New Coyote Hunter.....very frustrated. Advice?


Well, did 2 sets this afternoon. On the first set sneaking in, I saw this guy walking the river bottom. Should have left him go..... he was heading right for one of my snares. Couldnt resist. 388 yards. Moved on to the next set about 2 miles away. Had a left to right wind. Snuck into a juniper tree next to a dog town (Prairie Dog Town). Positive nothing seen me. I could see about 400 yards to my right which was down wind, and about 300 to the left, and Im guessing 600 in front. Set the FoxPro up, and hit the Prairie Dog distress lightly for about 2 minutes then stopped. Then cranked it up and let it go for about 7 or 8 minutes. Nothing. Right before dark, I gave out a few bird sounds (Magpies) and again nothing. Right at dark, them dirty dogs started screaming all around me!!!! What the heck. I literally had dogs howling in every direction, yet I couldnt call one in??? I will try the next Prairie Dog town down the road tomorrow. Any advice for this set? I will upload a picture of what the country generally looks like where Im setting hunting. Mostly coulees with small crick bottoms with the exception of river bottoms and prairie dog towns.
 
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By the way, any advice on a better bullet from the 6.5-284 other than a 140gr Berger? The hole on the other side of the dog pictured would pass a softball through. Didnt seem very fur friendly.
 
Excluding river bottoms, this is what 80% of my calling has been in. I do most of my trapping in the creek bottom that you can see in the picture, and I generally try to set up high in the coulees to where I can see for a long way when I call, but as most have mentioned, I may have been making a few mistakes. I dont find it all that easy to be in the area Im in and able to see very far at times. A dog can more than likely sneak in or around me in this country very easy without my knowledge. Oh, the Sage Brush is much taller than appears in the bottoms. Very thick and around 3.5 ft to 4 ft tall. Coyotes seem to disappear in it. From this pic, and a wind from right to left (coulees I hunt almost all run the same direction as does the wind....right to left wind as seen in the pic) where would a guy best set up? Thanks...... pay no attention to the Mule deer thinking I was a doe.
 
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Lilpup I had that happen to me before they start howling as you leave close to dark that means they busted you.I do not stop my e caller (fox pro) I go from one sound to the other sometimes pause a little but I run one sound constantly.
That is some great looking country to call in you should do great out there unless they are educated.If I make 10 sets and get 5 that would be a great day but mostly it's 1 or 2 in 10 unless I pick up a new property.
Also you don't need to walk that far from the truck just far enough so they don't see it as they come into the call.
Good luck
 
Originally Posted By: JeepyjerLilpup I had that happen to me before they start howling as you leave close to dark that means they busted you.

Thanks. Im not sure they seen me or busted me on this paticular set. It wasnt the bark they do when they have seen you. The one where they just sit out somewhere and bark over and over. This was the normal howls they make at dusk when what sounds like hundreds light up at once and start helping and chattering at each other. I didnt leave until a little after dark, but right before dark is when they started helping. I still had the caller on during some of this and its like they paid no attention. Ive got another spot that looks like this picture that over looks a prairie dog town Ill try if the wind is right tonight. Not sure what call to even use since yesterdays was a big zero. Thanks again for the advice.
 
I had the same luck last year that your going through. No expert by any stretch but I'll share this quick story.

A couple weeks ago I had 3 coyotes hung up about 400 yards out. I was prone and well concealed as I watched them through my binos. The learning started when I could change sounds and watch the reaction of the dogs. Changes to mouse squeaks, cotton tail and even puppy yips would get them to stand up and look, even howl, but no commitments from the coyotes. When I changed to pups in distress, one (I'm guessing the older female) jumped to her feet and started on a line. I got on the scope but lost her as she dipped through a small coulee. As I searched for her, a 4th unseen coyote literally ran right by me from left to right. I barked but jig was up and she lit the burners. Her mistake was that she went going wide open straight away from me and with the cross hairs just at her ears I touched one off. First coyote of the year and almost a year since my last successful stand.

I know I make plenty of mistakes when calling but I have had some really good days. Last year taught me that it's alot like fishing, about the time you think you've got it figured out you're going to get skunked.
 
Originally Posted By: LiLPupExcluding river bottoms, this is what 80% of my calling has been in. I do most of my trapping in the creek bottom that you can see in the picture, and I generally try to set up high in the coulees to where I can see for a long way when I call, but as most have mentioned, I may have been making a few mistakes. I dont find it all that easy to be in the area Im in and able to see very far at times. A dog can more than likely sneak in or around me in this country very easy without my knowledge. Oh, the Sage Brush is much taller than appears in the bottoms. Very thick and around 3.5 ft to 4 ft tall. Coyotes seem to disappear in it. From this pic, and a wind from right to left (coulees I hunt almost all run the same direction as does the wind....right to left wind as seen in the pic) where would a guy best set up? Thanks...... pay no attention to the Mule deer thinking I was a doe.


I am not there and cant see to the right of the pic but this does not appear like a favorable spot to setup to me anyway.
 
I agree. This picture does not represent where or how I set up. I was only deer hunting this day. This pic is to show that kind of country that I am in calling coyotes. This is what most of it looks like. I would definitely not sit where I took this picture if that helps
 
I see, this could easily be a pic of what I have hunted most of my life here in WA. Good productive ground and can be tough climbing.
 
Patience, a lot of reading, watch hunting shows, learn from your mistakes and PERSISTENCE!!! it took me two seasons and 50+ sets to call my first in.
 
Well after taking the advice from others on this thread, I recognized my mistakes and went out this morning with awesome sucsess! The first sit, I climbed 120ft up a coulee overlooking the river bottom and left the Firestorm down below. Wind was right to left. I could SEE DOWN WIND about a thousand yards. Hit the Raspy Woodpecker and not 2 min later, I watched a young coyote come out from the willows and walk a pivot ditch in a wheat field across a four hundred yard stretch to get PERFECTLY downwind of the call. Good thing I stayed up high. He couldn't smell me from up there. If I would have stayed down low, I would have never seen him come in because of the ditch he was walking in and he would have caught my wind. I let him get to the 200 yard mark and let the 140 Berger fly. Climbed down, grabbed my dog and call and walked about 400 yards to where he came out and set up again. Same thing here. I knew to try this spot because the the dog I just shot kept looking back the entire time allowing me to realize there must have been another dog in there. Put the calll up used what worked before being the woodpecker. Again, another Yote circled out about 150 yards to try and get down wind....... He got a Berger as well. Threw them over my shoulder and walked back to the truck. Drove about a half mile down the road and made another sit. This time, I set up the call on a pivot wheel (mistake) which was about 15 yards from some thick willows along the river. I set 20 yards away expecting another coyote to circle down wind if one showed himself. Nope, hit the Vole sqweek and about 6 min later, a huge male absolutely ambushed that caller right out of the willows. He had to of been going Mach 3. Once he reached the caller, he realized something wasn't right being it was up high on that wheel. He just about came to a stop and then hit 4th gear and was gone. Needless to say, it sounded like WWlll and no dog went down. It happened so fast! But, although I didn't get that dog to make it a triple, I'm very happy with today's outcome! Thanks to everyone for the very helpful advice! I would not of had the success if I wouldn't have had great advice. I will post up a pic after my coon hunt. It's a nice warm night. They should be out.😳
 
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