Starting your stand by Howling? Does it increase or decrease your chance of success? Bad Idea?

C

CaliCoyoteCaller

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For many years, I called and never used a coyote vocal. I called in a lot of yotes as a young boy with just a hand held rabbit call. As time went on, based on others suggestions, I started using a lot of vocals to start my stand. Typically a few lone, high pitched invitation howls. However, in my time out in the field, it seems more often than not, when I howl, Im not successful. Ive seen many coyotes scare at the sound of a howl and leave the country. Now, Im not saying howling does not work, because it does and Ive called in many by starting out with some vocals.

Now, I know Randy Anderson swears by howling to start your stand. He says it increases your odds of success by 50%. Im not sure if I agree with that. Ive seen many scare from the howl, or just sit out at a quarter mile and howl back but not approach me.

So, what do you guys think, does howling help or hinder? Does it increase or decrease your success. Obviously, aggressive howling can hurt you in the wrong circumstance, but Im talking about non-aggressive lone howls. What do you think?
 
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If you sound like a Alpha dog or wolf nothing will show most times. Try being more pathetic. You might be scaring them away!
 
Depends on the time of year and type of howl. From January on I use more vocals to start a set. Yes, if used properly I think vocals increase my odds considerably. But, I really don't know because those same dead coyotes may have responded to distress and they ain't tellin'. Guess I'll never know for certain!!!
 
As others have said, it;s in the presentation and which call you are using. I use a mellow non threatening howl once then move to something enticing. If they reply I often mimic them.
Don't overcall as that is where many mistakes are made.
 
It seems to me that when I Howl I may get one or two to respond but when I use a serenade then I usually get quite a few to respond right away and get a little closer. My hunt in January didnt yield anything here but probably heard 40-50 over the course of 3 days and seen a bunch but nothing never came in. Another buddy didnt howl all weekend and he called em in by only using a distressed Crow. I never would have guessed to try that but he did and came out successful.
 
Originally Posted By: Jagorrell84It seems to me that when I Howl I may get one or two to respond but when I use a serenade then I usually get quite a few to respond right away and get a little closer. My hunt in January didnt yield anything here but probably heard 40-50 over the course of 3 days and seen a bunch but nothing never came in. Another buddy didnt howl all weekend and he called em in by only using a distressed Crow. I never would have guessed to try that but he did and came out successful. where in Oregon are you hunting? I am on the wet side and don't get them to howl much but I do use coyote sounds and it works for me.
 
I think you have more of a chance scaring them off especially the younger ones.I only start off will howls if I plan on calling in a dominate coyote like around mating season and at a last resort on a dry stand.
 
Originally Posted By: CaliCoyoteCallerDo any of you ever use the serenade, or locator call as a call to bring them into your stand, or do you only use lone type howls?
in my opinion group vocals are for pre-stand use only. long female 1,2, or 3 or pup howls for me.
 
No I don't. It's purpose IMO is to elicit a response to determine the coyotes location. I have been known to locate at the end of a dry stand to help determine my next stand though.
 
This time of year, (after bobcat season) IMO I like to use howls after the early morning calling and before late afternoon.

I have seen coyotes off in rises in the grass sitting around.. I have tried to play lots of sounds while watching. Nothing, but play a howl and they jump to their feet and may not howl, but will then come. Just takes playing sounds to get them interested enough to come take a look.

I guess it just depends on the story you are telling with the sounds you are playing if it helps or hurts.
 
Starting a stand with a non threatening howl can reap benefits any time of year. I have had way more coyotes come in on the sneak than howling back before they come.
 
So there is no confusion, my calling has always been done with hand calls. No e-calls.
So, my howls (or distress sounds) never sound identical to the last time I did them on a stand. Close enough, but not identical. Just like a coyote never sounds EXACTLY the same, every time (IMHO).


Early on, Sept-Thanksgiving, for years I have started out probably 75% of my stands with a couple high-pitched YOY/pup "interrogation" howls.
If nothing has howled back, or has been seen, after about 5 minutes, I generally go into some sort of prey distress sound.

My theory behind this is:
...Pup howls are non-threatening, even to other YOY.
...If there is an older coyote in the area that didn't respond, possibly it will hear the distress sound, and assume the young interloper has raided the kitchen. Therefore the youngster needs his butt whipped.

If, after about 15-20 minutes into the stand, still nothing has shown...I may throw out a lower pitch challenge howl. Just one.
Followed up about a minute later with a pup pitched challenge.

If still nothing has responded within the next 2-3 minutes, I MAY create a "coyote fight" for a up to a minute.
Or I may not. I may just sit quietly for 5-10 minutes, looking for a sneaker.


Can I say that this always works?
Nope.
But, I have called enough over the years, with this situation, that I trust it just as much as any other.

After all, coyotes are coyotes. Sometimes, (IMHO) they will come on the run. And other times, they will not come no matter what.




December-February, I switch up to mostly higher-pitched adult female vocals. And whimpers.



Admittedly, due to health, my days of hunting have been extremely few in the last few years.
So, I guess what I'm saying is this:
...I have had my share of both success & failure, using howls (and for that matter distress sounds). And, I may be "out-of-touch". But, if health allowed it, I would be making stands similar to how I did them in the past.
 
Might not be common knowledge, but a young coyote can sound like an old coyote, and visa versa.
I'm not afraid to start a stand any time of the year with howling because I don't believe it scares coyotes off often enough to worry about it. I've had coyotes leave, or at least not come, while playing distress at least as often as I've had the same happen while using howls.
 
Originally Posted By: songdogMight not be common knowledge, but a young coyote can sound like an old coyote, and visa versa.
I'm not afraid to start a stand any time of the year with howling because I don't believe it scares coyotes off often enough to worry about it. I've had coyotes leave, or at least not come, while playing distress at least as often as I've had the same happen while using howls.

Very valid point. Ive had plenty not respond when playing a distress sound. I had 1 last week I spotted .75 mile out, and when I started distress, he just looked up toward the sound, listened for a moment and turned and walked away, never to be seen again.
 
I start every stand off with a howl. And have done for the last 25+ years. Anymore it's the distress sounds that I might not use on a stand. Coyotes will readily come in to Coyote Vocalizations. I have never felt like it scares them off regardless of the time of year, if you use the right vocalizations.

Good Hunting Chad
 
I would have to say it depends on the time of year, but definitely during mating season i usually start the stand off with a lone howl. Never started doing that till this year. We were walking into a set and jump one off a ditch and saw it run into the woods. So we sat down did one lone howl and three came out of the woods.
 
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