Tip of the week. Silence is golden (Pics)

Byron South

Byron South

New member
We have been getting a few new members, and with hunting season starting to get busy I'm sure we will start getting lots of new member signing up every day. With that said, we have lots of very experienced callers here and I thought it might be a good idea and very helpful for them to share a few of their personal tips or tricks they might have up their sleeve.

I'll start.

Last Saturday a friend and I had just got set up in a fence row looking into a wooded creek bottom we knew held a coyote or two. Just as we were getting settled in a coyote started threat barking at us. If your not familiar with this sound, it sounds like very sharp aggitated barks and yips often followed by a short, aggitated, howl. We knew right away we had been had, but unsure if the vocal coyote had made a positive ID of us. I let it go on for a minute or two and then started with a rabbit distress sound. This did nothing but further aggitate the coyote but did nothing to make it show itself. I then mixed in some threats back and mixed some coyote pup distresses in for good measure. After all this, still nothing. I turned to my buddy and told him to get comfortable as I intended to wait her out. We went silent and sure enough after about ten minutes the coyote could stand it no more. Curiosity had gotten the best of her. By being silent and not moving she assumed (guessing)that what ever had made all the racket had left. She decided further inspection of the situation was needed and eased up to get a look.
oct05looking.jpg


This is when she took possession of a 60 grain V-Max /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif.
oct05shot.jpg


oct05shot2.jpg


octo5coyote.jpg


Moral of the story is, if you are pretty confident you have a coyote close but it didn't respond, sometimes the silence is more than they can bear. Be patient, be still, and sometimes be silent, because they don't all come loping in.

Byron /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Preach on brother South... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif I have killed more coyotes just sitting after the call had not been used for a wile than any other time. A classic was about two years ago, I had spotted a coyote in a meadow across a small hollow and through some tree tops (about 400yards away). The only reason I started to look was some cows in the field had been acting a little strange. After I spotted him, I made my way to cut him off at a little plowed field about 3/4 mile away. When I got set up and started to call I only blew one set of injured woodpecker, when I seen him coming out of the field he was in and into the wood lot between the fields. I lost track of him when he slipped down the small creek bank, so I just sat there. No calling, no nothing. About 15 minuets later he popped his head out of some tall grass about 75 yards across the field from me. I was well hid under a cedar tree with the wind coming right to left. He looked up and down the field line (like he was about to cross a street) and stepped out and started toward me. That's when I put a 50gr V-max in his chest at 50 yards. He was only about 25lbs and had lead shot pellets stuck under his pelt. I think that if I had kept calling, he would have never came in. I think some guys overcall predator just like some guys overcall turkey. Turkeys will hang up, and I think the coyotes and bobs do the same. I know if I kept hearing something getting ripped apart, I would sure like to see what is doing the ripping before running head long into the situation! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
Great pics /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif, how did you get that footage of Ms. Yote "taking possesion" of the V max? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Great photo sequence, Byron.

Tips? Hmm........
How 'bout be still? Animals pickup on movement pretty easily. So, stay still while on stand.
 
This is a good reason not to leave a set to early too. Often when I think I'm done calling and have waited long enough, I wait a little longer. Sometimes one pops up maybe for the reasons your talking about. Nice pics, the part we rarely see except on dvd's.
 
Byron--great information, not only for the novice caller, but for some of the experienced hands as well. Nice stills from your video.
 
Thanks guys,

JAMaidens,

I typically will start a stand in cover like this with a short series of about medium volume. By making it short if I get something up and coming close I can usually hear it moving through the leaves or grass and prepare for the shot. If I'm blowing on the call I can't hear squat. After the initial short series I usually stay on and off the call but keep the cadence up for a 2-5 minutes only pausing to keep my breath. It has been my experience that most predators will respond in that time frame (especially the hot ones) after that I may go silent for a few minutes to allow the spooky ones enough time to let their curiosity get the best of them. When using electronis I rarely turn it off. I just moderate the volume. This way if a predator is sneaking in while it is on low volume his focus will be on the speaker and not me.

NorOnt,

As Silverfox mentioned, I lifted the stills off of video.

I was hoping we could start thread filled with tips and tricks from the membership. Quit holding back guys, inquiring minds want to know.

Byron
 
The only good tips that come to mind at this time are:

1. If you shoot at and miss a coyote, immediately get on a coyote in distress ki-yi type call. This will call a coyote back more often than you'd imagine, even after they've been shot at.

2. Don't get so wrapped up in the all-camo gotta-have-everything-to-do-it idea. Some of my funnest times calling have been when I was just wearing brown coveralls and carrying a shiney deer rifle. I've killed many more coyotes with my $6 primos still cottontail call, than i have with my foxpro. Equipment isn't everything, take what you have and go have fun with it!!!!

3. When setting up, set up where you can see a pretty long way. I like to set up overlooking a ravine or creekbottom because coyotes like to hang out in those. Remember, coyotes will often circle downwind, so if you can see to your downwind side you'll have an advantage. Also if there is any wind, your calls will travel further downwind.

