How long do you all continue scanning after muting your call for the last time??

wolverines

wolverines

Active member
The reason I ask is twice now I've had a coyote coming in as I was walking out to get my call.

The first time was 2 weeks ago. I probably waited 5 minutes before I walked out to grab the call. Pulled up the scanner (apparently to torcher myself) and had one coming straight to me in the woods. I chalked this up as a learning experience that I'm not waiting long enough.

Fast forward to Friday night, hunting a spot I'm positive there's coyotes. Had one howl back midway through the set. Wasn't able to coax him out but had remembered the lesson I'd learned a couple weeks ago. I thought just maybe if waited long enough he might wander out to see that female that was whining to him. I think I waited at least 10 minutes. I had another spot I wanted to try so I walked out to get the call. Sure enough, I picked my scanner up to look and there he was a couple hundred yards out in the field looking at me.

I guess the obvious answer would be to stop scanning when I walk out to get the call. LOL But seriously, what's the "appropriate" amount of time to wait? I don't get a ton of responses, so when I do, I really want to be able to capitalize on it.
 
there's no right or wrong answer to your question. What each of us has to do is weigh the pros and cons of moving early or staying longer.
What you'll learn over time is that no matter how long you stay, eventually you'll have an instance where you wish you would've stayed longer. BUT how often that happens is usually the deciding factor for us. Does staying longer for that one coyote that will show up at 45 minutes, or later, make sense or does making more stands make more sense.
Just a week ago I quit calling and had picked up my call and had walked about 50 yards when I looked up and saw a coyote coming over the hill to me. Of course it saw me about the same time I saw it and right back over the hill it went. Needed to stay just another minute or two, BUT I wanted to get to the next stand a little too quick.
It's going to happen, no matter how long a guy sits.
 
I most times sit in silence 5-15 min. Up to 30 if l had gotten an answer within what l estimate to be 6-800 yds.
 
I have used traditional Night Vision, now more appropriately called, I2 this hunting season. I say more appropriately because thermal is also a type of Night Vision. I use a PVS14 on a helmet to walk to the stand, put the call out, get the call, retrieve coyotes, and walk back to the truck. It has surprised me how many additional coyotes using no light has yielded both in shooting coyotes before the stand starts as well as coyotes after getting my call. This has shown to me that many coyotes are coming in later. I still don't sit for a ton of time after I finish calling, but usually wait at least a few minutes after finishing calling before getting the call. I scan again when I get to the call and then scan again when I get back to my gun before packing up and leaving. By using no light at all, many times if a coyote has responded late, they are still coming or sitting trying to figure out what I am. This rarely happened when I used a light. Often in the past when using lights to navigate, when reviewing my recorded footage, I noticed additional coyotes that spooked as I was retrieving my call or game.

The question that is hard to answer is how long is too long. As others have mentioned, let's say a person waits 30 minutes in silence after. Is there any question, they would probably kill some additional coyotes. No, I think they will, but for me an entire stand lasts about 30 minutes. I have to believe I will kill more additional coyotes by hunting twice as many stands in a night versus spending 30 minutes calling and 30 minutes sitting in silence. A lot depends on how much land you have to hunt. The more land you can hunt, the less I would wait with long periods of silence. There is no right or wrong answer. The higher the hunting pressure and more educated coyotes become may impact how often and how long you may have to wait. Also, the type of terrain can make a big difference. When hunting open plains where a hunter can see for miles will yield a different approach most likely vs someone hunting in heavy cover.
 
Last night I headed out to a blind on a small property(200 acres). When I pulled into the farm a pickup was parked 200 yards south off the neighbors field(before sunset). I went to the blind as I was curious about the hunter(s). I thought I heard a couple coyote barks just after sunset, than a shot. Several minutes later a second shot, followed by louder howl/barks from an ecaller. I watched with a thermal scanner, but the terrain obscured the Hunter walking out. The truck left about 1/2 hr after the first shot. I stayed about 2hr more, watching as my blind is over looking a well used coyote trail crossing between property's, and I was downwind of where it sounded like the call was located. I saw one coyote enter the field where the Hunter walked in and out of, from the south(I was north). It moved slowly cutting in between me and where the call sounds came from. I didn't shoot as it was on the other property and I don't have permission. I left shortly after the coyote sighting and went to where the truck was parked. One set of boot tracks in and out of the field, no blood or drag marks. Both directions the boot impressions were same depth. I also never heard a bullet impact, so I believe no kill. In the past I have witnessed similar responses, and also have found(tracks) where coyote have visited call setups after I left. This time of year(breeding time) I think longer sits are probably beneficial, if weather permits.
 
I can't tell you how many times we've unloaded our guns or pulled them off the tripod and a coyote shows up. It happens often enough it's kind of a running joke before we leave one of us often has said, "well I will unload my gun so you can shoot one". Our stands are normally 35 minutes and we kill more way late in the stand then early. I think coyotes come in to investigate after a stand quite often. Might be the best way to kill call shy coyotes.
 
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You got some great advice so far IMO. For me it totally depends on several things; having a vocal response is one of them. If I know for certain a coyote is out there within 1/2 or 3/4 mile I'm more likely to wait a bit longer. My theory is that educated and/or timid coyotes will want to sneak in after the fight is over just to see what happened there.
 
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