Coyote Calling Cadence Works Year 'Round
Mark Kayser howled this big male into shooting range in mid-February. The coyote was paired up with a female, but left her behind to challenge Mark’s howls.Deer season had just wrapped up. Fur hunters were out and about. Not only had the local coyotes felt the sting of several near misses from anxious deer hunters, but now they were hearing sounds of wailing wildlife every weekend. Even fur hunting pros were out calling my area.
Howling has two effects on coyotes within earshot. It can bring on a calm and confident aura. It can also antagonize and irritate.Knowing this, I crawled to a high ridge before daybreak and waited for shooting light. Finally, confident I could see any incoming coyotes, I lifted my Stealth Dirty Dog howler and sounded off like a solo coyote looking for someone to hang out with.
Nothing answered nearby, but I heard a far-off pack respond angrily. They were too far to make the journey. Nevertheless, from years of howling I knew most close coyotes do not answer, but surprise you with a silent appearance.
Coyote Calling by Talking Coyote
Coyotes, unlike many animals, are a vocal bunch. Even if you do not hear them in daylight, odds are they are singing a chorus after dark. In fact, that is a good time to be out marking howling groups on your HuntStand hunting app for later calling locations.
Do not get carried away with calling too much as your goal is to not arouse suspicion, but incite curiosity. Send a series of long, mournful howls across the landscape to advertise a nonthreatening intrusion. Howling has two effects on coyotes within earshot. It can bring on a calm and confident aura. It can also antagonize and irritate. Coyotes howl and respond to howls throughout the seasons making it a great sound to use any time of the year, including fur season.
You can make the sound with a commercial call, like the model I utilized on this hunt. You can also simply press many of the howl options found on your electronic predator caller if you like to carry added weight in your pack. Another economical option is to utilize a specialized diaphragm call for howling. Most of the time I grab one of my sturdy elk diaphragms and use a small megaphone (a cut off plastic soda bottle also works) and howl through that.
Don’t Overplay Your Hand — Or Sound
Do not get carried away with calling too much. Your goal is to not arouse suspicion, but incite curiosity. After the first of the year and into the breaking days of spring, howling attracts mates. It also attracts paired up coyotes ready to guard newly staked territory. Send a series of long, mournful howls across the landscape to advertise a nonthreatening intrusion. That alone could spark a coyote to trot over and see who is lurking in the neighborhood.
You can also simply press many of the howl options found on your electronic predator caller to send a welcoming howl to nearby coyotes. If you do get a coyote to respond in a similar fashion, you have two options. You can give a short “hey, I’m over here” howl or go quiet and let coyote curiosity take its course. You may also get a coyote to howl back with a shorter, yippier howl followed by a bark or two. That is a challenge howl. Again, you can either mimic the sound or stay silent. I have had luck with either tactic.
A last strategy to consider when going the lonesome howl route is to be prepared for the long shot. It is not out of character for a paranoid coyote to arrive and scope out the landscape. Instead of charging in for a face-to-face, they may stop on a rise, 400 yards away and simply watch.
You’ll want a rifle to handle long shots. I recently swapped out my standard predator rig for the beefier 6.5 Creedmoor. The 6.5 Creedmoor caliber is a bit overkill, but the setup can be used for coyotes, deer and pronghorn, making the investment easier to justify in this pandemic environment. It shoots sub-MOA groups and I can resight quickly for big game bullet options. Plus, in my neighborhood of Wyoming, wolves are listed as predators. I would hate to miss an opportunity at a Tyrannosaurus-sized coyote. So why not the 6.5?
Back to the Hunt
As for my morning set, approximately 10 minutes into the wait I looked straight down the hill in front of me and was shocked to see a coyote staring back. It was scrutinizing my coyote dog Sully. I did not wait for the two to swap family reunion stories. My rifle barked and the visiting coyote tipped over. I will discuss my dog in a later blog, but remember, if the coyotes in your area shy from the sounds of distress, greet them with the sounds of relatives.
GEAR LIST
Rocky Mountain Hunting Calls Predator Calls Stealth Dirty Dog Howler www.buglingbull.com
HuntStand Hunting App and Map Printing www.huntstand.com
Alps OutdoorZ Enforcer Pack www.alpsbrands.com/alpsoutdoorz
Hornady ELD Match Ammunition www.hornady.com
Bergara USA Premier HMR Pro www.bergara.online/us
Sig Sauer Electro-Optics Whiskey5 3-15x52 www.sigsauer.com/electro-optics
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