Coyote hunting

[Steve D]

1 hour ago, CapDistPatriot said:

Did second daytime sit of season with my new foxpro. Different location this time, deeper in woods off driveway in to parking area. Parked at road and hiked in about 3/4 of a mile. Sat and let woods settle about half an hour. Then started jackrabbit distress. About 45 seconds in, 4 crows circled overhead, cawing like crazy. Left that on for about 10 mins, then switched to cottontail dying. As soon as that came on, two yotes started yelping in front of me, but they wouldnt commit. 

This is my first year coyote hunting, any suggestions on what i should have done at that point to coax them in?

Just one opinion but usually this time of year they start to get somewhat territorial as they start to mate. One thing to try is to switch to pup distress just loud enough for them to hear it. Play it for a couple of minutes then go silent, sit and wait. Some times they will come charging in and other times they will sneak in looking for the source. Be ready for two or more because they are more than likely paired up.

[CapDistPatriot]

2 hours ago, chefhunter86 said:

How loud was your caller I’ve noticed less is better


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Had it on 12, and it was kinda loud from where i was sitting, about thirty to thirty five yards in front of me.

[CapDistPatriot]

1 hour ago, Steve D said:

Just one opinion but usually this time of year they start to get somewhat territorial as they start to mate. One thing to try is to switch to pup distress just loud enough for them to hear it. Play it for a couple of minutes then go silent, sit and wait. Some times they will come charging in and other times they will sneak in looking for the source. Be ready for two or more because they are more than likely paired up.

Maybe i should switch from prey calls to mating calls then. You would think they would be in survival mode this time of year, didnt think they started breeding until late march my ignorance at work then LOL

[Chef]

Had it on 12, and it was kinda loud from where i was sitting, about thirty to thirty five yards in front of me.

I like to go with the less is more, go low and slowly slowly get louder as time goes on


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[CapDistPatriot]

3 hours ago, moog5050 said:

They are smart as I am learning and sometimes you just can’t convince them.  Had a group howling last night that wouldn’t come in and another that showed at a different set far out.  Was hoping he would commit and come in but he just kept heading in the wrong direction.  Swing and a miss at 270ish.  

The frustraing thing is i was in deep woods, as i have had no love at the field i have been sitting on because it is just past the den they are at. You have to enter and walk past their den at the property i am at so by the time you set up on field, they know you are there and your back is to them.

Today, they were so close if there was ANY opening i could have took em both, but they had cover so i was SOL. I was able to sneak in right near their den, as i parked my car at the road and hiked in probably 200 yards away. I got a reaction from them in less than an hour of sitting down. 

[CapDistPatriot]

1 minute ago, chefhunter86 said:

I like to go with the less is more, go low and slowly slowly get louder as time goes on


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Thank you. I need to be more patient.

[TreeGuy]

They are smart as I am learning and sometimes you just can’t convince them.  Had a group howling last night that wouldn’t come in and another that showed at a different set far out.  Was hoping he would commit and come in but he just kept heading in the wrong direction.  Swing and a miss at 270ish.  

Sometimes it's just hard to get them close even when your dubbed the greatest coyote caller in the north east.

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[Marion]

I had a whiff this morning. 15 mins into my set I had one bum rush me at under 10 feet on a full on sprint past me towards my caller and decoy. Stupid ass me pulled a@redneric and couldn't get my safety off quick enough. Wound up taking the shot at him running at my decoy around 40 yards. Think I must have only stung him with a few pellets since I heard em Yelp as it was running away back up the hill broadside to me then but after much checking and tracking couldn't find any blood nor hair so fairly certain only spooked it or stung em with a pellet or two. Either way it was intense! Nothing quite like cooking off a 12 gauge at a yote at 615 in the morning. Awesome fireball too. Needless to say I'm hooked and will no longer leave my safety on since there really is 2 seconds to shoot at best.

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[TreeGuy]

I had a whiff this morning. 15 mins into my set I had one bum rush me at under 10 feet on a full on sprint past me towards my caller and decoy. Stupid ass me pulled a[mention=9806]redneric[/mention] and couldn't get my safety off quick enough. Wound up taking the shot at him running at my decoy around 40 yards. Think I must have only stung him with a few pellets since I heard em Yelp as it was running away back up the hill broadside to me then but after much checking and tracking couldn't find any blood nor hair so fairly certain only spooked it or stung em with a pellet or two. Either way it was intense! Nothing quite like cooking off a 12 gauge at a yote at 615 in the morning. Awesome fireball too. Needless to say I'm hooked and will no longer leave my safety on since there really is 2 seconds to shoot at best.

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Fantastic feeling when they rush you.

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[Marion]

Fantastic feeling when they rush you.

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Even with my miss that was still the most exciting hunt I've ever had. He blasted right past me out of nowhere it was intense!

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[Steve D]

11 hours ago, CapDistPatriot said:

Maybe i should switch from prey calls to mating calls then

Not necessarily. They may or may not be breeding yet. It is kind of early but can happen any time now. More than likely they are pairing up though and  have a tendency to be more aggressive at that time.

11 hours ago, CapDistPatriot said:

You would think they would be in survival mode this time of year, didnt think they started breeding until late march my ignorance

You are not ignorant. Just like deer they will start breeding at different times in different areas. Just keep trying and experimenting. Just when you least expect it; it will all come together. If you figure it out let the rest of us know.Frustration and disappointment is part of it. Wait til you miss one or hit one and it gets away.

