NYS Coyote Hunters

Handgunr

Handgunr

New member
Hello all,

Since prime coyote pelt season will be soon upon us up here in the northeast, I was just wondering what your luck has been in different parts of "our corner" of the US when it comes to yotes.
I'm located about an hour or so north of the PA border, over near Letchworth Park, and our luck has been spotty in past years. If you hunt with dogs, yep, things are better, and the actual population of the coyote's is very apparent. But, if you try calling them only, you'd think their populations were thin.
The hunters running dogs on them usually get 30-50 coyote's per season, but their cost, and the amount of guys needed to run them, is quite a bit.

Our calling (I'm sure) leaves a lot to be desired, and like a lot of you, we try very hard "to get it right". Although we get "skunked" more times than not, we still enjoy "doing it our way" anyhow. We're constantly trying to tune our methods for better success rates.

Since we've only been hunting them for the last 4 or 5 yrs., we're always learning, and eager to learn as well.
We can go all season, with regular weekend hunts, and end up with only one or two for an overall season take. Two years back we got four......for us it was the lottery.
We don't hunt much at night, but I guess we'd better start from the sounds of the howling around here after dusk.

Just curious as to what methods you are all using for these "Empire State" coyotes ????? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Take care,
Bob
 
Well no doubt a pack of well seasoned coyote hounds will keep numbers in check, but your right it's very involved.
Best tip I can give, from my own experience is to call at first light, for whatever reason calling at night is not as productive atleast not here is my experience. Good luck.
 
NF,

You're right on the dawn calling being the best in comparison to the rest of the day.
We usually work the early morning hours, and continue on until late afternoon sometimes, but morning is our best, "if any" time.
I know that there is more activity (hearing them) right after dusk, and they seem like they're waking up from a day long nap.
Most of the howling you hear around us, is from dark on through.
After a long day of non-eventful hunting, I've stepped out on the deck sometimes at 1:00 AM to hear them going at it.
Makes me kind of question whether or not we're going about things the wrong way.
To hear one pack open up, then hear another one or two from different directions chiming in, you'd think we were over run with them.

Got me.......? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

Bob
 
Handgunr,

You are in a coyote mecca. I just drove up to Gander Mountain again this weekend (Henrietta) from Corning, NY and there are a few farms right off the Mount Morris exit that should be crawling with coyotes. Looks like farm country in that valley as far as the eyes can see. I was in the same boat as you a few years ago. I tried hand calls with no luck, tried a Lohman cassette caller with one fox as a reward. Nothing has worked for me like the foxpro 416B with remote. Sure it is a big investment initially but if you and your friends go in together the amount of hides you'll rack up will pay for it before the warranty runs out. Still with calling in New York the success rate has generally for me been 1/16 stands coyote, gray fox when I call for them is better and red fox is higher than the coyote rate.
Good luck and let me know if there is anything I can do to help. I live in Steuben County about 45-60 minutes away from Mount Morris.
 
hemlyb,

Actually, believe it or not, you're right about the area from Mt Morris, on up to York.....specifically in the Retsof area just west of Geneseo.
Their populations over there, although 25-30 miles from me, are better overall.
A taxidermist/hunting buddy of mine took two coyotes a few years ago just a couple miles from his house where he hunts in Retsof. One, with a bow, went 62lbs., and the other with a shotgun slug was 67lbs. (I got a photo of the 62lb'r)
Two yrs. ago, I heard (from a reputable source) that a 70lb coyote was taken over in that area. That's gotta be a record.

Coming from my Dentist's office out of Dansville two years ago, I popped up over the hill on Rt#436 heading for Nunda, and saw three coyotes standing just off the road in broad daylight (beautiful fur on all). Two were together (probably male & female) and one, running away, appeared like it was run off (another male most likely).
They definitely appear plentiful enough.

