16 replies to this topic

[tunahooker]

So, on our final set today, as were playing a jack rabbit distress call I hear a dog start barking, at first I assumed it was someones pet as we were hunting in the woods not far from someones house and they always leave their dog outside and he always barks. Anyways, when I muted the call I realized that it wasnt the familys dog behind us but it was 2 or 3 coyotes barking out in front of us through the woods, I just couldn't tell where it was coming from with the call going. They never showed or atleast we didn't see them and they stopped barking soon after I muted the call and never barked again. Did they wind us? When we set up we had the wind in our face but the wind shifted slightly and was blowing over our shoulders quarterring away from us.

[prairiewolf]

Yep, busted or educated dogs.

[PaYoteDuster]

Busted

[youngdon]

+1 busted....

[tunahooker]

UHHGGGG!!!! That angers me to no end. I was afraid of that. The wind was perfect when we set up, I didn't notice that it had switched until I exhaled with my mouth open and saw my breath blowing off my left shoulder. So they must have tried coming in down wind and picked up our scent and barked to let all their buddies know.

[Rich Cronk]

Tuna,
It happens to everyone at some time or another. Remember the sound of that bark. I can hear the frustration in the voice of a coyote that wants to come in, but thinks something isn't right over there. Coyotes prefer to come in from the down-wind side. For that reason, I usually try to set my caller cross-wind with the speaker pointed down-wind. I know my area around here and have a good idea where the coyotes will be during daytime. I sit my butt down about fifty yards cross-wind of the caller. The hope is that the coyotes will come in down-wind of the caller instead of down-wind of ME.

Attached Files

•  IowaRabbit.wav   1.52MB   7 downloads

[220swift]

yep, busted. Good advice from Rich.

[tunahooker]

Thanks for the advice Rich, I will put that into play next time. I also think I'm gonna start carrying a bottle of scent eliminator with so I can spray down at each stand after a long walk, just in case the wind switches and I don't notice it right away.

[youngdon]

You can certainly use it if you want, but i don't put much faith in those sprays. (I do like UV/scent free laundry soap) If you're gonna stand there and spray yourself down you've shown yourself to anything around. Not to mention that it's just scentfree to us and not necessarily to them. Try not to overdo it on the walk in and just place your caller and sit still for a minute before calling. A squeeze bottle filled with talcum powder works good for keeping track of the breeze also.

[bones44]

X2 on that. I use the UV/scent free wash. It has been proven they see the UV rays that brighteners give off on your clothes. They don't necessarily see you but a different form. And when that forms moves unnaturally....busted. Good luck and listen these guys. They know what they're talking about.

[prairiewolf]

You will never fool a coyotes nose, but you might confuse or excite it. I use to use blood & urine mixed with water back in the 70s and it seemed to help. My Dad was a trapper and fur buyer in Ohio and he was the one that suggested it to me. I havent tried it for along time but now might be a time for some experimenting, especially now that decoys are used.

[Rich Cronk]

A mixture of fox and rabbit urine is sprayed down-wind by some folks, but I don't do that. I tried pure skunk musk for awhile, but it didn't seem to help. Well, it did bring a smile to my face when I walked into a Kwik shop with a bottle of skunk in my pocket.

[tunahooker]

I know I will never fool their nose, they don't call them wiley for nothing lol. The whole idea of scent eliminator isn't to eliminate your scent but to deminish it enough to appear to animals that you were there a long time ago and therefor no longer a threat. I've had deer walk within a few feet of me while sitting on the ground hunting and my scent wasnt strong enough to concern them. I like the idea of using a cover scent such as fox or rabbit urine, maybe i'll try it and see how it works. With the winds constantly shifting in this area, I'll try anything. It's definitely different hunting here than most all other areas in the country, here it is mostly heavy woods where a long shot would be 50 yards so we have to draw them in nice and close, we have very few open areas to hunt here unfortunately.

[Rich Cronk]

I know I will never fool their nose, they don't call them wiley for nothing lol. The whole idea of scent eliminator isn't to eliminate your scent but to deminish it enough to appear to animals that you were there a long time ago and therefor no longer a threat. I've had deer walk within a few feet of me while sitting on the ground hunting and my scent wasnt strong enough to concern them. I like the idea of using a cover scent such as fox or rabbit urine, maybe i'll try it and see how it works. With the winds constantly shifting in this area, I'll try anything. It's definitely different hunting here than most all other areas in the country, here it is mostly heavy woods where a long shot would be 50 yards so we have to draw them in nice and close, we have very few open areas to hunt here unfortunately.

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That tight cover is a challenge for certain, and your cover scent is certainly not going to hurt anything. Let us know how you do out there.

[hassell]

I have heard that warning bark many times, this farm that I hunt is impossible to get into without 1 or 2 out of the half doz. packs that live in the area barking, I go into my setups min. 1 hr. before light or 2 hrs. when it warms up, for just the reason of the warning barks they put out, I'll set up my caller but don't use it until I hear normal yote talk as I've waited for them to settle down. Have had some great action doing it this way. Thought I would share this different approach to it!!!!!!!!!!

[Rich Cronk]

I have heard that warning bark many times, this farm that I hunt is impossible to get into without 1 or 2 out of the half doz. packs that live in the area barking, I go into my setups min. 1 hr. before light or 2 hrs. when it warms up, for just the reason of the warning barks they put out, I'll set up my caller but don't use it until I hear normal yote talk as I've waited for them to settle down. Have had some great action doing it this way. Thought I would share this different approach to it!!!!!!!!!!

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Good post Hassle. In the area here in wesern Iowa that I call, the method of getting to your calling stand before first light works very well indeed. I like to wait until it is just light enough that I could identify a coyote at 50 yards or so before I call. Coyotes seem to think that it is still dark and will often come right across an open field to get to the source of the screams. Coyotes are much braver in the dark.

Attached Files

•  IowaRabbit.wav   1.52MB   1 downloads

[tunahooker]

I have heard that warning bark many times, this farm that I hunt is impossible to get into without 1 or 2 out of the half doz. packs that live in the area barking, I go into my setups min. 1 hr. before light or 2 hrs. when it warms up, for just the reason of the warning barks they put out, I'll set up my caller but don't use it until I hear normal yote talk as I've waited for them to settle down. Have had some great action doing it this way. Thought I would share this different approach to it!!!!!!!!!!

Thats some good advice hassell, thank you. I'm pretty sure these dogs get no pressure so I'm gonna give then several days and sneak back in and try switching up the calls and use something for a cover scent and see ud they expose themselves this time.