Yotes are hungry!

[Ruttin' Buck]

For those of you who want to get out and do some winter hunting, coyotes can be a great way to get out and hike a few miles.

I went out for the first time this year on Friday and setup on a wide river basin. 20 minutes of calling produced nothing. Wind shifted and I repositioned only 80 yards away to keep from getting busted by the sure to circle downwind critters. 10 minutes later I had a yote on a dead run downwind towards me. I let him close the gap to about 80 yards before the anxiety of him busting me reached a climax. I squeezed one off and miffed the shot. I shoot for the head (Texan style) to preserve the pelt...apparently I need to hit the range again.

It's a great way to hone your rifle or bow skills in the off season. In addition to selling a few pelts, my opinion is that for every coyote and fox that are taken, a nest or two more of ducks and pheasant eggs will survive next year.

[protrapper]

Sounds like a blast. I have shot some fox and yotes just walking through the woods but never called them. Go out and get some more of them varmits.

Good Luck,

Trapper

[Rippinlip]

I really like da varmit huntin' thing.
The chase is so cool and when they respond to a call, even cooler. All I need right now is a new blanket of snow and a full moon and howling I will go. The chase at night is even kinda creepy.
Is there any rule on what you can shoot at night as far as a weapon goes. Someone told me I cannot use my high-powered rifle at night. As far as I know you can.

[Ruttin' Buck]

I've never heard or read of such a rule Rippin. Although, there are many laws in the DNR books that are not listed in the regs. There is nothing in there for coyotes at all last I checked...being unprotected its a free for all for the most part. But you're always better off talking to your local CO.

Post what you find out if you do find out. I use my shotgun on moonlit nights because they're still hard to see until they get 40 yards or less away from you. The moon doesn't seem to put out enough for my fiber optics to work adequately on my bow. And you're right...what a rush when out of the shadows a coyote comes trottin'.

By the way....this is the week to do it! After this week, we'll have to wait another month for the moon.

[jiggy8974]

i've been yote huntin for 3 years now and have had little to no luck. i've done my homework and hunt in spots where i no there are coyotes, but i have yet to raise my gun on one. i think the biggest problem i've had is the lack of snow on the ground for night hunting. it doesn't seem like we've had decent snow cover down here for years. so my question is....can yotes be effectivly hunted at sunrise or sunset? i no that calling durning the day is a waste of time, but what about right at dusk or right as the sun starts coming up? so there's just enough light to see with this lack of snow cover. any thoughts?

[Rippinlip]

Jiggy,
I have not taken many, some of my best hunting has been during the light of day, I should rephrase that, cloudy, storm approaching, or snowing out, middle of the day.
The dawn and dusk seems to be better. Night are always good if you can see.
I do alot of driving and scouting during the day time, I do see quite a few if you really sit and watch and area for quite a while. Lots and lots of glassing. The sneeking thing is tough during the day, but it can be done with the right terrain and remembering to keep the wind in your favor, these animals are extremely keen on thier senses.
If you are interested in going out sometime and looking for some yotes, let me know.

[frozen toes]

jiggy-Coyotes can be called at any time. When I lived out west, I lived to call coyotes. When the weather is down right cold and there is a good amount of snow on the ground-the coyotes will be looking for an easy meal. I have called coyotes from daylight to dark and some of my best came at high noon. I know the habitat here is much different than out west, but the coyotes still share the same habits. I worked on a few cattle ranches out in Wyoming. Part of my job was to control the coyotes around the sheep and man was that a blast. I actually got paid to hunt, it doesn't get any better than that. Where you located? I would be more than happy to go with you on a hunt and maybe help you out, if you are somewhat close. I am drooling already thinking about breaking out the calls again. I might have to jump in the truck and head west again for a few days. It would be a good reason to visit the family, LOL.

[scotty18]

Rippinlips, I wouldn't use a high powered rifle a night. It may be legal, but why take the chance. You may get a CO that doesn't care that your coyote hunting and try to tag you for poaching. Don't forget it's not legal to use a light when calling. I've been calling for many years but haven't tried at night. One of the things I like to do is take a distress call with me while bowhunting. I've shot many yotes while waiting for deer to show up. In fact a lot of times the call will attract deer too. I think they get courious. I'm going to try to go tommorrow, try out my new .17 HMR.

Good Luck,Scotty

[BLACKJACK]

Scotty, what is the 'distress call'. The dying rabbit call? I'd like to try it. I've heard coyotes quite often when I've been bowhunting, but never saw one. This fall, some coyotes started yoddling less than 150 yards away from my stand. Pretty spooky walking back in the dark!!

Had a good shot at a fox a couple years ago, even shaved some hair and flesh off his front leg, but he kept on going... Darn! I already had visons of his pelt on my wall!

What kind of calls do the rest of you use?

