Coyote Calling Tips

Bobcat 1...Grizz and The New Fox Pro Fury...0

2011-01-03T23:59:00.004-06:00

My apollagies for not making this post yesterday as I said I would.

Anyway...Got up yesterday before the crack of dawn, (excited as a kid on Christmas Morning!)ready to go out and play with the new caller. Get dressed...head out the door only to find the wind blowing at 25+ miles an hour. Go back in the house disgusted and decide to wait for a a time when the wind isn't blowing quite so hard.

So by about 4pm yesterday evening the wind has laid and I decide it is time for the maiden voyage of Grizz and the new Fox Pro Caller.

Got to my hunting spot, get to my setup with great confidence because I was super stealthy getting in there. Get my caller set up about 20 yards upwind of where I plan to set and then waited just a couple minutes to start calling.

Had been calling about 15 minutes when all I see is the rear end of a bobcat slinking back over the crest of a little hill. Didn't even have time to get into position for a shot before he disappeared.

I was calling in a corn stock field which makes it exceptionally hard to see a bobcat anyway, but I tell you it amazes me how stealthy those critters are. I have great eyes and have done this gig long enough that not much gets past me but this ol cat certainly did.

Anyway the caller is great! Crystal clear sound and enough volume to really get the sound out there when needed.

Anyway that's it for now...But I do recommend that if you love to call predators as much as I do The Fox Pro Fury is well worth the investment. You will use and enjoy it every time you go out.

Fox Pro Electronic Caller

2011-01-01T21:44:00.006-06:00

Well I did it...I spent the money for a quality electronic call. I got a Fox Pro Fury and am headed out in the morning to try it out.

I own several electronic callers and do not need this one (according to my wife)...but dog gone it coyote calling is something I truly enjoy and I try to buy nearly every new predator related hunting product on the market so I know what I am talking about on here and also know whether to recommend it to you my loyal subscribers.

If I think a new product is going to make you more successful, I am going to recommend it and if I think it is junk I am not...period!

So look out for tomorrows post and I'll let you know what I think of it.

Coyote Calls...Try A Fawn Distress Call For Spring And Summer Coyote Calling

2009-05-19T17:29:00.002-05:00

The Coyote Calls I use vary depending on the area and the season of the year.

First let's cover area.

If I know an area has not been hunted before I will almost always use a rabbit distress call. On the other hand if I know it has had some hunting pressure from other predator hunters I will probably use a different call.

Now don't get me wrong. I like it that more and more hunters are starting to enjoy predator hunting. But I also know that when hunters are new to calling coyotes they use rabbit distress calls almost exclusively. I also know that there lack of experience makes for a lot of smart coyotes.

Since I know this I will change up my calling when in previously hunted areas. Maybe some coyote vocalizations or a fawn distress or bird distress.

Now let's talk about season

At the time of this post it is mid May here in Missouri. Turkey season is just over and deer are giving birth to fawns.....Ding Ding Ding!

Yep it's time to use the fawn distress call. One draw back to this is you are going to call in some deer as well.

The up side is that those old opportunistic coyotes know what time of year it is too. Coyotes dine on different critters at different times of the year and it is prime time for fawn distress calling.

If you have deer in your area and I bet you do...get out your fawn distress call and get out there and give it a go.

Good Luck and Great Hunting!
Grizz

Coyote Decoy...Here's How I Use Them

2009-05-16T08:41:00.004-05:00

COYOTE DECOY

Flambeau make a great coyote decoy. In my opinion they really did their homework when designing it because they have made it in such a way that it can be placed in a standing position, a sitting position, or a prone position.

This matters for a couple of reasons to me. One is the wind. When I am calling in a fairly stiff wind I sit that decoy on it's hind end to make it more stable. Let's it not catch quite as much wind as it does when it is standing.

The second reason is the coyote decoys posture. A standing coyote has the appearance of a more aggressive posture. Where as a sitting or prone position coyote decoy would appear to be a less aggressive posture.

