Appropriate call volume

shankbone

shankbone

New member
I am new to predator hunting (have only made three stands) and am trying to figure this whole thing out. I built an E-caller from Varmint Al's instructions, downloaded sounds, copied playlists, etc., now I just need to know how to use it. I am not upset that I haven't called anything in yet, I'm just hoping I am doing things right, or close to right.

So, how loud do I want the call to be? I know most people recommend starting out "quietly" and building up to a "loud" volume and then fading off towards the end of the stand. What is "quiet" and what is "loud?"

I know it is hard to explain sound levels in writing, so roughly how far away am I tring to reach with the e-caller? I am mostly using distress sounds.

More information that may help: I am calling in pretty dense cover.

Thanks for any information and help.
 
Trial and error for your circumstances may be the "best" answer, but here's some thoughts.

If you are calling in an area with a high density coyote population, you are probably not going to be able to call coyotes from far away. The would have to cross territory lines to get to you, and that's not common.

If there is a sparser population, territories will be much larger, and there may not be a coyote within a mile (or more) from you when you start calling. They can't come to a sound they don't hear.

One of our most successful guys here on the board takes a couple of hundred coyotes a year by calling. He normally calls very softly and then sneaks just a couple of hundred yards to his next stand. Obviously he also hunts high coyote population areas.

And welcome to Predator Masters. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Coyotes can hear very well, better than you can imagine, nmleon explained it very well. one other thing to look out for if you can hear an echo it is problably to loud. what you can hear comfortably at 100 yards the coyotes will hear for over a mile on a calm day. add a little wind and you might have to turn it up slightly, they can really hear
 
Last edited:
And echos are not good. I think an echo can steer the coyote the wrong way & then confuse him with the sound changing direction. Just an observation we made calling crows but I believe it can be related. Just my Thoughts.
 
All the above assumes you are in coyote country and calling coyotes. Certain areas of OR have more cats than coyotes, I expect.

Bobcats in my experience will not generally come as far to the call nor nearly as fast as coyotes. High volume is not nearly as critical for my bobcat calling as high fidelity, for the squeaky sounds they prefer. On the other hand, thick cover can really swallow up sound and you may want all the volume you can pack.

You'll probably be amazed at how good coyote hearing is the first time you see one called from several hundred yards away with a lipsqueak or similar low-volume sound. I've also been about as astonished by having gray fox and bobcats walk right up on a speaker blaring full-volume.

LionHo
 
Thanks for all the advice. I made two quick stands before going to work (I sometimes work evenings). I was hunting in an area I had scouted the week before where I had found a fair ammount of coyote scat along the trails.

On my first stand, using a much lower volume than I had been using, I managed to call in a hawk that came within a foot of grabbing my speaker. Pretty cool.

On my second stand I had to leave after only 30 minutes of calling. As I was walking out I spotted a coyote 108 paces from my stand (I'm over 6' tall). I was packing a shotgun, so I did not take the shot.

Thanks again for all of the advice. I think I will have to wait until this weekend until I get to do anymore calling.
 


Write your reply...
Back
Top