Hi all and question. Are coyotes afraid of decoys?

D

DLD158

New member
Has anyone had better success without than with decoys? I got the Mojo critter and have yet to call any thing in at over 30 set. Not even a grey fox. Could it be the critter they are scared of? I got a foxpro caller and so far like I said nothing. I call for like 20 minutes and nothing. The wind comes cross me and I border a creek alot so they cant come in behind me. Could it be they don't like critter?
 
This is often debated on here, but from my experience I seem to do better decoyless. I know there will be others that disagree but I never use one anymore.
 
Would a predator decoy being used along with the mojo maybe be better than a single decoy? If the predator seen the reason for the distress critter as to have another predator in the pic it would lower it's guard to come in. How many rabbits jump around screaming for no reason? Or could it be the opposite and it thinks another predator is there allready on the prey. Wouldnt this scare the young ones off also? How many times has a predator seen a rabbit dyeing from 100+ trds away in a knee high field of weeds? I don't think it is normal for them to see this and might put their guard way up. Maybe I am over thinking this nnd looking for reasons for my failure to produce an animal.
 
Last edited:
Sometimes they will run right to it and try to eat it, other times they will come in, stop & look at it, then split....depends on what the thinks coyote most of all. I use one maybe 50% of the time, but always have it with me.
 
In the last month I have killed a cat that was slowly stalking Mojo. I also missed a dog because he was running at light speed towards Mojo and I even had an eagle grab Mojo and relocate him about thirty yards down a hillside. In the future, I plan to hang Mojo from a tree and play bird type calls. Maybe this will help the team bag some of the more educated critters.
 
Originally Posted By: DLD158I got the Mojo critter and have yet to call any thing in at over 30 sets.

Seems to be a lot of new guys have the misconception that a decoy will, or is supposed to, bring animals in. Unless it makes noise, which the Mojo doesn't, it is not going to bring an animal in. That is what the caller, be it electronic or mouth blown, hopefully does.

A decoy may or may not bring the animal in a little closer after the noise (caller) has initially brought it in, or it may or may not keep the animals attention a little longer after it has come in.

If I was you, I'd shelf the decoy until you get proficient (have some success) at getting the animals to come in using the caller. Once you clear that hurdle, then play around with the decoy at your stands and make up your own mind if it's worth it or not.

Mastering/succeeding at this predator calling game one step at a time is the way to go.

A decoy is by no means a must have item to bring coyotes or any other predator in so you can kill it. Many times it can screw ya up more than help ya.
 
Originally Posted By: 5spdSometimes they will run right to it and try to eat it, other times they will come in, stop & look at it, then split....depends on what the thinks coyote most of all. I use one maybe 50% of the time, but always have it with me.

I was hunting with Scott from Specialized Dynamics one year at the PM convention, and he had a new decoy that his wife bought when the Mojo was new and hard to get. This coyote came charging into the call, only to jump sideways at the sight of the decoy, and grab another gear into the next county. Scott was a little mad, but we both had a good laugh later at the reaction. That decoy was a little scary.

With the Mojo, we have had success, but I think that the decoy can help but it really is not a deal breaker either way. I have also had success in really thick brush with the Edge coyote decoy. We were hunting a wash and the coyotes seemed to charge through the wash without stopping. When we out the coyote decoy out, it go them to stop and gave us a great shot opportunity.

But I really think that the stand set up is far more important.
 
I use one very rarely on certain stands. For the most part, I find that my success is better without using a decoy than with. Took me 2 years to figure that out (cause when i first started seriously calling, I bought all the stuff advertised and thought it would do nothing but help me). If I were you, I would try some stands without it and see if what the results are.

As a side not, I have had better luck with the rigor rabbit than the mojo critter, and the rigor rabbit is almost exclusively what I use when setting a decoy
 
I have a mojo critter and a Jack -n- the box. I got the jack soon after I started last year with limited sucsess. I saw Fred Eichler using a mojo and it worked for him? I ran down and bought one! First time I used it I called in my first double. I had one sneek in about an hour after that and pulled the twirly fur off the top! I used the jack last week and called two in. I am calling and having better sucsess now but it is probably me learning to hunt coyotes more than it is what decoy I am using. Just keep changing it up until you figure out what works? Happy Hunting!
 
I have found the opposite to be true. Every time I pull out the decoy where there may be coyotes it goes all spastic and starts spinning around. If I put it back in the truck it mellos out because it feels safe. Just my observation.
 
I quit using decoys several years ago. I found that the added weight, more movement by me putting it up, and increased hassle did not improve my numbers one bit. Think that sometimes it helped and some times it hurt me, a wash or slight negative overall.

I think none of the decoys look natural and all look out of place, and I have a theory that they work better on uneducated coyotes than pressured one.

To each his own though.
 
Originally Posted By: Loco LoboI have found the opposite to be true. Every time I pull out the decoy where there may be coyotes it goes all spastic and starts spinning around. If I put it back in the truck it mellos out because it feels safe. Just my observation.

I just got it, too funny!
 
In my experience, yotes almost always stop their charge and stare at the decoy. In the wide open spaces I hunt, that can be a problem if they're still 400 yards out, so I've pretty much quit using them for yotes.

Bobcats, on the other hand, are a different story. A small decoy like a MoJo critter or Jack Attack will mesmerize them. If I'm going for cats, I frequently use them even at night.
 
I can't help but think that the mojo hawk with that flopping critter attachment would make any coyote lose his head over it.... wish I had one to try...


right now I occationally use my mojo puppy... with it attached to my Echo ecaller and suspended from a tree branch. The flopping critter attachment makes the whole setup spin around slightly... which makes for more movement... and causes the speakers to scream in all directions as it rotates.

I only used it a couple of times on my trip out west... but when I did... they jumped around under it.

Most of the time I didn't use one... just the caller in the tree... and it worked as well... sooooooo.... the jury is still out as to use or not to use decoys.

I do believe that without a decoy... you have the option to stop calling when they get close... which will allow for a standing shot while they're looking around for the source... but with the decoy or the continious calling... they can charge hard and be harder to stop... and I do appreciate a stopped critter... if even for a moment of lead time.

I may be full of rice pudding... but that's my story... and I'm sticking to it...


unless I change my mind...
 
Ok I will put the decoy away and see how it goes. I have tried calling about 10 times before I got the critter but I will now make stands with it and see what happens. Thank you all for the input,
 
I have built my own decoy, using some JOANN craft fabric, some plumbing parts and a modified Mojo. The coyotes love (I mean LOVE) my decoy. it is small, resembles a small critter eating a smaller critter. Maybe you should see if your calling is an issue.
 
Originally Posted By: kylesredappleI have built my own decoy, using some JOANN craft fabric, some plumbing parts and a modified Mojo. The coyotes love (I mean LOVE) my decoy. it is small, resembles a small critter eating a smaller critter. Maybe you should see if your calling is an issue.

How about a picture?
 
It is a 50/50 call, some nut up and sit and watch from a distance and others just run over the decoy. Pups seem to like to run in on them so early in the year a good choice is the Mojo critter and in the spring the Kojo coyote seems to get the territorial instinct fired up. At least in my part of the country. I have had several bobcats show up while using the Kojo Decoy which I have not figured out yet, guess they are wanting to steal a meal from a coyote.
 
Back
Top