Calling Conditions

RKE

RKE

New member
Morning all!

I'm newer to the calling game and was wondering if there are certain times of the day, or certain temp ranges, that you don't even bother calling? I haven't had much luck during mid-day stands and wasn't sure if I was missing the obvious, or if different call sounds/sequences are needed.
 
Mid day stands usually are the least productive. Although sometimes they do produce. First and last light are usually the most productive times to call. usually the warmer and sunnier it is the less responsive to calling they are. Overcast and cold is usually the best calling weather. I have most success before 10AM and then again at last light. I live in a warm climate though where its almost always warm and sunny in the middle of the day. For that reason I usually don't do a lot of midday calling. If I had actual winter weather I would call all day.

If you are calling mid day remember you are most likely calling to a bedded coyote and if they responded they are not coming from far away. If I make midday stands I try to set up close to likely bedding areas and keep my stands somewhat short.
 
High winds are about the only thing that gives me pause but even then I've had coyotes respond, usually calling to thick cover. Time of day, as I get older getting going in the morning is a little tougher, BUT I haven't found my numbers to suffer that much, again the BUT. I don't usually call open areas or expect coyotes to cross large patches of open land during the day. Like HC said I'm more than likely calling bedded coyotes. I do see coyotes crossing back country roads all through the day though. Rain slows me down just because the roads here don't see rain alot and when they do they turn to Loon-sh-t. The rain doesn't seem to cause too much problem for the coyote if less than a cloud burst. I hunted the PNW and it pretty much rained from late Oct. until May so if a coyote didn't hunt in the rain they would starve to death. I do tend to fence hop along paved road on rain days.

If I had only one or two days to hunt, I wouldn't pass because of weather conditions.
 
On some of the ranches I get to call coyotes on the mountains have scrub oaks and junipers on the north slopes and just short grass on the south slopes. We do pretty good calling down hill from the tops of the hills and mountains from about 9 am to 3 pm when the breeze or wind is blowing uphill.
 
I’ve had coyotes come to my call in all hours of day and night. During daylight hours, the first and last couple hours of light are the best. I get the most response to calling at night when coyotes are most active. And cold conditions when coyotes need food for energy and warmth increases call response. Also, quit calling when winds are 10 mph or greater.
 
We hunt only at night during IL night hunting season. 15MPH wind limit for me these days. Mostly just due to the fact that we are calling in wide open fields and the wind drastically knocks down the sound.
 
Two follow up questions...


How much time do you let pass before going back to a stand?
How much distance do you like between stands?
 
Over 90% PA night hunter here. 20mph wind max for me but l dont like over 10-12. I have killed a few mid-day in thick woods by hearing them first then getting real close before calling. Vocals work for me in these situations.
 
High wind days, say 20mph+, are the worst for me, though my single best day calling was a high wind day. I made 9 stands that afternoon and called in at least one coyote on each stand.

Other than that, I'll go.

I only hunt daytimes.

Distance between stands? On the above mentioned high wind day, my stands were 200-300yds apart. On a more 'normal' wind day, 500yds between stands is a lot for me.

Time between stands? Good question. Are you the only one hunting that property? If it's public, do you know the last time a coyote hunter was on it?

Does it matter? I don't know, but I do know a coyote that has been called in, shot at and missed, still has to eat. I suspect that coyote will not respond to the specific call that lured him in last time ( Cottontail Buffet), but certainly might respond to Tweety Bird later that same day, especially if the Tweety sounds are from a different calling stand.

I hunt public, and I have seen other coyote hunters walking back into the parking lot as I am heading out. I've been skunked, but I've also killed coyotes on those days.
 
90%+ nighttime caller from NY. Calling in any rain more than a sprinkle is pointless in my experience. High winds are my biggest deterrent in most cases, but sometimes the necessity outweighs common sense and you find some stands in low spots on leeward sides of hills or timber to feed the need.

Time between stands depends on what happened on the stand. If just a blank set with confidence you weren’t spotted, heard or smelled by a coyote I might go back the next day. If I kill a female from a pair I’ll go back in a couple few days and run heavy vocals to try and draw in the male. I’ve not had the same success when killing the male. If I’ve really botched a set I’ll give it weeks before going back.

Distances are completely dependent on terrain, but in most cases here, properties are too small for multiple setups in one night. I’ve called separate properties within a half mile or less at times.
 
RKE said:
Morning all!

I'm newer to the calling game and was wondering if there are certain times of the day, or certain temp ranges, that you don't even bother calling? I haven't had much luck during mid-day stands and wasn't sure if I was missing the obvious, or if different call sounds/sequences are needed.
Click to expand...
I've called in coyotes under all kinds of conditions. If I had to pick a favorite time of day it would be morning because coyotes are generally more active. I learned from AWS making stands in bedding cover mid day can also be very productive. We didn't do great a couple days ago but called in a couple in the afternoon last month.
In the desert SW I've heard that coyotes don't respond well when it is above 65 degrees. I think that is a good rule of thumb but I've called in coyotes when it is 80 or 90 degree many times. If I didn't try calling when it was warmer than 65, I would have missed out on dozens of coyotes.
RKE said:
Two follow up questions...


How much time do you let pass before going back to a stand?
How much distance do you like between stands?
Click to expand...
I have so many places to call, I generally don't call an area more than once or twice per year. I know people that call the same place multiple times in a month and are successful. Besides having new ears to fool, the adventure of exploring new places or an old place I haven't been for a couple years is part of the enjoyment I get out of calling coyotes.
I generally do a mile between stands. Sometimes I will move less than 1/2 mile and other times I'll moving 2 or 5 miles between stands.
 
Hunt0168 said "If I’ve really botched a set I’ll give it weeks before going back."

I understand that sentiment.

On the public lands I hunt, a guy might have been out there 2 hours before me and 'really botched a set', and I had no clue anyone else was there that day.

That certainly could explain getting skunked. But, if I am successful, was it the same coyote the other guy botched???

I wish I knew.

I figure since I use handcalls, I know that coyote has not heard me before.
 
K22-hornet said:
On the public lands I hunt, a guy might have been out there 2 hours before me and 'really botched a set', and I had no clue anyone else was there that day.
Click to expand...
Completely understandable. I hunt very little public and only have a couple properties that another person has permission to hunt. With the snow we get here, it’s generally easy to know when someone else has been stomping around. Unless they come in from another direction. That’s not a likely occurrence on most properties, but can happen.

In a nutshell, if it’s been botched, in most cases I know the dummy that botched it! 😂
 
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