Any predator hunters?

[Western]

I have used mouth calls for the most part back in the 80's-90's when I was hunting "allot". Best handheld call I ever had was one I made from a piece of 1/2" PVC pipe and a 1" strip of a "No Trespassing "sign (it was my sign):laughing:

In the early 90's I made my own electric caller, went to Radio shack and bought a $19 amplifier and exterior speaker with 50" or wire, then went to Wal-Mart and bought a $10 walk-man. It is cassette, but I bet I could do the same thing with an mp3 or whatever they are called. The set up cost me under half what the electronic calls where going for at the time.

Problem with electronic calls, you better get the "dawg" because you wont usually fool him twice, also makes it a huge problem going out to a farm/ranch that has been calling hap-hazard like, 3 times harder for coyotes.

If I still had livestock I'd use snares on the fence. I used to trap for "side money" and snares used correctly are very effective, but calling sure is "funner":laughing:

 

[dodge man]

I used to hunt coyote a lot about 15 years ago. I never had a lot of luck calling them in. Its funny, I called in everything but coyotes, owls, hawks, a bald eagle, coons, possums, house cats etc. Most of the coyote I've gotten have been targets of chance, I just see it and happen to have time to get a gun, which isn't very often.

I've only done it a couple of times, but I "hunted" with a group of guys. They drove around and honked horns, made a lot of noise and spooked the coyotes out of the draws and woods. It takes about 5 to 10 people to do this, and you have to cover a lot of ground. One guy always headed this up and knew where you could go and couldn't go as far as land owners. This was a very effective way to get a lot of coyotes. We would often see 40 to 60 coyote in a period of 4 hours, of which about half got away. I'll just sum it up and say it was a very redneck way to get coyotes but we sure did thin them out. BTW, a coyote can run for a very long time.

 

[don45640]

I'm wanting to get out there and shoot some coyotes, but getting the time is nearly impossible. I own 4 hard-hitting 22 magnums and a good shotgun (12 ga. over/under) .
I'm for killin'ALL coyotes east of the Mississippi! Go for it! don-ohio ^)

 

[RobertBrown]

I went to the Minaska Outdoors site...seems it is in quite a bit of disarray...and they are coming out with new calls some time soon...and prices seem to be 300 to 700 dollars...so, you get a eye full of coyote....but, gonna take a really good hand with the shotgun to get him before he scoots out of there!!! You're a good sport to hunt that way...me, I want a shot at a short distance...but, we dont always get what we want when hunting!!

so, you get a eye full of coyote....but, gonna take a really good hand with the shotgun to get him before he scoots out of there!!!

You would be surprised....sometimes when they are fooled they are absolute idiots. It's like they are so convinced that there is a caught rabbit , they can't see or smell anything else.
Like I said, it depends on the conditions, here you are usually in thick stuff so your not going to see them until they are right on top of you anyway.
I have called them up while in a climber too, they will come to a squirrell whistle. Frequently, at night, I will have Barred owls repond and sometimes land right next to me. Now those things look quite formidable as they are fairly large. When they come around I stop calling. I would not want one of them landing on me and sinking those talons in. They look as though they are daring me to blow that call ...one more time......

 

[big e]

February Outdoor Life magazine has a product test of predator calls.

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

February Outdoor Life magazine has a product test of predator calls.

Yes read it. That's what got me to thinking about wanting a caller. They reviewed the higher end, more expensive units. Once I researched it a bit more, I realized there are less expensive models that have very positive reviews by owners on Cabelas and Bass Pro websites. Like I said in an earlier post I will most likely opt for one of the $200 models. I don't think I will ever be a serious predator hunter, just would like to try my hand at some crow and coyote hunting.

 

[big e]

Yes, the prices struck me as well, but that happens more and more to me.
So... I can kill a few coyotes if I only have a thousand dollar gun/scope combo and a $500 call and $400 worth of clothes and a 45K trucks and...
Madness.
And you can't even eat them.
Someone earlier said snares were the way to go. Likely so.

 

[Code54]

The more you look into it you will see one thing, 90+% of the guys doing even 1/2 way seriously are using FoxPro calls. I personally use a FoxPro Scorpion and am very happy with it. It is very small and compact but works well for the style of hunting I do. They have GREAT customer service and allow a lot of different sounds to be added to allow you to tailor it to your style. Predatormasters is a great forum for predator hunting and you will find 100s of comments about calls, the majority leading towards Foxpros - everyone has a favorite model depending on where you hunt. I personally use a .223 Savage Predator or a 12G 3-1/2 mag tactical turkey model (for night hunting).
The prices are steep but it is like most things but there is always a market for quality used electronic calls (also a way to get a nice one a bit cheaper)
Good luck

 

[westcliffe01]

For pretty much anything you need for predator hunting, visit this site: FOXPRO Digital Calls

Foxpro has probably the best customer service one could wish for, and electronic calls that get placed on the ground or snow in all weather conditions are not immune from failure.

I personally have a Hellfire, it is one of the least expensive "horn" systems and it is really LOUD compared to many of the other calls. They also come preloaded with your choice of 75 different calls.

In addition to electronic calls, it is worth while having a few mouth calls, because you can work them without fumbling or being distracted by a remote. I will put in a plug for this guy Coyote Calls Dogbreath | Coyote Calls | Professional Grade Coyote Calls who goes by the name "Dogbreath" he is the foremost coyote hunter in Southern MI and it is a tough place to call in coyotes. His calls are cnc machined and easy to use compared to the chinese injection molded junk.

I have to say though, regardless of what caller you use, getting into your spot without being detected (busted) is one of the most difficult parts to hunting these critters. The other thing is that in the eastern part of the US they do not want to leave cover, nor do they want to approach anything downwind. They instinctively know both of those things are dangerous. So in most cases, the best scenario is a cross wind, instead of having the wind in your face. If you move, at all, they will see you. They can smell or hear you from over 250 yards.

What I do is enter the property after dark (after scouting during daylight hours) and approach areas I think there might be coyotes with the wind in my face, then give some barks and howls (coyote vocalizations). If you get a response, then it will conform the presence of the coyotes and give you a better idea on location. That will make for better scouting the next time you go out. The response you get will vary by time of the night, moon phase etc, in many cases peak (vocal) activity may be just before and after midnight. If it is bitterly cold and they are hungry, they may be active much earlier.

Ultimately, if you have snow on the ground, you can find the tracks and have a better idea of exactly where they are moving around, that makes the job of deciding when the wind is right and picking an approach that does not flood the area where you expect them to be with scent easier. Otherwise it is a rather hit and miss affair. I personally try to get into my position before dawn (and before the sky has lightened, else they see you anyway), then sit real quiet for over an hour as it becomes light. Once you can see well enough to shoot, get started with the caller. The electronic caller really helps if there are crows and squirrels as you can place it 25-50 yards upwind of your position and possibly use a decoy, that improves your chances of not being seen. The coyotes are going to try to come downwind of the caller to get its scent, which would have them coming towards you but distracted. If you need to get them to stop, you have to bark at them. But you better have the rifle shouldered and the crosshairs lined up, because you will only get 1-2 seconds before they run, in most cases.

 

[texasjohn]

So much GREAT information...learned a lot....thanks to all....now, decision time...seems that this is the right time of year to get started.