Howling/Barking Dogs

D

Doggone

New member
Not new to coyote hunting, I have been doing it for several years. Most of my kills (70% or so) have been over bait. I have killed several with my electronic caller using mouse and rabbit calls and pup distress when multiple dogs appear and get 1 down and going for the second.
I have had many dogs respond to howling and various other pack sounds but I don't think I have ever called 1 in for a kill. It happened to me twice last night, single dogs I think howling or barking back at me, never saw either 1. When these dogs respond are they just laughing at me? Posing the question as how to call these barking dogs on in. Like I said earlier I have many kills under my belt but I know I have a lot to learn especially on the art of calling. Any help or advice would be much appreciated! THX
 
There is a big difference between coyotes howling and warning barking (often called Booger Barking). Sometimes when you play a howl they will come from a long way off. Whether they howl back or not, depends on the individuals I think. However when they don't come it can be just too far or a territorial boundary. In either of those cases you have to move closer to them and invade their territory. Right now with denning taking place, they are very protective of their territory. I'm on the east coast and my hunting is all at night. It would be rare here to see a coyote cross an open field coming to the call during daytime.

When coyotes are warning barking it could be because they have busted you and have heard that sound before and associate it with danger. Another possibility is they still think you are a coyote and are warning you to stay away. The latter can be called in with challenges, pup sounds, fights sounds. The former are hard to break loose because they already sense danger. That's been my experience at least, but maybe someone else will give you some additional advice.
 
DoubleUp nailed it. Not a lot that I would add to what he has stated. Other than in my experience a coyote that is warning barking seems to usually move around a bit more and just bark non stop. Territorial barks often are more likely to be your classic challenge bark howl combination and if they’re really pizzed you will get a scream thrown back.
 
Last winter I watched a guy(thru my thermal scanner) walk into the property next to one of my bait sites( I was in a blind). Heard him call(coyote vocals, and shoot twice. Heard coyote bark in response before he shot. I decided to stay in the blind, about 2 hours after he walked out, I saw a coyote downwind of where he sat/called from. The coyote looked to be traveling parallel to his track into the wind. The coyote looked like it went very close to his shooting position, I made a couple of female barks and went silent. The coyote doubled back on its track, got downwind of my bait and slowly approached. I shot it as soon as it crossed the property line. The next night I went back, used the same call sound/sequence as the other hunter. 2 hrs later 2 coyote came in just as the one the night before. I think this occurs more often than most callers realize, probably because in the winter staying more than an 1/2 hour is just to cold. Being in the blind with heat allows me to see responses to calls far outside " normal" time.
 
I have had similar experiences hunting over bait, always figured had more to do with the bait than the caller, fact you watched the other hunter and his caller responce put ne light on it. Is nice being in a nice warm blind. The booger barking I understand the concept and the fact the barking dogs probably have you pegged. While in the blind I hear packs howling at distance and get them to respond vocally but never actually get them to come in, unless maybe it is a dog I shoot a long time later and never really associated with the calling. On a side note how long if ever does the dog population recover from hunting? The reason I ask the first year I started hunting dogs hard at night with a thermal a friend and I killed 97, now for the last couple of years we have killed around 30 each year. We are hunting basically the same area but it is a fairly large area probably 8-10 square miles of agriculture area.
 
Owen nailed it. Either busted or warning. Busted, you aren't going to call them in. If a warning, mimick them.

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Road kill deer, also have a neighbor that processes deer in season, best bait we use is geese, goose hunting is a big thing in my area, I have a few guide services I get remnants from.
 

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I use baits heavy/large enough that coyote can't carry or drag it off. Smaller scraps,bones or muskrat caresses I freeze in 5 gallon buckets with water, this works well when temps remain below freezing. Road kill deer, beaver carcass are great. The beaver I stake down, as well small deer or deer ribcage. Where I grew up, coyote had 3-6 square mile territory. So 2-6 coyote(family group) living in that 1800-3600 acres, there would be occasionally coyote passing thru, especially shared travel corridors. Area I live in now, higher density of coyote family groups running 2-4 square mile territory. With more transient coyote. But I still see( recognize) shared travel areas, of course those are where you want to bait/call.
 
Dogs really like the geese (taste or convenience). They go to them before deer when side by side. They do tend to carry them a little ways but to me that just adds to the hunt. I set up with chum pile 200 yds inside a field with blind on the edge of said field. Dogs will pick around on the scattered carcass but not much left to them and will eventually work their way into the main chum pile, adds a little more visual time to the hunt and lets ya get better prepared for the shot.
 
This post caught my interest by the title. Thought maybe you were having issues from howling/ barking dogs. Turns out you’re referring to coyotes !
Your experience hunting over bait has taken time away from you being out there calling them in. Most of my years of experience is from numerous blank sets, which still happens, in order to become a successful coyote caller !

Persistence, patience & perseverance ( just being stubborn ) is what it takes to become successful !
Wiley is the best teacher 😃 !

Just when you think you have them figured out, they teach us something new !
Good luck & stay after them !!
 
One of my first few times calling had me hearing barks the second I opened the door of the truck. I had a spot I wanted to call from based on the wind and where I’d heard them the evening before, but when I opened the door and heard the barking I immediately thought I’d caught one in one of my sets (trapping).
I figured I’d just make my way that direction and it barking might help me. Once I’d went a couple hundred yards I realized it was moving and the drag must be stopping it every so often.
I got to my spot and could hear the coyote plain as day but couldn’t see it through the brush. I set up the caller, and don’t remember the exact name of the sound, but it was like a challenge of barks and howls.
Knowing what I know now, it was pure dumb luck that that coyote came in and took a round to the dome. That’s all I could see in the scope and it was still barking at me or the caller.
Now I know I was busted, but it was too stupid to run off. At least I think that’s the case. The only thing I can think of is it heard or saw my truck when I topped a hill. It wasn’t the direction I’d been hearing them for sure. I guess it was maybe heading back that direction and heard/saw me and started its barking. I’ve heard that same bark from them when the hog doggers came out to run hogs and the dogs have run through one particular drain trying to get on the pigs at the time.
It seems the more I go the more I learn, lol!!
 
Great educational story, was that night or day calling. I am glad to say I get an education good or bad every time I go out.
I will say calling has an added satisfaction over blind hunting, but I do love getting in the blind on bad weather night, cold or precipitation, sitting in comfort and popping at dog or three.
 
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