Newbie in Colorado Seeking Advice on Calling Coyotes

TimM

TimM

New member
Hi gang,

I stumbled across this forum just a couple days ago and I am really excited. Looks like a lot of good info here and if past experiences hold true, I am sure there are a lot of good folks here as well.

I live in Douglas County Colorado, in Parker, almost exactly between Denver and Colorado Springs. I have lived here since 2000 after a painful stint in Boston for two years. To say the least I found the entire procedure out here confusing, expensive and disappointing. When I realized I was moving to Colorado I got very excited... CO is a hunters paradise, right? I have not hunted since moving here and it is very depressing. I don't understand the licensing procedures, the special draws for big game, I don't really know many people out here that hunt and those I do I don't know well enough for them to help me out. I don't have the money to "buy hunts". I would love to bird hunt out here but it seems like it is more expensive than playing gold... I could be wrong?

That brings me to coyote hunting... I love shooting, I love being outdoors, I love hunting, and I think most ranchers would want to get rid of these coyotes. But, I know nothing about it. I don't know where to start.

As far as equipment, I have a Browning Stalker Varminter 25 WSSM, I do reload. I think that is a decent enough rifle to kill coyotes with, probably a little hard on the fur but it will get the job done. I have no calls, no calling machine, no camo, no ghillie suit and no idea where to hunt or find hunting spots. Basically, I am totally lost out here. I have not hunted in ten years and it has really taken its toll on me, mentally and physically. I can't handle much more of this, it is very depressing (seriously).

Can someone on here point me in the right direction and help me get started?

Thanks for any advice.

 
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send a pm to skb2706....he is hunting now but will be back on line in 10 days

there are indeed a few tricks to working the CO DOW but its workable
 
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You live close to a lot of areas for good hunting. Take a drive down to Elizabeth, CO (not far), stop in at Franks Feed & supply (303) 646-4730.

Frank is an avid yote hunter, and would probably be happy to start a new guy off with good info on where to go, and how to get started.

Good luck,

Richard
 
Welcome to the board!

Yes I have to agree with you, sitting here in southern Oklahoma I would certainly think "colorado" A hunters paradise, but it sounds like just the opposite for you. I know nothing about CO or their hunting regulations. We go there to elk hunt, but we just buy tags over the counter when we get there and hunt in whatever unit we draw out for. Usually just north of Pagosa Springs.

Coyote hunting is pretty easy if you dont try to over complicate things. You have a good gun already and you are familiar with hunting in general so you are a step ahead of alot of people that come to this forum. I would agree that most ranchers would welcome you to come and shoot their coyotes, but I could be wrong and I know alot of the private land in CO is leased out by outfitters and hunting companys so Im really not sure about the rules with that kind of stuff.

Im very sure that someone on here will be able to give you some good advice and point you in the right direction.

Best of luck to you,
 
Originally Posted By: Meatco1You live close to a lot of areas for good hunting. Take a drive down to Elizabeth, CO (not far), stop in at Franks Feed & supply (303) 646-4730.

Frank is an avid yote hunter, and would probably be happy to start a new guy off with good info on where to go, and how to get started.

Good luck,

Richard

See....that didnt take long at all!!
 
Thanks for the responses guys. I will definitely send out the PM and stop by the feed store and talk with Frank.

For now, can someone recommend some good calls to start with (tight budget right at the moment so if it is an e-call it will have to be VERY affordable) and anything else that I might need.

I would be comfortable with mouth calls if there is somewhere I can learn pitch and cadence? I also understand that there might be places to download MP3 files and make you own calls. Is that a decent way to start?

Man... there is a lot of reading on this forum.
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A home made ecall is the best and cheap!

You have a MP3 player?

Go to radio shack....get a pocket amp...I think they are $10 and the "stereo-to-mono" jack...its like a $1 and find a loud speaker or buy one of theirs. Any speaker will work, but it needs to be "handy" to carry.

There are places on the net to download the sounds for the MP3 player. I had one rigged up a few weeks ago in about 2 hours and that included the time it took to drive to town to radio shack to get parts.
 
In your area you may want to venture east. The farther east we go the better luck we have. Landowners are just way more receptive to coyote hunting. The closer you are to the big city the less likely you will be granted permission. I hope this helps! I have always wanted to hunt down HWY 83, but only have had a couple people give us permission.
 
Originally Posted By: trevor73402A home made ecall is the best and cheap!

You have a MP3 player?

Go to radio shack....get a pocket amp...I think they are $10 and the "stereo-to-mono" jack...its like a $1 and find a loud speaker or buy one of theirs. Any speaker will work, but it needs to be "handy" to carry.

There are places on the net to download the sounds for the MP3 player. I had one rigged up a few weeks ago in about 2 hours and that included the time it took to drive to town to radio shack to get parts.

Thanks a bunch, Any idea where the websites are to download the sounds?
 
Tim,

Welcome to Colorado!!!! CO reg's can be overwhelming, but there not quite as bad as they look.

