Calling coyote issues

[luketimmer]

Good evening,

I'm new to hunting predators, started this weekend because there's 2 yotes killing my friends mom's chickens. I'm hunting them alone. I'm on a hill overlooking a frozen lake which they sometimes walk across but there are houses on all ends of the lake. I was trying to call them in closer with whitetail distress sounds and the dogs did not care(was using my phone with a speaker). The dog was maybe 180 to 200 yards away. I don't don't have a range finder so that's a guesstimate. They turned and looked at me when I yelled but again nothing with the distress call. How can I call them to come in closer to me? I'm not to knowledgeable on their behaviors so any tips would be appreciated. I'm using a Winchester xpr with Hornady 150 GR VMAX bullets. I don't want to shoot that far and hit someone's house. Should I try bait as well? Any advice or ideas are appreciated. Thank ya much!

 

[Wapiti66]

I’d use a rabbit distress call or possibly challenging howls….from long distances, not 200 yards. Quite possibly they wouldn’t come closer because they saw you or something else suspicious about the set up. If they can see directly where the sound is coming from, but can’t see anything other than your call in that spot they aren’t likely to come in. They have great eyes and can tell exactly where a sound is coming from…even from a half mile away or more.
Setup in an area where they can’t see the call source until they are in your range.

Or just drop them at 200

 

[bmicek]

From the picture, it doesn’t look like there's any safe way to shoot them anyway with all the houses or is that not the case?

 

[Rob5589]

Not safe to shoot a rifle towards the houses over/at a hard surface like the iced over lake. A shotgun would work if you could get them in closer. Skip the rifle.

 

[TheGDog]

Definitely try stuffing the caller into a bush a bit off the ground. Try to hide the caller visually.

If you can, have yourself situated so that if they are looking in your direction, the morning sun is behind you, which will constrict their pupils, and you are hugged up against a bush seated low to the ground in its shadow. Concealment gear. Liner gloves and facemask so the pink of your skin isn't all sticking out like a sore thumb. Biggest thing is not freaking moving! You move? They'll see that sh!t.

Get yourself completely ready and comfortable and get all the fidgety out of you before you hit play on the call. So you're not potentially moving when they come in. Figure out how you're gonna sit the rifle such that it's at the easiest position to raise it up quickly for you.

I'm fairly new to it as well. Just got my 4th y'day morning (out of 7 total I've managed to call in so far). In terms of which call sounds to use, look at the area you are in and see what kinda game animals are around and let that guide you to some degree. So far, for me, it's been either the higher-pitched Baby Jack or Baby Cottontails sounds, or this one which is a combo of pup distress coupled with the growlings of an adult that makes it sounds like the pup is crying out because of the actions of some aggressive adult. My assumption is this would be like the scenario of an adult from a different pack maybe not liking that he found this pup from another pack?

Another one that worked well was this fairly frantic sounding bird sound. I gave it a try because looking around this area I was in I noted a good amount of decent sized birds like scrub jays and stuff hopping from Juniper to Juniper. And MAN did that one come in quick! Caught me off guard. So that's why I see be 100% ready to rock and roll before you press play.

Don't let them see you as you're walking in to where you're gonna setup at. They see you? It's over. Be quiet too! Along that same thought, park your vehicle a decent ways away from where you're gonna setup at. Be quiet with closing the doors and tailgate! You don't want that smell of the vehicle drifting into where you're gonna setup.

Know what the wind is doing and let that guide you in how you pick your sit location. Make sure the sit location gives you the best FOV on the scene that you can get! If you can, make it so that they will HAVE to traverse some open space in order to get closer to where that sound is coming from!

Point the caller "into the wind", and remember that they will try to circle around behind where the sound is emanating from if they can. You then try to set yourself up at a position that would intercept them as they are trying to do that circling around.

If it's a handheld eCaller. While it's playing you want to occasionally be turning where it's pointing the sound at a lil bit, so they'll perceive that as actual movement of the "animal" that's crying out. More realism. Creates more of a sense of urgency since it seems to be moving.

Before you press play, start with less volume, just in case there's one close by you don't know about. For playing the sounds think 2-3 min on... 30sec to 1 min off. 1-2 min off if you're going to change-up which kinda sound you're playing. After each lil 2-3 session, if no takers, try bumping up volume a couple notches. PUT YOUR SCOPE BACK ON LOWEST POWER before you press play!

If you can find a place where you can setup to sucker them into a more close-quarters type of shot scenario (like 25-40yds max) in thicker stuff then just use shotgun, it's a lot easier to quickly raise up and just point and bang with a shotgun.

