Hunting & Fishing Its coyote mating season! Ready to unleash the FoxPro - questions

[TheGerman]

I keep reading that from roughly mid-late Jan through mid March that its mating season. Easy enough, this is my first go around with coyotes during this and it makes sense to use the ever inviting mating call.

My question is twofold; first, is there anything during this time I should NOT use that may be seasonal to another part of the year or during mating season is more likely to turn coyotes away? I've heard your go-to distress calls (rabbit, woodpecker, etc) are still good during this time as mating makes them hungry and then again, coyotes always like to eat.

Secondly, I keep reading and hearing about people using 'vocals'. The mating call I saw was referred to as a yip, which is also referenced as a vocal. Can these be used or should only the yip/mating call be used during this time?

Last thing, what exactly is the point of a howl call as well as the 'coyote locator'? Is this just a noise that gets a reaction out of nearby coyotes to see if anything is near?

 

[Killswitch Engage]

Locators or group howls/yips are just that, location devices. I use female invitation howls, challenge barks, lone howls along with distress yote yelps this time of year. The distress yelps/kiyi can seal the deal this time of year. It's also not bad practice to just discover some of their travel routes through snow etc and just observe and ambush. It works well with night vision. I've killed many doing this. They like to cruise this time of year.

 

[MikeeBooshay]

Roads, fences and well worn paths, especially where they are going under a fence - coyotes are lazy, and will take the easy way if there is one available. I've set game cams on our main north south road, to find out where to set up, also go high on the terrain and just be quiet, listen, they will tell you where they are.

I also like using NV, they are definitely less cautious at night. If you have thermal also, you will likely spot them first with that. Still have to worry about scent and approaches. That's one reason I like our internal road system, there is already some scent there.

If you have a gut pile - now is a great time to hunt that too, with a call. Don't have to overdo it - they already know where it is, make them think another group is in the groceries! Very good chance for multiple shots there.

With the FoxPro, don't wear out the lone howl - it's a good locator, but have found that once you use it a couple times and kill from it, they run away from it. Set it up, howl, listen for the return, then MOVE quietly, wait thirty minutes then set up a distress call. They are very good at pinpointing a sound source, and moving to it. Be somewhere else that they do not associate the two sounds, when you are ready to stalk/shoot.

 

[TheGerman]

Roads, fences and well worn paths, especially where they are going under a fence - coyotes are lazy, and will take the easy way if there is one available. I've set game cams on our main north south road, to find out where to set up, also go high on the terrain and just be quiet, listen, they will tell you where they are.

I also like using NV, they are definitely less cautious at night. If you have thermal also, you will likely spot them first with that. Still have to worry about scent and approaches. That's one reason I like our internal road system, there is already some scent there.

If you have a gut pile - now is a great time to hunt that too, with a call. Don't have to overdo it - they already know where it is, make them think another group is in the groceries! Very good chance for multiple shots there.

With the FoxPro, don't wear out the lone howl - it's a good locator, but have found that once you use it a couple times and kill from it, they run away from it. Set it up, howl, listen for the return, then MOVE quietly, wait thirty minutes then set up a distress call. They are very good at pinpointing a sound source, and moving to it. Be somewhere else that they do not associate the two sounds, when you are ready to stalk/shoot.

This is making more sense. So the locator is generally a litmus test if there is even anything nearby.

What would you guess the % would be that they do return a howl as opposed to hearing it and ignoring it?

 

[MikeeBooshay]

If they are there, they will call back. Here's the downside though, if they have been worked over before with an e-call, they'll call back, and leave the area. Not for good, just not coming that night. Thats why I say go high and just listen. I should clarify, I am talking after dark, they won't call much during daylight. The first couple hours right after dark they are pretty active usually.

We don't have much snow ever down here, that's why I like the game cams for figuring out the patterns. Every now and then they still surprise you, and be places you didn't expect. Being where they don't expect, is key. If you drive to your stand locations, they know you are there. It is REALLY hard for me to set up, and wait, I want to turn the call on right now, but have learned to wait, let the woods settle back into the natural rythym. Using NV has really shown that, letting the woods settle down before the call, helps a lot.


Oh and if you have no NV, a red light works pretty good too.

 

[TheGerman]

If they are there, they will call back. Here's the downside though, if they have been worked over before with an e-call, they'll call back, and leave the area. Not for good, just not coming that night. Thats why I say go high and just listen. I should clarify, I am talking after dark, they won't call much during daylight. The first couple hours right after dark they are pretty active usually.

We don't have much snow ever down here, that's why I like the game cams for figuring out the patterns. Every now and then they still surprise you, and be places you didn't expect. Being where they don't expect, is key. If you drive to your stand locations, they know you are there. It is REALLY hard for me to set up, and wait, I want to turn the call on right now, but have learned to wait, let the woods settle back into the natural rythym. Using NV has really shown that, letting the woods settle down before the call, helps a lot.


Oh and if you have no NV, a red light works pretty good too.

I hunt almost exclusively at night. PVS14 on a Crye Airframe, ANPEQ2A and going to give the FoxPro a try.

 

[Victor3N]

This is making more sense. So the locator is generally a litmus test if there is even anything nearby.

What would you guess the % would be that they do return a howl as opposed to hearing it and ignoring it?

I am going to disagree. The so called locators will and do call coyotes. I have had plenty come into them without making a sound. If you are going to use coyote sounds to locate you should be set up and ready to shoot. If not there is a good chance you will be educating a lot of coyotes, and the percent that actually respond to a locator can get really small. I would rather use a siren off the road, or just sit out and listen.

 

[TOP PREDATOR]

^ the siren works REALLY well, it was the only thing they answered to in my area last weekend.

 

[LanceS4803]

I recently read an article (Feb Predator xtreme) that talked about e-caller sequences during different times of the year. For the Jan to Mar mating season, they recommended:
coyote locator - minutes 0-3
coyote death cry - minutes 3-5
coyote pair - minutes 8-11
coyote pup frenzy - minutes 11-16
female coyote submissive - minutes 16-18
remain quiet and observant - minutes 18-20

I've tried this twice in the last 2 weeks. First time I had an immediate answer to the locator and 4 minutes later three came charging in. Second time I had two come in at about 3 minutes.

 

[futurerider103]

This is a good thread I'm saving it for later. I hope to get something this month