Bird hunting is do able and not as expensive as you think. The best pheasant and quail hunting is out on the northeastern plains. This has been a good year for birds. We had a very good spring with a good hatch witch = good hunting.

As far as coyote hunting, there is plenty of public land to hunt. There is State Trust, BLM, State Wildlife Area's, National Forest and Walk in Hunting Area's that can be coyote hunted. Here's a link, take a look around.

http://wildlife.state.co.us/LandWater/

Getting permission to hunt private land for coyotes is also pretty easy. The best way for me is hit Farm and Ranch stores or Coffee Shop where farmers/rancher have coffee and start building a friendship with them. Also when I'm out scoutting and I see a farmer/rancher that looks like they could use a little help, I'll stop and offer help. This has opened a lot of doors for me. Also once you gain access to their land respect it like it is your own. That goes a long ways out here and before long you will have more land than you can hunt.

For the beginner I would recommend a close reed call. I personel like the Sceery calls, but there are lots of good calls out there, check out the handcall and the custom call section. Lots of good info on here on how to use calls and set-ups that should get you started on the right foot.

This should give you a good start. Part of the fun of hunting for me is the off season scoutting and finding new area's to hunt.

Terry
 
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Lots of good feedback in this thread!

One thing I have learned while living in Colorado is that the hunting can be great, but my success rate seems to increase with each mile driven and hiked.

For upland: Northeast is probably your best bet for public land ducks but you're only a few hours to the San Juan valley which can have great early season ducks.

Upland in this state is hit or miss (at least from my perspective, compared to the Dakotas or back west where I grew up killing pheasants, chukar, and quail) But again, look east and along the Platte or Arkansas.

Elk Laughing already sent you to the CO DOW website to find public land. There's plenty of it, so get out there and start finding some of your own spots.
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As for an e-caller, check out my post in the electronic calls section. I just picked up a $40 Cass Creek amplified speaker and with my iPOD, so I am ready to go try to start calling coyotes myself. Along with Varmint Al's, there's some more sounds here:

http://www.western-rivers.com/downloads.html

I like this state... My only complaint is the complete lack of decent public land shooting ranges along the front range. I'd give ANYTHING for a clean, safe range less than an hour from home where I could test reloads and sight in rifles. I'd love to hook up with someone who shares the same passion for small, flat, fast shooting pills somewhere near Loveland. But, that's my own personal gripe
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Good luck and drop my a PM if you're heading up this way at some point, and we can go run around to the spots I know and see what we can scare up!

--Duck911




 
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Your rifle is fine.

For a call, go get a Circe open reed, Circe closed reed, or Crit-r-Caller. Any or all of those will be fine. WalMart probably has them.

While there, get a camo cap and head net of some sort. Take a look at my avatar- I was wearing that hat when I called the coyote, but I had a face mask on. Look at how obvious my face is, even in that little avatar.

If you want to get a camo jacket, that's fine. Otherwise, wander over to the fabric department and find some camo cloth. Get about a 3' x 4' chunk of it.

Back at home, cut a hole in the cloth in the middle, for your head, and make a poncho out of it. You can put this over any gear and instant camo! If you have a green/black checkered shirt, you don't even need the camo poncho, but it's nice to have.

That is all the gear you need to get rolling. Find yourself an area, get permission, pull the camo poncho over you, hunker down against a bush with a view of an area, and start blowing on the calls. You'll get it figured out.

In the field, always keep your eyes open for tracks and scat- this information WILL come in handy later, as you get better at stand selection.

Main thing is to get out there. No over gets it all figured out in the first season, or the 2nd, or the 30th. Some people get in a _routine_ by the 30th season, sure. You should be aware that you may call 10-20 stands before you get one in. Or you might have one come in on the 1st stand. The most important thing is to get out and have fun.

 
Well, there are a few things you need as mentioned:

Rifle and ammo= check

hunting lisc. = small game or furbearer will do(recomend the small game)- BTW. once you have your lisc. dont forget to go online to DOW website and get your HIP number. Takes about 2 minutes to fill out the survey and they give you your number- write it on your lisc.

Habitat stamp=$5. Buy with your small game lisc.

hand call- go to sportmans warehouse or any sporting goods store- pick up 1 or 2, download a few mp3 files and listen on your pc- practice with your mouth calls to sounds something like them.

Camo clothes? Maybe get an old Army BDU top and bottom at a surplus store or something. I seem to have killed as many coyotes wearing jeans and a sweatshirt as anything. (I think movement will mess you up more than the color of the clothes you are wearing)

Public land. There is tons around. Pick up a forest service or BLM map- find some open areas and start calling.

The farther west you go- the more public land you will find. One day take a drive into South Park (Eleven Mile area- Lake George). Lots of land- lots of toothy critters.

Biggest thing is get out there and call, you will probably never get one sittin in your house, so your odds go way up just by going outside.
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Heck, sometimes I even smack a dog or 2 just sitting in the woods without calling and they come walking by.

Wish I could help more- but Im not a front range guy. Im south central kinda located.

Have fun and hunt Colorado.
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