Oh... and no matter what? After you take a shot HURRY the heck up and jack another round in the weapon and be ready to take another shot to make sure they don't get the chance to run away, even if you know the first shot should be good. If they go down but there's still a lot of kicking and writhing going on, don't hesitate, hit'em with another shot! Trust me on that one. Otherwise they'll blow your mind by getting back up and running away!! It's unbelievable how much of a hit they can take, that might not be immediately fatal, but is fatal... and STILL manage to run a LONG damn ways away!

 

[luketimmer]

From the picture, it doesn’t look like there's any safe way to shoot them anyway with all the houses or is that not the case?

Was only planning on shooting towards the right off the side of the picture. Only safe area. I swear the yotes know that too!

 

[TheGDog]

Definitely from the looks of it do shotgun or like .17 HMR or .22 Mag just to take away the threat of potentially having a projectiles flightpath get you in big trouble. That's the good thing about like the .17 HMR. It's just a 15.5gr - 20gr projectile. Same size as like a pellet gun projectile. So they dissipate their energy fairly quickly once ya get past like 125yds.

 

[luketimmer]

With all the houses around and my buddies mom always messing with the chickens I figured they'd more accustomed to human activity. Spent my Sunday morning observing them just from inside their house. They look in the windows and watch everyone inside. Saw their darn prints right outside the coop. Should I try a chicken call or something similar? That's what they seem to want! Or should I call it at this point and set up traps to snag their legs and dispatch them?

 

[Wapiti66]

They are opportunistic and anything they can catch is good to them, the less they have to work for it the better. Better be careful setting traps around all those houses, very likely you’ll catch someone’s poodle.

 

[Dos Perros]

I'd try to trap them. I believe the footholds will release a poodle unharmed.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

TRAP THEM BY THE COOP OR GET THEM CLOSE ENUFF FOR THE SCATTER GUN. DEFINATLEY WOULD NOT RECOMMEND SKIPPING ROUNDS ACROSS A FROZEN LAKE WITH ALL THOSE HOUSES AROUND.

 

[dct73]

We should be coming up on breeding season soon which may make it a bit easier. If this drags out long enough (May??) I'd work a lot of coyote pup distress calls.

 

[308_WIN]

Really pay attention to the wind. Once they get down wind of you it is pretty much game over.

 

[308_WIN]

Definitely try stuffing the caller into a bush a bit off the ground. Try to hide the caller visually.

If you can, have yourself situated so that if they are looking in your direction, the morning sun is behind you, which will constrict their pupils, and you are hugged up against a bush seated low to the ground in its shadow. Concealment gear. Liner gloves and facemask so the pink of your skin isn't all sticking out like a sore thumb. Biggest thing is not freaking moving! You move? They'll see that sh!t.

Get yourself completely ready and comfortable and get all the fidgety out of you before you hit play on the call. So you're not potentially moving when they come in. Figure out how you're gonna sit the rifle such that it's at the easiest position to raise it up quickly for you.

I'm fairly new to it as well. Just got my 4th y'day morning (out of 7 total I've managed to call in so far). In terms of which call sounds to use, look at the area you are in and see what kinda game animals are around and let that guide you to some degree. So far, for me, it's been either the higher-pitched Baby Jack or Baby Cottontails sounds, or this one which is a combo of pup distress coupled with the growlings of an adult that makes it sounds like the pup is crying out because of the actions of some aggressive adult. My assumption is this would be like the scenario of an adult from a different pack maybe not liking that he found this pup from another pack?

Another one that worked well was this fairly frantic sounding bird sound. I gave it a try because looking around this area I was in I noted a good amount of decent sized birds like scrub jays and stuff hopping from Juniper to Juniper. And MAN did that one come in quick! Caught me off guard. So that's why I see be 100% ready to rock and roll before you press play.

Don't let them see you as you're walking in to where you're gonna setup at. They see you? It's over. Be quiet too! Along that same thought, park your vehicle a decent ways away from where you're gonna setup at. Be quiet with closing the doors and tailgate! You don't want that smell of the vehicle drifting into where you're gonna setup.

Know what the wind is doing and let that guide you in how you pick your sit location. Make sure the sit location gives you the best FOV on the scene that you can get! If you can, make it so that they will HAVE to traverse some open space in order to get closer to where that sound is coming from!

Point the caller "into the wind", and remember that they will try to circle around behind where the sound is emanating from if they can. You then try to set yourself up at a position that would intercept them as they are trying to do that circling around.

If it's a handheld eCaller. While it's playing you want to occasionally be turning where it's pointing the sound at a lil bit, so they'll perceive that as actual movement of the "animal" that's crying out. More realism. Creates more of a sense of urgency since it seems to be moving.

Before you press play, start with less volume, just in case there's one close by you don't know about. For playing the sounds think 2-3 min on... 30sec to 1 min off. 1-2 min off if you're going to change-up which kinda sound you're playing. After each lil 2-3 session, if no takers, try bumping up volume a couple notches. PUT YOUR SCOPE BACK ON LOWEST POWER before you press play!