HERE'S HOW I SETUP MY COYOTE DECOY IN A GIVEN CALLING SITUATION

For Instance If I am doing a Challenge Howl

I will stand my coyote decoy up when in this situation. Hey I'm challenging him with my call so why not make my decoy look like a challenger? Works well for getting an alpha coyote all pumped up!

Other Ways I Use The Coyote Decoy

I have played with this decoy just about every way you can imagine. I have even placed fur in it's mouth when making distress calls so it looks like the decoy coyote has already made the kill.

Do you need a coyote decoy to be a successful coyote hunter? The answer is no. But I can tell you from experience that anything I can do to draw an incoming coyotes attention away from me, all adds up to a better percentage of coyotes killed.

Add A Crow Call To Your Arsenal

2009-04-24T21:58:00.003-05:00

A new subscriber here named John brought to my attention the use of a crow call along with distress calls when he's out calling coyotes. I used to do this dog gone it, but forgot all about it in my recent years of experimenting with different calling techniques. Thanks for reminding me John!

I'm gonna share with you John's e-mail on how he has used his crow call successfully. Here it is:

"Kevin, Here is how I use the crow call with coyotes. I first use the distress rabbit for a minute or so, then I play the crow call ( a few crows ) then real quick play the distress rabbit, wait about 10 seconds and play the crow call again for about 3 minutes. The way I see it, the coyote thinks a rabbit is hurt and the crow have spotted it and are getting ready to have a easy lunch. The coyotes then move in for the easy kill. The first time I tried it, I called in a pair of males. Using a .308 ( 25 round magazine ) I took both. One sitting about 60 yards and the other ( full run - 3 shots.......they are hard to hit running, but very fun ) The running shot was about 150 yards. Any new ideas from you or the post would be great to hear."

Nice shooting John and thanks for the great info!

I want to tell everyone here that shooting a coyote standing still is the best. But I'm also gonna tell you that just like John I'm not going to pass up a running shot if I know I can cleanly kill a coyote.

I'm also going to tell you that I am a very good shot. I'm not bragging here. I practice all the time and I think any serious hunter should too.

Moral of the story...practice yourself and know your abilities and limits.

One more thing...it's a good story I promise!

I learned to hit moving targets with my rifle a long time ago when my wife was still a good sport about going hunting with me (just kidding hunny).

I would get me some old tires and wire plywood to the inside of them. Then my loving and supportive new bride (26 years ago) would roll those suckers down a slight hill for me while I practiced shooting them on the move. It was a blast and I learned a ton about leading and hitting a target on the move.

I know you're thinking "what a hillbilly". Guess you may be right, but I can pretty much smoke a coyote running inside a hundred yards and further if I can make a safe shot.

Thanks for reading and good luck!
Grizz

I know The Name Of This Blog Is "Coyote Calling Tips" But Would You Try Calling A Bobcat If I Told You Where To Find One?

2009-04-24T21:12:00.006-05:00

I can't resist here to tell you a little bit about Bobcats. I love to call those critters too.

Any place I find a brush pile I am looking for Bobcat Sign. I know that here in Missouri bobcats can often be found in them. Above is a picture to give you an idea of what a bobcat footprint looks like. If you have any piles of brush in places you can hunt...check em out. See if you can find any tracks in the dirt around them.

Now when you are trying to call a bobcat, you are probably going to have to be a bit more patient calling. There have been times when I have called them in fairly quickly, but most times they come to the call much slower and more wary than coyotes. Remember bobcats just like house cats are stalking type hunters.

Think about a house cat. Have you ever seen a house cat when they are trying to sneak up on a bird? Bobcats are no different. They are stalkers.

I can't tell you the number of times I've been hunting only to see the hind end of a cat that busted me before I busted him. Which brings me to another point.

When you are calling bobcats you really have to pay very close attention and scan the area very closely. These sneaky little varmints can be setting there watching you and you don't even know it.

My favorite call for bobcats is the Primos Cat Nip Predator Call Just use it like you would any other distress call.

Hope this has been helpful for you. Get out there and get yourself a bobcat. Last season good cats with lots of spots on there underside were worth about $60 here in Missouri and I think the cats from further north where the fur is better brought a lot more.

