Advice on coyote calls

[Thumbcocker]

Can anyone reccomend a good value for the dollar electroinc coyote call? Since deer have left the country around here I thought I might give calling coyotes into pistol range a try. I'm getting tired of not seeing any bunnies or quail on the family land.

Thanks

[waksupi]

I think Dan Walker is using electronic calls, and having some luck. He is back on the rigs in the Dakotas I think, so don't know if he is on here at the time.
I have always used mouth blown calls, just because they are a little easier to haul around. No luck on my Wednesday hunt, will probably try again the next few days.
If you are missing rabbits and birds, I would blame house cats quicker than the coyotes. I have noticed if I keep the cats shot out, I have grouse and rabbits. A cat killed all my rabbits this fall. I returned the favor.

[jmsj]

Thumbcocker,
I have a unit from Western Rivers, it was at Cabela's. The unit was in the $150.00 range, it works ok. The recorded sounds are ok but not that great. It is a wireless remote and that is really handy. Also it does not like to work when the temps get below 20 degrees. I always take my mouth calls when I go also, you never can tell when a electric caller will run out of batteries or you need to coax one in or get one to check up.
The neighboring ranch virtually eliminated the coyote population by using cyanide traps. But now we have a big increase in Red and Gray foxes. We see them around the place all the time and many of our barn cats have dissappeared also the turkeys had many chicks in the spring but few made it to the fall. Next week when I start my vacation, my daughter and I are going to try and thin them out best we can.
Good luck, jmsj

[405]

Not much to add about electronic calls. I used a couple of types for coyotes a long time ago. Didn't really like them. Found the open reed calls along with "turkey" type mouth diaphragm calls could do everything the cumbersome electronics units could do and more. The open reed call I liked was sold at one time under the Carlton's Crit R Call brand- I think. The medium sized Crit R Call worked extremely well. You could easily change volume, pitch, cadence.... everything! The small, handy mouth calls could do things that simply were beyond what the electronic units could do. A short piece of vacuum tube could also be used to add resonance.

[Denver]

Check out this guys website. www.varmintal.com. Lots of info there along with downloadable sounds for use with electronic calls.
Same situation here in N.Michigan with coyotes, rabbits, and other small game animals. Use to go anytime around here and be able to knock off a couple snowshoe rabbits with a handgun, but no more. Can't even find rabbit tracks in the snow, but there's no problem finding coyote tracks.

[.357]

for 40$ i built an electronic one myself, works pretty well i'll try to find the plans online

[dk17hmr]

I use a FoxPro spitfire, last weekend I called in 4 yotes in about 5 hours of hunting. A couple weeks before that called in 3 in about an hour.....several set locations.....just make sure your rifle is sighted in for the load that is in the chamber at the time :groner:

I paid $200 for mine shipped to my door from the factory. You can pick the sounds you want or get the standard, you can also get more sound cards and set it up to with different sounds.

Only down side to it is out here in the wide open it seems a bit quiet.

[lesharris]

Hello: I have the Johnny Stewart pred caller. It works well on crows and comes with recorded sounds for attracting foxes and coyotes.
Another person on this topic mentioned www.varmintal.com. I built a caller with the directions from that website and it worked well also. The components are available from Radio Shack and were not expensive. The sounds were free from that and other sites. I bought the Stewart call from Cabela's website .
Les.

[DanWalker]

I've used electronic calls for many years now, and prefer them to mouth calls. The reason being that I get away with more movement with an electronic call and tend to call critters in for close range, standing shots, most of the time.
You can go as fancy as you want, or as simple as a johnny stewart cassette in a boom box.
I'm currently putting a FoxPro Firestorm through its' paces. It's one hell of piece of critter calling equipment, but it was pricey.
I see you're in Illinois. Got a fenceline on this property? Try setting up on the fenceline and blowing a fawn bleat, while banging on the fence with your hand. This was a deadly tactic when I hunted coyotes in Kentucky.
I think getting into your calling stand without being seen, heard, or smelled by the coyotes is FAR more important than what kind of call you use in most cases. Too many guys have a nonchalant attitude when it comes to hunting coyotes. This animal survives SOLELY by it's wits. If as many people were gunning for you or me as are after coyotes, we probably would have been long since buried.
Approach a calling stand as if you were sneaking up on a buck of a lifetime. Chose your entrance and exit routes with equal care. Pay attention to the wind, and try to figure out the most likely approach path of the coyote. You don't want him cutting your scent trail on his way to your call.
Movement in your set is another BIG part of the equation. I hang a turkey wing feather on a string above my caller. It flutters and flashes in the slightest breeze. Coyotes come in, expecting something to be going on. They hear all this racket, and they come in looking for the source. You give them something moving to look at, and it seems to calm them and hold their attention long enough for you to get a nice stationary shot. I'm convinced that the lack of visual stimulus is the prime reason why coyotes circle downwind of calling stands.
I'm not claiming expert status here. I've just made about every mistake in the book while calling coyotes for the past 15 years. I've managed to learn from most of them.