[jiggy8974]

thanks for the tips guys.

i got a lot of my information from reading articles written by Gary Clancy in outdoor news. he's from byron and in one article i remember him stating that in this part of the country (SE MN), calling coyotes durning the day is pointless. that's why i've never really tried it.

i don't get out nearly as much as i'd like to. being in college and all doesn't allow me as much coyote hunting time as i would like. i've been out a couple times over my winter break, but after this week i think i'm done for the year.....it's too bad too, i never really got a chance at any good sets this year (snow and full moon).

[HunterLee]

We call alot of the time eitehr in the morning or at dusk. Last year we called a fox off both side of a creek bottom in a matter or 30 min. Up in northern minnesota where there isnt much for traffice we have called them at all times of the day. Its a hit or miss thing. We use a jonny stewert tape player. with either a jackrabbit or rodents squeals. ANd sometimes a fox or coyote getting a rabbit of some sort. We also use a howler to locate them nad then go after them in the moonlight.

[scotty18]

Blackjack, A distress call is the same as a dying rabbit call. I try to do different sound with mine. Coyotes that get shot at won't come to the dying rabbit. I try to mix sounds up like a kiyi(wounded yote), pup sqeals, stuff like that. Get a good video on calling. I would recondmend any video by Randy Anderson. callingcoyotes.com That's how I learned different sounds. I usually carry a short range open reed call when I'm bowhunting. When I'm out predator calling, I carry a long range, short range and a howler. I tend to stick to open reed calls. Don't take a howler when deer hunting. Howls will chase all the deer away. I learned that the hard way.

Scotty

[This message has been edited by Sarge (edited 01-07-2004).]

[frozen toes]

I also carry a variety of calls. Mostly Primos and Knight&Hale calls. I always have a howler, squeker, and my personal favorite-raspy coaxer. The coaxer is somewhat of a mid range call that has a very nasily sound. I also start off quiet, you never know when a coyote or fox is bedded just out of sight. I then move to a longer range louder call. I also beleive you must mix up the sounds. Pup distress, woodpeckers, cottontail, and fawn bleats all can be successful. I do not hunt at night so I could not help you much on that front. Terrain and wind are big factors in success. Most times coyotes will come in downwind, but sometimes they do not, LOL. I always call into the wind. Most of the times the coyotes have come from the direction the call was made. In open country you will be able to see them if they decide to go downwind. In wooded areas, it is plain tough. Setup locations is the most important aspect in harvesting these animals. If you can get into some open areas without being seen, try to get setup where they have to get in the open to get to you. I know that can be tough at times, but it does payoff.

[Ruttin' Buck]

I agree, you can call them all day. I prefer eves and moonlight in the winter.

I carry 3 calls with me. 2 long distance distress calls. They sound like a cottontail in trouble....actually sort of creepy sounding. One of them looks like a duck call and can be pulled apart so a rubber washer can be moved to change pitch much like a variable deer call. I leave it in the same spot though.

My other distress call is a T call. You can blow into one of the legs of the T and get a similar distress shriek and then suck in (or blow in the other leg of the T) and it produces a squeek. I use both together to produce a very wound up and injured rabbit sound.

Finally, I have a short distance plunger call that produces a short shriek and if the end is plugged its a squeeker.

I start quiet in case there is one in close proximity, wait, then go loud for 5-10 minutes with breaks between shrieks, wait (and watch) and then go quiet again with my plunger assuming I have something on the way.

Most important note...focus your attention downwind!

Good luck all.

[Tour. Pro 175]

A fun alternative to calling coyotes and fox is to drive them out. Much like a deer drive. Back in the late 80's early 90's a group of us would get together almost every Saturday and Sunday and {push patches} basically anything that we thought would hold a fox or coyote and could cover effectively with our high powers. It was a great way to get some exercise and sharpen the shooting eye. Back then {before the mange wiped them out} we would shoot roughly a hundred fox a year. Coyotes were not as abundant in the area as they are now and were considered a bonus, now we shoot more coyotes than fox. If you have some friends that share an interest in hunting and access to some land give it a try.

[HunterLee]

We do a lot chasing them out. It's fun when you get one pushed to you that has no idea that your there until its to late. It is very effective way of getting them too. Remember if your a poster get then and call for a minute or two. Maybe you will call them in or if you dont at least your knew that they were there.

[CASTnBLAST]

I live in the central part of the state and wouldn't bother calling during the day other than early morning/late afternoon...hate to ruin a good prime time spot.Have been considering trying it up north a ways where it's not so crowded.Would help alot if we could manage a winter with more snow to make the critters a bit more hard up for a meal.Can't even call around a full moon again for cripes sake.Will be heading out for N. Dakota in a few weekends,there you can call em anytime but that's a whole different world than these parts.Have talked to local warden who happens to call around the moon,he shoots a .223 so apparently there is no law against rifles at night.For night calling around home I use a .223 over 12ga.with a 56mm scope to gather light.Most of my kills are taken with the shotgun but there are times when the buggers will hang up just out of shotgun range,awfull nice to flip the lever and give them a suprise Has worked well too for follow up shots on tickled critters.