Hunting with a dog?

B

BrianID

Active member
I've taken my 7 month old Golden Doodle on about 10 stands so far. I've seen 5 coyotes that I've called in. I had one come into shotgun range but I don't think that coyote saw me or my dog until he was 20 yards away and I already had my shotgun swinging on him. The other 4 coyotes have actually seem scared off by my dog. Maybe it was something else but I'm starting to think having my dog along is hurting more than helping. My dog hasn't barked at them or made any aggressive moves toward the coyotes. I'm not trying to train him to chase coyotes aka "dog" coyotes.

Originally I thought having my dog along would actually help attract coyotes when they saw him. Worse case scenario I thought they would slow down or stop coming in and provide me with a good rifle shot. However, they have actually taken off and run the other way and don't slow down for a shot.

His shoulder height is comparable to a coyote so I thought he wouldn't be to intimidating but I'm starting to think I was wrong about that.

He is a well behaved dog and really enjoys going out with me to hunt coyotes so I feel bad leaving him at home. I'll probably continue to bring him with me on some trips but if the pattern continues, I'll have to leave him home when I call coyotes. At this point I'm thinking he may still help bring some coyotes in but I think his presence scares more coyotes than he attracts.

What does everyone think? Does having a medium sized dog that hangs out close to the caller help, hurt or not having a significant effect?

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Until WA outlawed dogs for coyote hunting my bird dog used to sit along side of me and his nose would watch the upwind side and a grumble in his chest let me know to look that direction. I hunt with combo guns so we would hunt birds on the way back from a stand. I never used him as a decoy dog just an early warning system.
 
Their reactions will probably change in a month.
I have taken a very large dog and had coyotes within feet as if I wasn't even there.
 
If a coyote tackles him he'll either get mad/aggressive toward them or become afraid of them. Being a goldendoodle I would predict he will want to avoid them after a tussle. He looks like a real sweet guy. Also, he's pretty young, i.e. still puppyish and more likely to be submissive if a coyote goes after him. Maybe wait til his hormones kick in and he's a little more adult and he might react differently. His ancestors are just not famous for engaging in mayhem like the terrier and hound breeds. Let him grow up a bit. He only just got his adult teeth a month ago.
 
Keep at it. Certain times of the year the yotes will not want anything to do with a dawg, as the younger ones and loaners have been getting the snot beat out of them every where they go by the Alpha males and females setting up their territories etc. Other times of the year they will want to run that stupid dawg outta there. Thats when it really gets fun. Be careful though, if too many of them get after your dawg they could hurt him badly. So dont let him run them too far from you. Coyotes are very smart and if you watch closely to whats happening you'll see they quickly try to change the game and "Decoy Your Dog to them and their buddies"!!!!
Just last week I had 7 coyotes come to the call and things got crazy. My dog did get bit as they try to ham string your dog. I thought it was strange that she was just sitting by the call instead of pursuing, then I realized what was happening, in all the commotion and 3 to 4 foot high sage brush I never got a shot but I headed out to help my dog quickly!!! She is fine and we have been out a few times since and shes on her game. I thought I read some where that Poodles were bread as hunting dogs and have heard they are as tuff as any.
Good luck and train her well and youll have a great time with your dawg!
 
I took my 95 pound female Black Lab coyote calling 6 or 7 times and I never saw a coyote run away when they saw her.

I only took her on rifle calling stands when I was laying prone with my rifle. She would lay next to me as long as I pet her or scratched behind her ears. She never paid much attention to my Foxpro sounds until I switched to Pup Distress 3 sound.

Once she figured out we were hunting coyotes and chased after a few of them and a bobcat, I decided to quit taking her because I didn't want her to get torn up.

She got the coyote's attention and they never saw me because the coyotes were locked onto her with their vision.

IMG_1635 by [/url], on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2hUanm3 t=_blank]IMG_1654 by [/url], on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2hUamyS t=_blank]IMG_1667 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/156463377@N08/, on Flickr
 
I took mine a few times and it cost me a coyote . I read they work lots better in the late spring .I do not hunt after mid march .
 
riverboss,

The light color helps him stand out. I thought that would be an advantage while calling coyotes. I'm sure there will be some territorial coyotes that will lock onto him when they see him.

Hellgate,

I think you make a very good point about his safety. My wife and daughter would be very upset with me if he was ever injured. I'll probably still bring him on some future stands but only in areas that I feel I can minimize his risk.
 


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