Early Morning And Mid Day Coyote Calling Tips

2009-03-16T23:43:00.002-05:00

Morning, evening, and at night are when coyotes are most active. Call areas where they will be feeding when hunting at these times. These ares include:

wheat fields
corn fields
bean fields
dead animal dumps
feed lots, etc.

During Mid Day Hunting Call Where a Coyote Might Be Taking A Nap... Areas like:

Timber
Grassy Areas
Abandoned Farm Buildings
Swamps
Sage Brush
Brush Piles
Den Areas

Coyote Hunting Videos...All Time Greats!

2009-03-12T20:26:00.003-05:00

When it comes to all time great coyote hunting videos I gotta give one of the top spots to Byron South and the other to Randy Anderson.

Byron's Video "CALLING PREDATORS DVD - Hunting Coyotes, Fox, Bobcats & Alligators
" is not only jam packed with hunting scenes, it's equally full of helpful tips and stratagies for calling the most predators.

Randy's Video Calling All Coyotes, Vol. 2 is equally as helpful and entertaining.

If you enjoy these types of videos and haven't seen these yet I highly suggest them as my all time favs!

Here's A Couple "Kick Butt" Coyote Calling Tips

2009-03-04T18:40:00.004-06:00

First Coyote Calling Tip today is to have 2 people calling at the same time. Especially if your using any type of Howler Call and doing some Ki Yi's in your calling set.

This gives the impression that there is more than one coyote and brings in any curios Coy Dog just a screamin!

Second Coyote Calling Tip today is to make certain you can see your down wind side when you are calling. I can GUARANTEE you that any coyote coming to your call is going to try to get down wind of where the sound of the call is coming from.

There you have it...still the best way to learn to call coyotes is just to get out there and do it yourself.

So You Called A Coyote...Don't Assume Your Done

2009-02-24T20:16:00.002-06:00

Here's another Coyote Calling Tip For You:

More times than not when you've called up and hopefully bagged a coyote, the action is probably not over. Most times there is more than one coyote coming to your call. You may not have seen another one, but just assume he is there.

Gun shots don't seem to bother many coyotes...so here's what you do.

Get on your Little Dog Howler call and start letting out a series of Ki Yi calls (sound like a wounded pup). A lot of times you will lure in another coyote because he just can't help himself from coming back to see what's going on.

All for now...Good Luck...Make sure you take a child hunting or fishing when ever possible.

When to Howl and When To Use Distress Sounds

2009-02-15T14:07:00.000-06:00

Lots of predator hunters are not sure when they should call using howls and when they should only use distress calls. Well, I personally do both at almost every place that I set up to call. With one exception, and here it is.

If I think there could possibly be a bobcat in the area, I will only use distress calls to begin with.

You might say, "Well there could be a bobcat at potentially every place you call".

This is true, but I do relentless scouting of the areas I hunt, so I know the areas where there is bobcat sign and where there is not, and you should too. I can't stress enough the need for you to scout the areas you intend to hunt. Know what's there.

Do you have coyote or bobcat tracks along creek bottoms and water holes? Do you have both?

Here in Missouri where I do most of my predator hunting, I know that bobcat's LOVE brush piles. So I especially look for bobcat sign around brush piles...(hint hint that's a little secret for you. Check out areas you can hunt with brush piles;)

So let's talk about the best times to use a "Howl" when calling.

I will generally start out with a long, lone howl when I first begin to call. Not too loudly though. Then I will follow it up a few minutes later with my distress call. I will still mix in a few howls now and then, but I will primarily keep right on with the distress call.

As I post this though it is in the latter part of winter here in Missouri and the Coyotes are in there breeding cycle.

This is PRIME time to be howling. Coyotes become extremely territorial this time of year and respond to howls very aggressively. Use a short "Challenge" Howl with just a couple "Barks" mixed in. This will bring em in just looking for a fight! Too Much Fun!