Our mouth blown calls work well and I call in everything from redtailed hawks to skunks. Fox respond to it well, at least the red's anyway, but I think either we're being had before we know it, or the coyotes just aren't interested.
Another possibility that we considered last year was that, even though were not honking on the calls that loud, maybe it's still too loud for certain critters.
The fox don't mind at all. Maybe the coyotes are just smarter, or more wary.....got me there.....don't know.
My favorite mouth call is a Knight & Hale "Fawn in Distress" call that I modified slightly. It kind of sounds like a rabbit call somewhat, but is more raspy and a little deeper.
It can be quiet as hell, on one of those sunny, snow covered days, but as soon as I start in on it, the predators come from all over, crows, fox, everything......yep, all but the coyotes... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif

I'm looking at electronic calls, and considering buying the Johnny Stewart "Calling Combo" that you can hook a CD player, or MP3 up to.
It comes with an amplifier, horn, bag & cables, and I'm putting together my own series of calls to use with it.
I work at home a lot with MP3's and stuff, and the handheld MP3 unit I'm getting is a little bigger than a cigarette lighter.
I'm hooking a remote to the system that's good for 250' (at least), and it should work pretty well.

I like the Foxpro, and most consider it the best, but I just shelled out a good chunk of change on two custom barrels for my Encore, and I'm a little tapped with Xmas coming on.
I never tried the "pup distress calls", which many say are the "go to calls" when they hold up and fail to come in. Something new to try.

We do get responses now & then, but nothing coming out to the calls. They stay inside the edges of the woods and usually won't show themselves. Especially after the gangs with the dogs run them out a time or two.

I guess we make probably 8-10 stands per day when we're making a day out of it. Sometimes either one of us might have something to do part of the day, but usually we're out for the whole day and come home pooped.
We make less stands, mainly because we're hunting large open fields surrounded by wooded area's and we'll sit longer. I can cover 400-500 yds. maximum with my one gun, and my partner will take something for closer in, or visa versa.

Where in Steuben ? Know the area well......

Take care,
Bob
 
Any of you NY guys know of the McDonough area?? Was wondering what the coyote hunting is like in that area.
A friend of mine bought 100 acers up there. We hear coyotes howling after dark during the summer while we were there putting in food plots this past summer.
 
PAyotehunter,

McDonough is located in Chenango Co. which connects kitty corner with Onondaga Co. I believe.
I usually hunted from Onondaga Co. (where I lived at the time) on through Oswego, Jefferson, and even over towards Speculator in the Beaver River area.

I think I might've hunted Chenango Co. once or twice, but I really didn't remember whether I was in or out of Onondaga. Somewhere on the border probably.
Chenango is getting down close towards the Catskills and a lot of different critters that don't reside in the center of the state make their homes in either the Catskills, or the Adirondacks.
They'll pass through from time to time, heading from one point to the other, but they don't dawdle.

Coyotes though, are some of the most adaptable animals there is, so they spread out all over. My brother's hearing them around the villages outside of Syracuse.
They, like deer, learn to live close to man and can adapt easily.

Sounds like your buddy got land in a decent (hunting) part of the state. Probably wasn't cheap though, I'm sure.

Take care,
Bob
 
New to the boards, and wanted to say Hi to a few New York Predator hunters. I am in Greene County, just 30 minutes or so South of Albany. The Coyote population here is growing stronger every year it seems. I hunt a private 232 acre farm and have seen 6 coyotes during bow season. also saw a real nice gray fox. Can't wait to get out after deer season with my .223 and the 835 loaded up with #4 buck. I love watching the sun come up to the sound of a call. good luck to all and look me up, always looking for new hunting partners.
 
archerykid,

Welcome to a great spot.............

If you're seeing the coyote's during bow season, chances are, you've got a good population right where you're at.

We see them from time to time while bow hunting, but not often. Maybe one per season or so.
They get hunted pretty heavy around here by both caller's (like me), and the guys who run dogs on them. So, I don't expect to see them out frequently, except after dark, which they are.
We're on opposite sides of the state, or I'd gladly give them a run with you.

Good luck this season..........

Bob
 
Handgunr,I live between Syracuse&Cortland. I have also been hunting coyote for 5or6 years.I have been useing mouth call all this time also.In all that time I have manage to take about only 20 coyotes.One tip I can give you is to pay attion on your way out of a stand ,the reason being is that I get just as many kills on my way out as I do coming to my calls.I think the reason being Is that coyotes being real cautious and tend to not be in a real hurry to come in.
 
