to start.
 
Thanks guys for the advice, I'm obviously new at this. Went again this morning, on first stand called up two does and 3 yearlings. One doe was very interested in my caller and decoy. She was blowing and stomping until I cranked up the volume and ran them off. Driving to the next stand a coyote crossed just in front of my truck while I had stopped to let a bunch of cattle clear the road. This was in the middle of private land.
On the next stand I walked about a half mile, again up a draw with dense woods on the sides. A trail was cut along one side where I was walking into the wind. Fresh coyote tracks were visible in the mud after yesterday's rain and hail. I dropped off the road into vegetation including short pines. After placing the caller without decoy about 75 yds unwind I started with a low volume rabbit distress. I played it intermittently with varying volumes. Scanning thr valley floor and adjacent hillside , I also glanced behind me to see a mountain lion as he cleared the valley floor and entered vegetation about 25 yds behind me. I lost sight till I saw him coming up the trail toward me. I waved my hat and stood. After a surprised look at me he bounded up into the dense trees. I decided that was enough on this stand but was reluctant to walk back down the narrow trail cut next to the tree line. When I retrieved the caller from the valley floor, I stayed in the bottom and took a cow trail in the open back to my truck.
It was a very fun day even though I never pulled the trigger.
 
They put erasers on pencils cuz people make mistakes!

If you can’t call in a Coyote after they went deaf over the summer you have problems!

Learn from your mistakes and keep plugging away…..
 
Originally Posted By: john300excI backed the truck up about 300 yds out of sight and quietly walked to the valley. I entered the valley on the slope containing scattered short pines.
What should I have played on my Foxpro Fusion?
I am asking because I failed to call in a single coyote when there were multiple coyotes close by. I'm very frustrated!!

Driving out into the open and then backing the truck up 300 yards to hide it is not a good way to try and call in coyotes.

Were the coyotes alarm barking to each other, challenging at each other or just howling?

You can get on Foxpro's web-site and listen to their sounds. You need to know what challenge sounds and howls sound like.

If those coyotes were challenging each other or just howling back and forth you could have just quietly got out of your truck and made a calling stand if the wind from you and your truck was not going towards the groups pf coyotes.

If they were challenging each other I would have used Foxpro's "Male Coyote Challenge 4" sound or "Pup Distress 3" sound first thing on full volume.

If they were alarm barking at each other, that sounds just about like a dog barking I would have just drove on and found a spot I could sneak into to make a calling stand that I didn't already drive into.

I have "Male Coyote Challenge" sound as one of my pre-set sounds on full volume so I can instantly challenge coyotes back that challenge me. Quite often when I start out with a distress sound I will get challenged by a coyote or coyotes.

Getting challenged by a coyote or coyotes is a good thing! The coyote or coyotes that are challenging your distress sound think a coyote is causing the distress sound that you are playing. So if you can push your pre-set button and challenge them back instantly it really pi$$es them off.

http://www.predatormastersforums.com/for...rue#Post3259106

Check out the above link. It was a coyote hunt we made last year. A coyote challenged us after we had just killed a coyote. The quicker you can challenge them back the more it pi$$es them off!

Around here the wind is almost always blowing up the draws and canyons so I almost always approach canyons and draws from the top of them.

Early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the wind or breeze is blowing down the canyons or draws is the only time I will go up the canyons or draws to call coyotes. If there is no cover in the canyons or draws there is a good chance the animals on higher ground will see you down below them.
 
Last edited:
Thanks derbyacresbob. I'll definitely download those sounds if they are not already in the unit.
I initially stopped for an old man break before heading to the campground where I was staying. It was late and I wanted to try a stand before it got dark. I was moving into the wind as I entered the valley.
I'm headed back home now timing my arrival to get there just after the hurricane departs. The extended track shows it passing over my house but I am far enough inland to hopefully have no damage. Power outages are almost certain however.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: derbyacresbobOriginally Posted By: john300excI backed the truck up about 300 yds out of sight and quietly walked to the valley. I entered the valley on the slope containing scattered short pines.
What should I have played on my Foxpro Fusion?
I am asking because I failed to call in a single coyote when there were multiple coyotes close by. I'm very frustrated!!

Driving out into the open and then backing the truck up 300 yards to hide it is not a good way to try and call in coyotes.

Were the coyotes alarm barking to each other, challenging at each other or just howling?

You can get on Foxpro's web-site and listen to their sounds. You need to know what challenge sounds and howls sound like.

If those coyotes were challenging each other or just howling back and forth you could have just quietly got out of your truck and made a calling stand if the wind from you and your truck was not going towards the groups pf coyotes.

If they were challenging each other I would have used Foxpro's "Male Coyote Challenge 4" sound or "Pup Distress 3" sound first thing on full volume.

If they were alarm barking at each other, that sounds just about like a dog barking I would have just drove on and found a spot I could sneak into to make a calling stand that I didn't already drive into.

I have "Male Coyote Challenge" sound as one of my pre-set sounds on full volume so I can instantly challenge coyotes back that challenge me. Quite often when I start out with a distress sound I will get challenged by a coyote or coyotes.

Getting challenged by a coyote or coyotes is a good thing! The coyote or coyotes that are challenging your distress sound think a coyote is causing the distress sound that you are playing. So if you can push your pre-set button and challenge them back instantly it really pi$$es them off.

http://www.predatormastersforums.com/for...rue#Post3259106

Check out the above link. It was a coyote hunt we made last year. A coyote challenged us after we had just killed a coyote. The quicker you can challenge them back the more it pi$$es them off!

Around here the wind is almost always blowing up the draws and canyons so I almost always approach canyons and draws from the top of them.

Early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the wind or breeze is blowing down the canyons or draws is the only time I will go up the canyons or draws to call coyotes. If there is no cover in the canyons or draws there is a good chance the animals on higher ground will see you down below them.

Bob's got some great advice and a lot of fur on the ground because of it.

I like to throw their calls right back at them. I try my best to match theirs in volume, pitch, etc...if that doesn't work, sometimes I'll throw something that they don't often hear at them...that can throw them off...
 
The last two members that gave you advice are some of the senior members that regularly post here and kill more than their share of coyotes. When they write, listen up. Most importantly I hope your home is fine and all your family safe. Welcome to PM
 
Thanks, I've already configured my caller as suggested by derbyacresbob. I also studied some of his post on another forum. The eye of
Hurricane Ida traveled just to the east of my house and land. No house damage and somehow the power never went off. We lost one giant oak in a back field and had a bunch of small limbs scattered everywhere. We were very lucky!]
 
Back
Top