Get out there and have yourself some fun. Remember to pass along your love for the sport and take a child hunting and fishing whenever possible. Till next time.....Good Luck!

For even more tips from me visit me on Squidoo at: http://www.squidoo.com/coyotecalling

Coyote Calling Tips And Techniques

2008-05-03T21:43:00.000-05:00

Since this is my first post here I wanted to introduce myself and tell you why I am qualified to tell you a few things I've learned about Coyote Calling. My name is Kevin Webster. I'm from Missouri and lived here all my life. Have been Coyote Calling and more recently Bobcat Calling for more than 20 years...and having a lot of fun and success doing it!

Before season begins I do quite a lot of scouting and planning. I like to find areas for calling that not only have a lot of good coyote sign, but also areas where I can make my set for calling from an elevated position. Now it is not absolutely necessary to be in an elevated position to call coyotes, but I do prefer it.

When I find a good area, I make note of which direction the cover where I expect coyotes to come from is in relation to where I'll be calling from. This is important because of wind direction when I'm actually calling. I always want to be down wind of the area I expect the coyotes to come from when calling. This is very important.

Coyotes have an exceptional sense of smell. If they get wind of you...they are gone...end of story!

Ok so now I have found a spot where I want to make a coyote calling set from. Here's what I do.

I like to go early in the morning, just about daylight. I prefer to go on days with not much wind blowing as well. I always where camo which blends in with the color of the season. If it is fall and trees and grass are starting to brown I wear brown and green camo. If it is winter and there is snow on the ground I wear white camo so to blend in.

I always find somewhere to sit where the outline of my body is broken up by something. Like setting up against a tree, building, or tall grass. Coyotes also have very good eyesight so this is key to success. I also use a cover scent to help eliminate my human odor as much as possible.

I also use a decoy so as to attract the attention of the coyote. I place the decoy approximately 25 to 50 yards out in front of me, no further. I use the Predator Supreme Decoy but there are many good ones on the market.

Now there are two different techniques that I use when coyote calling. One targets there need to eat, and the other targets their territorial nature. I'm going to tell you how I do it when targeting their hunger right now and in later post I'll tell you how I call when I'm going for their territorial side.

I use both mouth calls and electronic calls. I prefer mouth calls though because I can start or stop calling easier. I can also control the volume easier. Here in Missouri, one of the primary food sources for Coyotes is Cotton Tail Rabbits, so that's the primary call I use.

When I first start to call I do it somewhat low volume. The reason for this is in case there is a coyote close by. I don't want to spook him by calling to loud. I blow on the call for about 30 seconds and then take a 1 minute break between calls. After I have done this a couple times and no Coyote appears, I begin to call louder and louder. I try to imitate a rabbit in distress. The easiest way for me to do this is say or blow waaa into the call and vary the pitch a little almost making it sound like a baby crying. This is very effective! I highly recommend it.

Now on a good calm day, I have called coyotes from as much as a mile away. Maybe farther but I can only say that I have seen them from a mile away coming to me.

I generally use a 22-250 or .223 caliber rifle if coyote calling during the day, and a 12 gauge shotgun loaded with BB shot if hunting at night.

I usually let the coyote get as close as possible before I shoot. Inside of 50 yards if possible. Some will come that close and some will hang up out there a ways farther. If I don't think I can get him any closer, I'll take as much as a 250 yard shot during the day. I feel 50 yards at night using a shotgun is about as far as I will take a shot though and be comfortable I'll get the kill. The last thing I want to do is wound and not find a coyote.

I must tell you though that I am a very good shot and practice a lot, so use your own judgement as to how far you think you can shoot and make a good kill shot. Practice is key here as well.

Here in Missouri the Coyote population has dwindled quite a lot over past years due to disease in the Coyote population so Coyote Calling has become increasingly more of a challange. I can generally call coyotes in to me at about 2 of every 10 calling sets I make.

If you live in western states your chances greatly increase because of a much larger coyote population.

Well that's it for this post on coyote calling...hope it helps you. If you have any questions or comments please leave them below and bookmark this site. Come back later and I'll have an answer for you.