Has anyone ever tried coyote hunting with a bigger dog?

Coyote Cruiser

Coyote Cruiser

New member
I have a Cane Corso that hunts everything in my neighborhood. He has solved the feral cat problem and the off leash pitbull problem. I think he is ready for more of a challenge. He weighs 115lbs and can run for as long as I can ride my bike. I should say he tows me for the first mile and a half then I let the brakes off and pedal four and a half more. What would be a good starting point to get him to target coyotes. Whenever I play a sound of my diy e caller or a hand call he likes to sing along baying and howling like a bloodhound. Other than it can get a little annoying after the first 10 minutes would him being loud help or hurt on the stand? Also I was thinking of having him retreive dead or soon to be dead yotes. Any and all advice is welcome. So many questions so little skill with a keyboard.
 
The only way to find out is too actually take him out there with you and try it. Some coyotes may tend to be intimidated by his size.
 
Originally Posted By: gonzagaThe only way to find out is too actually take him out there with you and try it.

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Surely, you can't be serious???

Young man (coyote cruier), I have been around some Cane Corsos and from what I know of them, they would serve ZERO purpose for hunting coyotes.
Absolutely ZERO.
If you wanted to walk him out to a dead coyote so you can watch him ragdoll a dead animal, then have at it.
But that type of dog will be otherwise completely useless on stand. They are an impressive breed, but not even remotely suited to, or bred for being a coyote dog. Not even close. Bringing that dog coyote hunting would be like driving a monster truck to drive to the grocery store every day. Sure, it'd be cool to try once, but when you stop to think about it, doing so doesn't make any sense at all...
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Enjoy your dog for what he is, but leave that beast home when you go coyote hunting. "Solving" feral cat problems isn't hunting, that's just a dog being a dog.

take care & good luck!
 
I'm going to try and share some insight without talking in a huge circle,here goes.
First you want to use him as a "coyote dog", does this mean decoy, run to catch, chew on dead ones, or just sit by you and make natural sounds (howling and so forth) to try and get yotes to come in ?
As for size, a big dog can and will decoy some coyotes, a small dog can and will decoy some coyotes.
Attitude of the dog has way more influence on how a coyote reacts than size of the dog. A [beeep] o fire mean azz fighting 25# dog will run off lots of yotes. A 100# teddy bear that trots out wagging his tail, and trots back will decoy way more than he runs off.
I'm telling you this from personal experience.I have a 110# catahoula stud that has legit decoyed a few hundred yotes, he can get "on the fight", but most of the time is pretty mellow. I had a 40# Blue heeler, that was mean as a snake, and for the first two years, ran off every yote I called in.
Training/control, is a huge issue with any dog, if your dog is used to being able to kill any thing he sees,your gonna see the south end of many north bound yotes.
To decoy effectively dogs need to "play the game", even then its no sure thing that yotes will also.
As for a "run to catch dog" he is to slow, there are very few dogs that can catch a yote.
Sit by you and howl???? will help with some yotes, but also scare off plenty.
If ya followed the circle, you can see there is no sure answer.If ya wanna try him, go ahead, maybe some other guys will chime in so you will have more info to make an informed decision.
 
My 24 year old nephew stopped by 10 days ago. Just getting out of the army on a medical. He did route clearance (mine-sweeping) in Afghanistan. Lost 4 buddies at once in an IED attack. He's got their names tatooed on his tricep. I read up about it on the net. Was always my favorite nephew and now even more after hearing his stories about his service. Our servicemen and women deal with some unbelieveable situations. Makes me ever more glad that I live in the USA.

He had his 130 lb blue brindle Cane Corso with him. Pup is about 2 years old, just a big sweet old pup. He's been well socialized and got along well with my 3 dogs. He especially liked my wife's mini-schnauzer. Spud finally found a dog that can match him for playfulness and energy. They had a great time wrestling and playing.

Purdy, the Airedale, set the personal space boundaries pretty quick and he left her (and her food) alone.