NYcaller Im sure you know where Tioughnioga is, last weekend I was hunting there and called in a nice greyish brown yote. Used a squirrel distress. He was a good 40-45lbs, but I pulled a real boneheaded move by forgetting about the scope covers. Got busted after that, tried to squeek/stop him but he wasn't buyin anymore. Still kickin myself in the @ss over that one. 2nd. stand zipp - then the loggers came in to the area to finish work before deer season opens.
 
NYCaller,

Yea....I know, gotta watch the exit's almost as much as the entrances into a new calling area.

Other than the occasional cough, or fart /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif, we're really careful and quiet setting up. Our biggest problem, I think, is that the local pressure from the "dog hunter's" is what makes them almost totally nocturnal.

We try to hunt the area's that they don't, and I don't have anything against them, but it really shows a difference.
As far as I know currently, we have three large groups that run the dogs, and during just about every weekend of the season, they're out in one area or another covering a big patch of the county. Going into an area after they've been through is about worthless for several days after.

Makes it kinda tough for "setup caller's".

We've found a several hundred acre spot a few miles from my home that appears pristine, virginal territory. It's isolated from the roads somewhat, and we're hoping it produces good results.
Hopefully the "dog gang's" don't find it......

Take care,
Bob
 
Danurve,I sure do know were Tioughniuga WMA is,Ilive about 20 min from there.I have used a squirrel in distress call also,thought I was the only one(LOL)but it does work.We will have to get together some time to compare notes over a cup of coffe.Handguner I also agree with you about the hound hunters making the coyotes tuff to hunt around here,but I also belive they have just as much right to enjoy there sport as we do.I Also beleave that alot of coyotes get educated by hunters calling from area that are easy to get to,like close to roads,along trails,etc.I try to hunt alot of areas that are hard to get to,there are days I will walk all day and only make 5 or 6 stands in a day
 
NYCaller,

Don't get me wrong. I'm not against the hunter's that use dogs. Any hunting, to me, is a good thing. It just makes it tough for "my style" of hunting them.
The coyotes we do get are "well earned".
We have to monitor their hunted area's, so that we can either hunt them first, or hunt in another area they haven't been.

Our hunting doesn't seem to phase them in the least, as the dogs root the coyote's out of their hiding spots when they run through.
Our success depends on them coming to us....

We scout most of our area's at night, listening for their howling serenades to pinpoint the general area where they are. Sometimes with snow, we can track them very closely to their den's, or den area.

Just got whacked with the 1st snow of the year...about 6-8", but an hour to the west....Buffalo got 2 feet...;)

Lake effect.....it's a beautiful thing....memories of living in Oswego....especially the storm of 77'...yuk!

Take care,
Bob
 
hangunr, any favorite calls/type of stands or time of day, that seem hotter to you, here it is mostly finding the population that is tough, they seem to move alot, however the more south towards albany they seem to stay put in a givin area.
 
redwolf,

Depending how far up you are, they have to keep on the move for food, and mainly at night, if they're hunted much in the daytime.
Not meaning that they leave a particular area or nothing, it's just that their "pack area" is much larger for your geographical layout. They need more area in those parts to sustain themselves than in others where there's more food available per square mile.
You might hear them one night and not the other.
That is unless their den is close by...then you should hear them (howling mainly) pretty often and regular. If their den area is on the opposite side of their territory from you, or your stand, you might only see, or hear them rarely. And, any calling might only be successful sporadically when they reach those outer edges.

As far as calls go, the standard cottontail distress, squirrel squeeker, and a good brand bark/howler is what I have. One other call that I use probably more than the others is a "Knight & Hale" Fawn Distress call.
Blown harder than normal, but cupped at the base with your bare hand, it produces the right sound, but can be too loud if not cupped right to contain it. Flaring your cupped hand at the base, only a little, can immitate a rabbit getting the snot beat out of him. Kinda sounds like a cross between that, and a coon squaller....it works very well.
That call seems to work on just about anything considered a predator.....if called too loudly though, it doesn't seem to produce the coyotes as fast as we'd like.
I think they hold up on the fringes when too loud.