If you can find a place where you can setup to sucker them into a more close-quarters type of shot scenario (like 25-40yds max) in thicker stuff then just use shotgun, it's a lot easier to quickly raise up and just point and bang with a shotgun.

Oh... and no matter what? After you take a shot HURRY the heck up and jack another round in the weapon and be ready to take another shot to make sure they don't get the chance to run away, even if you know the first shot should be good. If they go down but there's still a lot of kicking and writhing going on, don't hesitate, hit'em with another shot! Trust me on that one. Otherwise they'll blow your mind by getting back up and running away!! It's unbelievable how much of a hit they can take, that might not be immediately fatal, but is fatal... and STILL manage to run a LONG damn ways away!

Definitely try stuffing the caller into a bush a bit off the ground. Try to hide the caller visually.

If you can, have yourself situated so that if they are looking in your direction, the morning sun is behind you, which will constrict their pupils, and you are hugged up against a bush seated low to the ground in its shadow. Concealment gear. Liner gloves and facemask so the pink of your skin isn't all sticking out like a sore thumb. Biggest thing is not freaking moving! You move? They'll see that sh!t.

Get yourself completely ready and comfortable and get all the fidgety out of you before you hit play on the call. So you're not potentially moving when they come in. Figure out how you're gonna sit the rifle such that it's at the easiest position to raise it up quickly for you.

I'm fairly new to it as well. Just got my 4th y'day morning (out of 7 total I've managed to call in so far). In terms of which call sounds to use, look at the area you are in and see what kinda game animals are around and let that guide you to some degree. So far, for me, it's been either the higher-pitched Baby Jack or Baby Cottontails sounds, or this one which is a combo of pup distress coupled with the growlings of an adult that makes it sounds like the pup is crying out because of the actions of some aggressive adult. My assumption is this would be like the scenario of an adult from a different pack maybe not liking that he found this pup from another pack?

Another one that worked well was this fairly frantic sounding bird sound. I gave it a try because looking around this area I was in I noted a good amount of decent sized birds like scrub jays and stuff hopping from Juniper to Juniper. And MAN did that one come in quick! Caught me off guard. So that's why I see be 100% ready to rock and roll before you press play.

Don't let them see you as you're walking in to where you're gonna setup at. They see you? It's over. Be quiet too! Along that same thought, park your vehicle a decent ways away from where you're gonna setup at. Be quiet with closing the doors and tailgate! You don't want that smell of the vehicle drifting into where you're gonna setup.

Know what the wind is doing and let that guide you in how you pick your sit location. Make sure the sit location gives you the best FOV on the scene that you can get! If you can, make it so that they will HAVE to traverse some open space in order to get closer to where that sound is coming from!

Point the caller "into the wind", and remember that they will try to circle around behind where the sound is emanating from if they can. You then try to set yourself up at a position that would intercept them as they are trying to do that circling around.

If it's a handheld eCaller. While it's playing you want to occasionally be turning where it's pointing the sound at a lil bit, so they'll perceive that as actual movement of the "animal" that's crying out. More realism. Creates more of a sense of urgency since it seems to be moving.

Before you press play, start with less volume, just in case there's one close by you don't know about. For playing the sounds think 2-3 min on... 30sec to 1 min off. 1-2 min off if you're going to change-up which kinda sound you're playing. After each lil 2-3 session, if no takers, try bumping up volume a couple notches. PUT YOUR SCOPE BACK ON LOWEST POWER before you press play!

If you can find a place where you can setup to sucker them into a more close-quarters type of shot scenario (like 25-40yds max) in thicker stuff then just use shotgun, it's a lot easier to quickly raise up and just point and bang with a shotgun.

Oh... and no matter what? After you take a shot HURRY the heck up and jack another round in the weapon and be ready to take another shot to make sure they don't get the chance to run away, even if you know the first shot should be good. If they go down but there's still a lot of kicking and writhing going on, don't hesitate, hit'em with another shot! Trust me on that one. Otherwise they'll blow your mind by getting back up and running away!! It's unbelievable how much of a hit they can take, that might not be immediately fatal, but is fatal... and STILL manage to run a LONG damn ways away!

 

[308_WIN]

Good advice here. Consider getting a decoy that will keep their eyes off of you. Also, don’t be afraid to try different sounds even if that type of prey isn’t in the area. If there is one call a coyote has heard it would be a rabbit distress.

 

[TheGDog]

As was said by others with more experience then me... decoys can sometimes work against you. Sure seems that's the case in an area I've been focusing on that get's a decent amount of pressure at certain times of the year, such as Dove Season opener. Had one come in early and hot, and turned on a dime once they saw the decoy.

Just know that you may have to experiment with the decoy and it can't hurt to try to partially obscure the base of it by placing it near/beside low-lying brush.