Could he become a coyote decoy dog? In my opinion, maybe. Would I want to have a dog that big around that realized he could kill other critters? I don't live on a ranch like Duane, probably not.

I'll defer to Duane and his experience on big dogs and decoying. Purdy (62 pounds) is more along the game player, Spud (56 pounds)is full bore charge and I have to tone him back. Either works for me. In hot country, I think a bigger dog might wear out quicker.
 
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If you want to take your dog along on some calling stands because you just enjoy being around your dog... I say go for it. Who know's he might make a great decoy dog, there's only one way to find out.

Don't expect to much and you will be fine. Keep in mind that he is not bred for it and keep your expectations low. If he doesn't get in they way the first few times out, I'd say keep taking him and he might just start speaking coyote.

Whatever happens, enjoy yourself. That's what it's all about.

Take care.
 
Thanks for all the comments. Me and Mr. Griswold will be hitting the road tomorrow for a trial run. I will try and get some pics up when I figure out how.

Knockemdown: I am serious and stop calling me Shirley. I know dogs chase cats. Mine will take time and stalk them using cover then wait to ambush them. He will not bolt till they are close enough to catch. That is hunting. Corso are hunting dogs just not anything as small as a coyote. My wife is the one who takes the monster truck to the grocery
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Duane: I agree training and control is everything. When you have a 115 pound land shark all commands have to be obeyed everytime all the time no exceptions. I like what you said about "playing the game" Mr Gris is even tempered and gives what he gets. I have no illusions about Gris running down and catching a coyote, but after I shoot one he ran out there grabbed it and brought it back to me like a bird dog that would be the be the bees knees!

Airedale: Cheers to your nephew and the boys that gave all they had for this great country. It is very humbling to try to be worthy of that kind of sacrifice. Mr Gris loves my sisters cockapoo or what ever it is. Watching a giant beast try and play with a 5 lb fur ball makes for hours of enjoyment. Its like the bully and the bullys little pal from the cartoons.

Catdawg: You sir are a genius. Nothing can help to have a great day like low expectations
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The only thing I ever expect to happen when I hunt is to be out of the house for 8 to 10 hours. Everything else is a bonus. Now that my dog is going along with me it will only be better.
 
looking forward to the pics! it be really funny to watch him carry back a yote like a toy "hey you dropped this " (pun intended) lol
 
Enjoy your time afield together cruiser. I hope that he will be able to lure more than anyone mite expect and almost as much as you hope he will. One of my friends has a cane corso, I've have known since he was a pup. Once I get close to the yard I start giving the kiss of death and he is their waiting for his biscuits....I give him three every time that I go there....he's a big dog...lol.
 
Originally Posted By: jumprightinitI've seen Gray Hounds used in the wheat fields in Eastern WA, the yotes don't have much of a chance.

As good as these dogs are, and they are. They do get both out run and whipped. Haven't ever had one whip or out run my .223. (-:

PS. Not dogs, but I am fortunate to get to see them run once in awhile as they belong to a good friend.
 
Originally Posted By: DoubleCKOriginally Posted By: jumprightinitI've seen Gray Hounds used in the wheat fields in Eastern WA, the yotes don't have much of a chance.

As good as these dogs are, and they are. They do get both out run and whipped. Haven't ever had one whip or out run my .223. (-:

PS. Not dogs, but I am fortunate to get to see them run once in awhile as they belong to a good friend. and thats all there good at... running and killing.and you are correct they get outrun and whipped, so when you have a single handed dog killing a coyote you really have something.
 
Originally Posted By: emeraldterriers1when you have a single handed dog killing a coyote you really have something.

Amen! I know of some that could catch and kill 'em by themselves. They are far and few between alright. Like any fight or competition I always figured it depends some on the opposition, the coyote that is. Like that special dog I know there's also that special coyote out there somewhere. (-:

But I am pretty careful not to criticize how another uses their dog(s) or for that matter how they hunt. Would never want to play into the old "divide and conquer" trap.

BTW: You can see in that picture that those dogs are playing with a fuzzy piece of rawhide.
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