There are other folks on here with much more experience than me, so let her rip guys!!!

Jerrod
 
Byron, thanks for getting me back on track! Once I start blabbing I sometimes forget what the heck I was talking about in the beginning! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif I have only been doing this predator hunting thing for a little over ten years, so I am still learning every time I head out! Here are some of the things I am glad I learned in the beginning: /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

1) Always use the terrain to your advantage, if you can use a ditch to keep you from walking a field... do it! Even if it means you will be walking an extra 15-20 minuets, keep out of fields!

2) Your cat sleeping on your coat on the back porch can be a good thing! (long story behind this) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

3) You don't need a large powered scope to hunt coyote! 3-9x40 is perfect!

4) A bobcat mating squall will bring a pack of coyotes as fast as any distress call.

5) Mix up your calls, don't use the same call in the same place over and over.

6) Don't overcall... (see story above)

7) Wind in face, sun at back... try to keep it that way. Try to get an elevation advantage when setting up. Watch the down wind side all the time!

8) Don't get conceited, listen to other peoples experiences! I learn more off of this forum than anything!

9) Scout your area! Scout your area! Scout your area! Scout your area!

10) Don't get frustrated when you don't get anything! I went almost 2 years before I shot a coyote. Yes... 2!!!!!
 
watch the little birdys i hav had several ocasions ware the little sparows have starter churping and low and behold a coyots shows up right there.
i agree i have learned a ton in the forum its awsome thanks to all who share info.
 
Quote:
(8) Don't get conceited, listen to other peoples experiences! I learn more off of this forum than anything!




Excellent advise!
I've been calling predators for over 35 years. I was a member of a predator hunting club and won first place in every club hunt but one and that was a second place with a brand new partner. I still learn from this forum. Some of the younger/newer callers have taught me things I didn't ever think of. Keep an open mind and most of all have fun if you're successful or not. Sooner or later it'll all come together.
 
Wow, when I first started to read the top of this thread I was thinking "I should be able to contribute to this one" but you guys have covered 90% or more!

The one thing I have learned the hard way is to get up off your butt and get out there. Sure, reading about coyote hunting is great fun, and posting your experiences are great . . . but get out in the field and stick with it.

Another thing, don't get discouraged! I've had experiences where I thought I allowed for every possible variant and I still got my butt kicked by ol' Wyley Coyote. Remember, you're doing it for the enjoyment of the hunt (at least, that's why I'm doing it) but Mr. Coyote is out there trying to survive . . . he takes this game a whole lot more serious than you and I do.

Also - practice your shooting skills OFTEN. I go down to Pierre at least once a year and do some seriously long range (300 - 400 yards) shooting with my .223 and I STILL manage to miss coyotes. Why, you ask? Because I don't practice shooting enough while at home in Montana. Very few things are as disappointing as calling a predator into your kill zone and then botching the shot. Use shooting sticks or a bi-pod . . . make that shot count!

I agree 100% with swokshooter - you don't need the latest and greatest to be successful. Like I mentioned above, the only way to be successful is to get out there and try. I own a Foxpro (and I love it) as well as several hand calls - I get most of my kills with the hand calls . . . probably because I hunt almost exclusively at night and the foxpro, in my opinion, is best during the daylight so the predator is paying attention to the sound of the foxpro and not you. Don't get me wrong, and I don't mean to digress here, I love my foxpro and wouldn't go out during the daylight without it - especially when I'm hunting solo. When you are ready to make some purchases, do it like I do - support the advertisers on this forum, regardless of what you buy / which brand you purchase.

One last item . . . don't overload on equipment going into the field. Make yourself as mobile as possible so you can move freely without working up a dripping sweat. Someone once told me "coyotes have REAL good noses". Be silent and deadly.
 
Always be positive that the stand will produce.

Learn from your busted stands. Try to figure out why you got busted and what you could have done(you might want to call there later) to prevent it from happening again.

Read everything on this forum. I start predator hunting in the mid 80's and I have learned more here in the last 4 years than I learned before that.

Just my thoughts, hope it will help someone. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
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Couple tips:

If a setup "just doesn't feel right" don't call. Either re-adjust or leave it for another time. I've educated more than one coyote simply because I didn't have every possible advantage in wind, cover, or silence. Sometimes it's as small a thing as not being able to sit comfortably for the 12-30 minutes you might spend on a stand. Get it right before you get it on.

Another thing is field of fire. I'm right handed, so I can swing my rifle much more easily to the left than I can to the right. If I set up facing straight into where I expect the action to be, then I'm in deep trouble if he comes in farther right. Sit down and you'll see what I mean. You will almost always have to move your whole body to aim to the right, but can sweep way past 90 degrees to the left. (Hope I explained that good enough)

Great tips, guys. I learn something almost everytime I log on. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

Daybreak
 
Fantastic stuff guys /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif. Keep it coming /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Byron
 
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