I'm embarking on the electronic calls to up our success rates, so I'm buying a "Hunter Specialties" (old Johnny Stewart) Power Calling Combo from Midsouth Shooter's Supply for about $93.00, and adding a seperate digital MP3 player that's about the size of a pack of cigarettes. I can download the calls and use any combination I want.

Were mainly doing this so we can utilize the other calls that are more "electronically specific", like coyote pup distress calls, or woodpecker, fox pup calls, and others. Kind of expanding our library, so to speak.

Our best "stand times" are from pre-dawn, to the last hours before dark. We set up in the dark, just prior to sun up, and after a short settle time, we start with minor series of mouse squeeks, then maybe a soft rabbit distress.
Where we used to jump on a mouth blown coyote "challenge bark/howl" series right after the rabbit, now with the electronic call, we'll probably use a coyote/rabbit distress combo before going to the others.

Our stands last from 40 mins, to an hour. In your area, based on what I believe would be longer distances, closer to an hour would probably be my "self imposed" minimum time.

Just guessing, but originally being from the north country, then moving down here back in the early 80's, it seems that the coyotes are very comfortable living closer to man, than farther away. Hunting in the mountains, or around the foothills might be harder, than in area's of heavier population. Coyote populations in and around the Catskills, and southern tier area's is reportedly quite large.

Good luck......
Bob
 
Located in the sw cornor of Steuben county. If anyone gets out this way hollar and we'll go hunting. (after deer season is over of course).

coondogger
 
Coondogger,

Welcome...............

You're not to awful far from me....maybe we could hook up somewhere, sometime, and give the local population hell.

Like I mentioned, I've seen some large dogs just west outside of Dansville, heading towards Nunda. I've hunted "Rattlesnake Hill" over near that area with zero results, but I definitely know they're there. Figuring it's about halfway, it might be an option.
Stueben has got some good spots as well, I'm sure.

I've got a couple photo's of local dogs we've taken, but I don't know how to post them directly on this forum. I think the only way is to post them on other websites and leave a link.
Good luck with deer season, we're not having that great of luck up here this year.

Take care,
Bob
 
Dansville is about 45 min North of me. I haven't been doing this a long time, but it seems the yote population is climbing in this area. Didn't used to hear them when I was running my coonhounds, now I hear them everytime I go out. Thought I would try to knock them down alittle. We still have lots of foxes here, so there proably arn't alot of yotes, but I would like to keep it that way.

Deer season is just about done here. Haven't seen near as many as I did 2 years ago. Between the yotes, the bear, and the hunters, we have really knocked them down. I'd much rather deal with lots of deer, than lots of yotes LOL.
 
Funny you mention the apparent low deer population.

We've seen very little this year and it kinda makes me wonder if the DEC isn't inflating their numbers just to sell licenses & permits. I've been hunting for horns this year, and figured I'd use my doe permit(s) for meat, but in deciding to do that. I haven't even seen the scrub bucks around that are normally pretty regular.

Could be a partial result of local coyote populations, but I don't think they'd have that effect on full sized deer. Maybe on the last couple of years of fawn's though...?

My hunting partner and I are gearing up for heavy coyote hunting this season, and are just waiting for the close of deer to get at them solely. He's already nailed one that came in to him while on stand for deer. Young male at about 38-40lbs......20yds.
If your fox population is heavy, it could be that the coyotes just haven't gotten to them much yet. Our fox are still pretty decent, although only slightly down from what they were a few years back, which could be from other factors as well.
Our coyotes have gotten pretty thick, and will start howling only seconds after we've left the woods. I had them howling 80yds. behind me after leaving the swamp last year, and we were standing out in the field talking to the landowner with his tractor running.......weird ?

My partner and I are hell bent on locating our local "large pack's" den this year. We think weve gotten them pinpointed to a one acre woodlot. When we get a fresh snow, were going tracking. Once we know where their den is, we're gonna setup in an adjacent field some night, and thin them out a little.

Take care,
Bob
 
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