10 replies to this topic

[PAcoyotehunter]

just went out coyote hunting this evening from 3-6pm for the first time... i have a mini phantom call.... i just didnt know how long or often to call or how loud to have volume
can any one tell me???
and should i buy some kinda decoy

[youngdon]

Start out fairly soft (in case there is one hiding underfoot). Some people call continuously and build their volume slowly. Others will call for 20-30 secs and wait for a few minutes then call again. It's really a matter of choice and what you find works for you. I like a decoy(mechanical) now that i have one but I hunted with out one for a lot of years. I hung a feather on a piece of string from a tree branch for a few years too. That seemed to work also and was free.

[Chris Miller]

I like to keep it somewhat soft to start out.... after about 15 minutes I start to get impatient and I crank it way up.

Not a big fan of decoys, only because it's more stuff to carry. I've found that coyotes that want to commit, will commit long before they see any decoy.

Time on stand will vary and don't take any one guy's word for it. I might have thousands of acres and anything longer than 10 minutes might seem like a waste to me, but the next guy might only have 3-4 spots he can call and he might wait 30 minutes or more. It all depends. I've found that 20 minutes seems to be my sweet spot. I've had a lot come to the call at about 20 mins... (closer to 17 mins as an average) and I haven't had anything come in when I get past the 30 minute mark. Of course I have also had several show up within the 2-3 minute mark. So for myself, with limited land access and not much patience, 20 minutes seems to be a good number.

As for how consistently to run the caller, I havent found that it matters much. An animal that wants to commit, will commit. I think the important part is what you choose to do once you SEE the animal coming in. I like to shut it off at that point and work them in with hand calls, or at least run the digital caller really low....but again, it's all questionable as I have watched many coyotes come in full speed to a digital call running full blast. Who knows, right?

My $0.02....

[PAcoyotehunter]

thanks alot guys gonna head out some time this wk and my ur techniques

[JTKillough]

I work it several different ways. Lately, my best luck has been start loud and constant, when you see a critter coming, start turning it down little by little to keep him searching.

[Eyemakecalls2]

I use the rabbit distress hand calls. They are heavy bladed and have double reeds. Nasty Raspy, I have the same patience as Chris. About twenty minutes I have stayed longer. But at that point I stay put and don't call at all, I try not to move at all.That is when the Bobcats come slithering out from behind the brush or small tree they have been hiding behind. Probably has been sitting watching the whole time.
When I call I riff right off and loud. If you have ever seen a rabbit get hit by a hawk or bobcat that rabbit sreams at full volume and as long as it can. If it's hib by a bobcat most of the time they just secure the capture. The whole time that rabbit is ohhhhhwaaaaaaaaaant ..... after a bout two minutes the rabbit chills out and then the cat looks at it like "um and your not screaming because?" And they bit it or something to make it go off again. This can go on for some time. So that is what I have done for years and it still works.

I do have a Mo jo critter and it is just one more thing to pack in put it is a distraction. If you don't have a camo bandana in front of your face so your scrubbing hands don't give you away well a Mo Jo is a must. The biggest negitive is my hands working the call and all that movement. Good Luck. Um one more thing there are links on Youtube with live bunnies. You can see what the do there. They ramp-up and chill. Ramp-up and chill not much half speed or low volume. and here's the other one:
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Good luck.

[Antlerz22]

long time since your last post! been yoting any?

[Eyemakecalls2]

Hey Antlerz22,
I got one hunt in.And that is not my stile. It included a new area south of Bigsur. It is a 4 mile hike in and once I got there the cowboys were finishing-up their cattle round up. So the cattle dogs had the stage. Other than that I have been working 12 hour days. It won't last forever as I am going to retire in September. I will have my 30 years of pension credits of Union Carpentry in. At that point I have a couple new places that I have been granted access too so all that is promising. So September is on it's way...hurry hurry hurry.

[Antlerz22]

Eyemakecalls2, on 01 January 2012 - 11:30 AM, said:

Hey Antlerz22,
I got one hunt in.And that is not my stile. It included a new area south of Bigsur. It is a 4 mile hike in and once I got there the cowboys were finishing-up their cattle round up. So the cattle dogs had the stage. Other than that I have been working 12 hour days. It won't last forever as I am going to retire in September. I will have my 30 years of pension credits of Union Carpentry in. At that point I have a couple new places that I have been granted access too so all that is promising. So September is on it's way...hurry hurry hurry.

Im 3 1/2 pension year credits from retiring and I should get that in1 1/2 years if I get this job in 2 weeks. Need 1200 hours a year for a credited year. Its 3 to 5 years only 50 hours a week but enough to retire on myself (Union Boilermaker #112) Enjoy the retirement! Yotes gonna hate me when I do.

[Eyemakecalls2]

That is so excellent! Job well done or what. Diddo. As I hope to hunt as much as possible. I need 935 hours as of today. I should have that by September. Congrats for hanging in there and staying Union.

[Antlerz22]

Eyemakecalls2, on 01 January 2012 - 09:28 PM, said:

That is so excellent! Job well done or what. Diddo. As I hope to hunt as much as possible. I need 935 hours as of today. I should have that by September. Congrats for hanging in there and staying Union.

You too "brother" , 4200 more hours for me. Been a long road, maybe have time for all the honey do's as well. I'm a boomer as well, so never had too many jobs at home. Almost had one in the bay area this fall but didnt pan out. My father in law is from San Jose, retired from whatever local has that jurisdiction there--he was in 30+ years as well.