[DanWalker]

as far as cats go. Try a live trap baited with tunafish.
if your local shelter doesn't want them, or you don't feel like transporting them, just bring a cheap plastic tarp and a can of starting fluid with you when you go to check the trap. Put tarp over the trap and weight the edges with rocks so it doesn't lift in the breeze. Then spray about half the can of starting fluid up under the tarp. Kitty goes Night Night, never to awaken. It's humane, and won't foul your set with blood, so you can rebait and rearm the trap to see if kitty has any friends around helping him eat all your small game.

[bbailey7821]

I've got a fair amount of experience calling coyotes and bobcats, here in Texas. Coyotes are the more wary of the two. Used to use an old Johnny Stewart rabbit scream, which led to the demise of dozens of coyotes, and a few unlucky cats. Recently(last 5 or so years), I've upgraded to a CD of a baby Yellow Hammer Woodpecker. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed! Merry Christmas.

[Terryrm1-03]

Same problem here in central Illinois. Less deer, no pheasant, or qail. Rabbits cause grief as I have prairie grass, around my house, so my dogs chase the rabbits, and last thing here the other nite was, mama was letting the 2 dogs out to pee at 9pm and out comes a coyote from my prairie grass. Chases dogs right to back door, mamas high screams finally shake off coyote. I've killed 17 here in 9yrs, my Illinois state conservation guy tells me I'm hurting myself more than helping. He says the more you kill, the BIGGER the litters get! Then I'm gonna have more to deal with! I kinda think he's right as I can't keep up with these SOB's!
Just an FYI to ya!
TerryR

[garbear]

I use open reed calls. This time of year freezing can be an issue with close reed calls. Patients is the key when calling coyotes. Don't get hung up on the latest and greatest ie camo patterns. I have laearned to blend in to my surroundings. coyotes can be hard to get to come to a call. They are smart and can be educated easily. Good luck

[firefly1957]

Bullets are cheaper for feral cats than lighter fluid.
I will put in another vote for Johnny Stewart electronic call though I have not had a coyote come in to it during daylight, this is probably just bad timing on my part.

[Arisaka99]

Has anyone tried the instant gutpile???

[shooterg]

Not sure about legality, but a couple guys I know swear by live roosters - they're usually free - they put 'em out in wee hours(caged if you want to re-use 'em !) and stake the site out - usually gets 'em a shot in early AM.

[45 2.1]

my Illinois state conservation guy tells me I'm hurting myself more than helping. He says the more you kill, the BIGGER the litters get! TerryR

The IDNR people no longer work for the sportsmen, they work for the big money people.

[stillwell]

+1 on the fox pro spit fire. For $200 its the only way to go. A trained monkey could use it. getting in and out is the hard part. i have had the same problems out in open fields it doesnt sound very loud but it still seams to work, natral bait isnt that loud anyway.

[Bret4207]

I have an electronic caller that uses CD's. I think it's a Stewart. Do your self a favor if you get one and put a music CD in it and listen to the speaker quality- it sux!!!. So I added a decent speaker to mine.

BTW- I went with a CD unit after my experience with cassettes in cold weather. Seems to work better. And add one of those chemical heat packs on the battery compartment- makes all the difference in the cold.

[firefly1957]

The heat pack is a good idea Bret4207 I will keep it in mind they should be offering some that except MP3's soon.

[9.3X62AL]

Has anyone tried the instant gutpile???

I use a form of that locally. I strafe 3-4 jackrabbits, then set up on high ground and sidewind of the jacks' places of repose. Gunfire in an area does not necessarily drive coyotes off--rather, they as often as not will move through a hunted area looking for cripples, kills, and gutpiles left by bird and varmint hunters.

I've heard a similar story about how coyotes are able to propagate more readily to adjust to hunt losses. "More hunting" sounds like a viable response to me. I'm not sure I buy into that dogma, anyway--and throwing in the towel due to increased resistance goes against my grain. I'm glad that the first European settlers of this land had stronger mindsets than these fauna fascists have. The settlers would otherwise have been driven into the Massachusetts surf by Neolithics with archery tackle.

