Coyote hunting in the rain? Is it difficult for you?

Rustydog

Rustydog

New member
I have always been curious whether or not it's just me, or is hunting coyotes in the rain difficult for you as well?

As an experienced caller, I can't remember ever having any success while trying to call coyotes in a rainstorm.

I would really like to hear the opinion of other dedicated callers to see how my experience stacks up with the other hunters on PredatorMasters.com.

Thanks,

Rustydog

__________________
 
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I hunted rain or shine years ago. Due to electronics, scopes and not ever having very good results in the rain I decided to stay at home when it rains, I also sit out HIGH winds.
 
I have come to the conclusion that the few times I did the coyotes were smarter than me and were camped out in a dry spot. The only time I have seen them out in the rain they were hot footing it going somewhere in a hurry. They seem to come out after the bad weather, like the sun.
 
I don't predator hunt in the rain. I doubt they can hear all that well in the rain any way depending on how hard it is raining and the terrain. Especially if you are in the woods.
 
My wife and I are currently headed east on I-84 after spending Valentine's Day in Portland. If you're trying to call in this weather, GOOD LUCK! The rockslide has us detoured over the river and through and up the WA side. I'm hunting tomorrow and Monday, so if the weather follows me home, I'll let you know how I do.

When I lived in the valley during college, I wouldn't call in the rain, unless it was just misting, or showers. I did once see a coyote on the side of the 101, at the top of Cape Foulweather at about 5:30 in the morning on a very wet and windy morning when my old man and I were headed up to chase winter steelhead, so it's not like they're never out in the real snotty stuff.
 
Quite often around here thunder and lightening accompany rain, so even if we didn't want our caller, lights and guns to get wet, we wouldn't get much opportunity to (safely) hunt in the rain.

We don't consider it much of a loss though because we have noticed 2 things around our area:

1) Once the dew falls at night the coyotes are no more. We don't know if it's a scent issue or if they instinctively know in this humidity getting wet means being wet for a long time.

2) We have NEVER killed a WET coyote....ever. (Perhaps this would not be so noticeable if we hunted in the snow, but since we live so far south snow is out of our equation.)
 
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shankbone after posting here i of course drove up 84 to the starky turn off and headed up the river a ways in the rain just to do some practice calling. The ice flows up by red bridge park have hwy 244 closed for a bit so it was a good place to get wet and see if any starving dogs were out, ... nope just some dumb old guy standing in the rain calling.

Last friday coming home from boise i did see one mousing next to the freeway in the rain at the sand hollow turn off on the idaho side.
 
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It was too windy for me this morning, so I slept in and hit Tri-Cities with my wife. It didn't even rain here, so it wouldn't have been much of a study of coyote hunting in the rain.
 
I have seen them mouseing and moving in the light rain but have never had one come in if it was raining. These days if its even a light drizzle i just stay home , Dont like getting my gun and gear wet .
 
Originally Posted By: Miz Kiz2) We have NEVER killed a WET coyote....

I did kill one that swam a small river to get to my rifle. I like that kind of dedication!

Rustydog: Go east young man. Go east!
 
In all my years, I've never killed a wet coyote. They generally don't move around here in the mornings until after the dew has dried. At night, they shut down when a heavy dew forms. I've never seen one out in the rain, and neither have the ranchers at my place.
 
One time and only one time about 10 years ago when I still turkey hunted I had one come into a decoy setup while it was sprinkling. Other then that I have never seen one out in the rain.
 
Originally Posted By: tt35

Rustydog: Go east young man. Go east!

I concur, just bring all the Windstopper gear you have. Hopefully, if we all wear it at once, we can knock tis wind down to huntable levels. I spent the last four hours hopping from crosswind draw to crosswind draw, trying to beat the wind and call in a coyote or two.

Best we did was a flock of ravens, some seriously startled mule deer bucks still sporting their head gear, and a coyote that crossed the road in front of us and onto some government property (NO HUNTING - and they're serious about that!).
 
Heavy rain washes sent and screw's up their hearing. They find a dry spot to hold up then hunt after the storm. I've seen them due wet and wet from the brush, but never out hunting in the rain.
 
I've killed so few in the rain that I can recollect the exact details of the last time it happened. It was 2007, the first week of April right before sundown. A friend of a friend lost a foal to coyotes and asked me to "thin" the population near their small, 10 acre place (adjacent to a powerline) just outside city limits. Just as I arrived, a downpour started. I sat in the truck waiting for it to let up but light was running out fast. There was no wind; I quickly setup, put the foxpro out about 30 yards in front of me. I was soaked when I put on sound "Luscious Lips" on volume level 2. To my amazement, a coyote came bolting down the powerline within 20 seconds of starting the call. I nailed it at about 50 yards. I kept calling for 10 more minutes but couldn't take the weather anymore. The coyote was an Alpha female that must have been days away from dropping her pups (7 of 'em).

I think the moral of this story is that if you're in very, very close proximity of the coyote, you might stand a chance of calling it no matter the weather. That coyote I killed must have been layed up within 150 yards of me, so I got lucky.

p.s. another point of interest is that over the years, I've killed a bunch of coyotes and one bobcat on this 10 acre plot near town. In fact, the only triple I've ever shot (anywhere) was on this place, and the biggest coyote I've ever taken (43lbs-which is pretty big for western WA). It helps to have the powerline there, but I've learned that coyotes are pretty thick around suburban areas/hobby farms; and nobody is hunting them (at least they're not calling them). Keep in mind that this place I speak of is in King County, WA; the most populated county in the state!
 
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