 Challenging critter for sure.

[Steve D]

11 hours ago, TreeGuy said:

Fantastic feeling when they rush you.

 

11 hours ago, The Jerkman said:

Even with my miss that was still the most exciting hunt I've ever had. He blasted right past me out of nowhere it was intense

Better than a 200 class buck

Edited February 18, 2019 by Steve D

[Steve D]

12 hours ago, CapDistPatriot said:

Maybe i should switch from prey calls to mating calls then. You would think they would be in survival mode this time of year, didnt think they started breeding until late march my ignorance at work then LOL

A Year in the life of eastern coyotes:

The priorities and behavior for a coyote family vary depending on the time of year. Below is an overview of the major events that drive coyote behavior.

» January - February:  Courtship and mating occurs between the pack's breeding pair (the coyote mother and father)

» January - April: Generally it's the breeding female who begins to prepare for potential coyote pups by digging a den or locating a pre-existing one: sometimes that of smaller borrowing animal like a badger or groundhog, dowened trees, brush piles, or abandoned structures. Dens are usually well camouflaged and generally used for pup-rearing only

» March - April: A coyote's gestation period, or length of pregnancy, is 62 days, and usually pups are born between March and April. Typical litter sizes are approximately 4-6 pups

[Culvercreek hunt club]

11 hours ago, The Jerkman said:

 Needless to say I'm hooked and will no longer leave my safety on since there really is 2 seconds to shoot at best.

 

Practice and know you firearm. There is NO excuse to ever do what you mentioned. ever. 

[crappyice]

Better than a 200 class buck

According to FACTS from other threads 99.9% of hunters would disagree....too soon???


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[Steve D]

45 minutes ago, crappyice said:

According to FACTS from other threads 99.9% of hunters would disagree....too soon???


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I guess I should have said "as far as I am concerned"

[greensider]

Took a walk behind my house a half hour before dark immediately had two yotes respond took a 70 yard shot I only shoot a 22 mag with v max bullets it yelled ran into swamp as I walked in i saw the second one pacing where i last saw it i almost got that one I didn't find the one i shot i fell through ice then came in i will go take a look after work tomorrow pretty sure it's right there

[Marion]

Practice and know you firearm. There is NO excuse to ever do what you mentioned. ever. 

Hey man it's a shotgun I never use. I use my over under far more often for general shooting. And I know my weatherby and pistols inside and out. Same with my bow. But my 870 I haven't shot in ages. Shit happens. Was expecting more time and having him creep in and not rushing me. Lessons learned. I'll kill em next time

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[Culvercreek hunt club]

8 hours ago, The Jerkman said:

Hey man it's a shotgun I never use. I use my over under far more often for general shooting. And I know my weatherby and pistols inside and out. Same with my bow. But my 870 I haven't shot in ages. Shit happens. Was expecting more time and having him creep in and not rushing me. Lessons learned. I'll kill em next time

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Just wanna be clear. Wasn't taking any issue with the miss, shit happens to us all. I was just commenting about leaving a safety off. Seems like a recipe for disaster in my book. 

[Marion]

Just wanna be clear. Wasn't taking any issue with the miss, shit happens to us all. I was just commenting about leaving a safety off. Seems like a recipe for disaster in my book. 

I would agree with you depending on the circumstance. Walking in definitely on. Putting down always on. But I think the biggest safety is the one between ones ears. CCW hammer down on a DA gun off safe round in the chamber. But I think there are also some other ways of getting used to the shotgun safety which is the matter at hand thinking holding closer and then pop the safe off then can go to trigger vs holding with finger up on receiver in a safe manner then trying to fumble to behind to pop the safety. BTW Remington safety's are in the worst spots ever

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[BizCT]

I would agree with you depending on the circumstance. Walking in definitely on. Putting down always on. But I think the biggest safety is the one between ones ears. CCW hammer down on a DA gun off safe round in the chamber. But I think there are also some other ways of getting used to the shotgun safety which is the matter at hand thinking holding closer and then pop the safe off then can go to trigger vs holding with finger up on receiver in a safe manner then trying to fumble to behind to pop the safety. BTW Remington safety's are in the worst spots ever

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All the furbearers I have killed with a shotgun were quick reaction shots. As I raise gun I flip safety off with thumb before slipping finger into trigger. It’s 1 quick motion.


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[Marion]

All the furbearers I have killed with a shotgun were quick reaction shots. As I raise gun I flip safety off with thumb before slipping finger into trigger. It’s 1 quick motion.


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Remington need to use your trigger finger. For a righty it's behind the trigger and you push it from right to left it's a button. My O/U is an easy thumb swipe

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[TreeGuy]

Remington need to use your trigger finger. For a righty it's behind the trigger and you push it from right to left it's a button. My O/U is an easy thumb swipe

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One of the reasons I love my versamax. Safety is huge and easy to hit.

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[Marion]

One of the reasons I love my versamax. Safety is huge and easy to hit.

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Eventually I may switch to a Benelli for duck hunting and just use it for coyotes too. For now my trusty 870 will be perfect though. Just that damn safety. Never was a problem for turkeys or really any other animal you have more time to shoot. But coyote it may not be my favorite that's for sure

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[UpStateRedNeck]

What kind of hair does this look like?  Not coarse enough to be deer.  A little blood in the pee, females seem to be in season in 4H.  In a different field found a couple breeding spots in the field where I always do.  Near as I can tell at least 3 different pairs.