[MT Gianni]

An atractor helps in snow country. A can of beets with some juice sprinkled about and a few chopped beets as body parts can really meke the predators ease up on caution. I find that my mouth calls can get over used quickly in an area. I don't yet own a electronic box and fur prices have something to so with that.

[JIMinPHX]

I tried a recorded cassette tape one time. I didn't get any positive responses at all. I think that the tape had too much stuff crammed on it & I had no way of turning it on & off remotely. I'd stay away from those.

[MT Gianni]

Jim, I used an old car stereo speaker set in a white gallon jug with 100 feet of speaker wire in the 80's. You need the seperation or you are sunk. Solder the conections as it needs all the help you cn give it.

[white eagle]

been callin predators for a long time
really isnt any e-caller that is inexpensive at least any worth a darn
I use a Minaska e-caller has a 100 sound library can add delete all day
hand calls are inexpensive but they bring all the attention to you
best o luck

[Wolfer]

I had a lohman cassette call afew years back but never had much luck with it.
It was also heavy to carry around. Some years back I bought a Burnham Bros
mini-blaster(about 12 bucks) and it has called a good many dogs. I found it extremely
easy to use.

[miestro_jerry]

I had an old hunter show me how to make the wounded rabbit cry, it works, in 6 years 37 coyotes. We still have deer running around, rabbits, mice, many birds and other coyote food.

Jerry

[x101airborne]

That yellow hammer wood pecker already mentioned is my favorite. I am still using the same tape from the early 90's. It has been the only tape to regularly and reliably call in bobcat for me.

I have also built and use the varmint al el cheapo caller. Cant say anything bad about it. It works, is cheap, and replaceable. And, varmint al is usually updating his site with new calls and methods, although I havent checked in a while.

I have to say though, I love the challenge of mouth calls and use them more than anything. Bought my stepson (9) one for his birthday. He was very disappointed till I took him out and he called in a yote using only his call to about 35 feet. Course, he then missed it, but that call does not get left at home.

Wife and I this weekend called a huge long haired male. She wasn't comfy to shoot to 200 yards, and the yote held up in the open and just gave us the "what fer". He eventually left, but we talked and laughed about that for hours. He was spitting mad giving us a challenge bark, and I could not answer him with any accuracy. that will be the next thing that I try to learn.

[BSkerj]

Just purchased a Spit fire by Foxpro and used it for the first time New Years...called in 2 coyotes , one on each set. Both were in easy shooting range, about 10 yards from the caller but circumstances on my end..i.e. wind change, not set up above sage brush, newbie status, etc. made the score coyotes 2..me 0. They don't call them "wiley" for nothing.

[HollowPoint]

Can anyone reccomend a good value for the dollar electroinc coyote call? Since deer have left the country around here I thought I might give calling coyotes into pistol range a try. I'm getting tired of not seeing any bunnies or quail on the family land.

Thanks

I've taken just as many coyotes with my Kimber 1911 than all three of my "Coyote Hunting Rifles" combined. And even a couple with a bow and arrow.

Stated in that way, it makes it sound like I really know what I'm doing with a pistol or bow. In actuality, of the dozen or so coyotes I've taken with my Kimber, most of them were just targets of opportunity. One was called in with an inexpensive Critr-Call mouth call and the other came to a FoxPro electronic call.

At the time I bought my FoxPro it was what I considered to be small and state of the art. Now days I'd rather have FoxPro's smallest version. The older I get the less inclined I am to lug around alot of stuff into the field. My rifle, my side arm and my day-pack full of essential is all the weight I want to pack around.

Back when I first started coyote hunting I used nothing but mouth calls exclusively. I really didn't know what I was doing back then. (still don't really) I just blew on them hoping that something would happen.

On more than one occasion I had coyotes slip in and catch me day-dreaming. Both me and those particular coyotes kind of startled each other when out eyes finally met.

Out of habit, I still carry a mouth call or two when ever I'm out in the field. I,d love to be able to afford one of those smaller more powerful and lighter weight electronic calls but, right now I just can't justify the expense.

I'm not sure if you have access to the craiglist or the backpage websites in your area but, I've seen a few of those high dollar electronic calls listed at decent prices from time to time. Once you narrow down your preferences, that might be a inexpensive place to start your search.

HollowPoint

[seagiant]

Hi,
This was intereasting to me about the feral house cats. When I was a kid in S.Georgia my father was a big time quail hunter and if we came across a wild house cat in the area he was duck soup as they say! It was explained to me that there was nothing that could kill quail better than a cat gone bad!