Keep Calling After the First Shot
A hunters success and goal in mind is to tag out. This means to fill your permitted hunting tag. With predator hunting there is no such phrase "tag out" because there is no limit to the amount of predators you can kill. As a predator hunter you want to call as many in and get as many as you can. For those of you that have more experience in the sport you may know that more than one predator can be called in at one given set or stand and especially after the first animal goes down there is a good chance another will come in if you keep calling.
As predator hunters we can over think the hunt. We over think the hunt when we start thinking the animal or coyote is thinking like we are. Coyotes don't necessarily corilate the gun fire with a hunter or human. I've seen many hunting videos and been on many hunts where the shot is fired and the predator is looking up almost as if it just heard thunder and lighting. I have also seen them get shot at and be puzzled what the noise was.
If predators dont know exactly what the loud bang is then why do we not keep calling after our first shot. Sure its exciting to get the 1st critter that came into the call especially after making stand after stand of not seeing anything but wouldn't it be more exciting if 2 or 3 more came in and got those as well. Trust me it can be done, because I have done it numerous times. So stay put, keep calling and dont just tag out!
My Dad shot the first and we kept calling and I shot the second. Our first double together.
Starting Off the Stand
When starting off the stand call softly. There could be something close so you don't want to start off too loud and scare anything away. By calling softly and short it will be just enough to peak a coyotes interest. Start off calling quiet and then gradually increase in volume throughout the stand. Once you start calling don't be suprised if something shows up within minutes. You may call something in within the first 5 or so minutes, then you can gradually increase the sound and call in something that's further away.
Educated Predators Takes Patience and Persistance
The secret to hunting predators is patience and persistance! Too many people are getting spoiled with the idea of how easy it is to call predators. They watch video's, hear stories or get lucky on a hunt. The videos that teach about predator hunting make it look easy because they only show the hunts that were successful. They don't tell you how many stands it took to call a predator in, or whether or not they called anything in that day. The fact is calling predators is not easy and takes learning, knowledge and experience.
Predator hunting is becoming an extremly popular sport. You may be new to the sport and are having a hard time calling something in. Its very likely that some other hunter has called there before and predators are learning. Since more hunters are out calling, more predators are getting harder and smarter to call in. If a coyote has been called in before, it does not mean they will not come to the call again. Its hard to say just how many times these predators have heard a call. They may have come in and been shot at. They may have come in a second time and held up out there 200 or so yards and got shot at yet again. After 2 or 3 times of being called in they may be reacting like the story of "the boy who cried wolf". When the boy cried wolf the 3rd time when there really was a wolf, no one believed him because it was a false alarm the first two times. In the coyotes point of view, their is no dying rabbit because its seen false alarms before. So what do you do with all the coyotes that have been called in before. How do you fool them once again.
What you have to do is beat the coyote in their own game. If they are tougher to call in, be smarter at calling. If you're doing what every other predator hunter has done before you, then you won't fool the coyote that has already been called. To this mystery there is no one answer. My solution from experience is to:
1st) never give up, keep at it and stay Persistant.
2nd) Be Patient on stand. If you've ever been on stand and been calling for 15 minutes or so and nothing has come in, it doesn't mean there are not coyotes in the area. Stay on your stand longer. Coyotes are a very curious animal and it will drive them crazy when you stay on stand longer. Also a coyote could be coming from far away and taking its time to come in.
I've been on stand and heard them howling not far away and wondered why they're not coming in to the call when I know they can hear my sounds. It could be a number of reasons why they are not coming in. Stay on stand longer and let time get the best of them. It also wouldn't hurt to switch up the call and see if its something else they are interested in.
The problem may be that you're not being patient and persistent enough. You may be thinking that you're not calling right either with your electronic caller or hand call. For those that are feeling this way I have good news, don't be discouraged just stay on stand longer and keep making more stands.
From the Predator Extreme magazine Tom Austin writes a great article on how to bring the educated coyote in for a shot. He was after a coyote that he missed a few times and therefore educated it. His strategy to bring in this coyote was to create a story with the calls. Once he has made a story that the coyote couldn't resist, he ends it.
In his words he says, "Like every story, there should be an introduction, a climax and an ending. The ending is simple. End it. Go completely silent. Shut up and let curiosity get the best of the coyote. He's wondering what just happened to the story he was listening to. Now he's got to come see for himself. This step is one of the most important steps to the story. Sit there quietly for as long as you can. I always sit eyes peeled for at least five minutes waiting, sometimes longer.
On this particular coyote he waited 11 minutes in silence. I would have to agree with Tom's advice. I've had many occasions when I quit calling as if to end the stand and just sat there and a coyote came in after 5 minutes of not calling, just sitting silent. I have also left a stand and on the way out heard them howling, went back to the area where I was calling to find the nearby coyotes and ended up shooting one only 130 yards away from where I was calling. If I had sat longer and waited on stand in silence, I wouldn't have had to sneak in for a shot. They would've come to me.
If you see a coyote and are not in position for a shot move when the coyote moves or goes behind a bush. If its starring at you, you may be able to get away with slowly turning for a shot but no quick movements.
I like to keep by gun up and ready to shoot it. If a coyote or anything else approachings the only thing I would have to do is turn left or right for the shot. I keep my gun up especially for the first 15 minutes and if I stay for a long period of time I'll let it sit and rest so I am comfortable.
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| This coyote starting howling from the direction I was calling towards. I had set on stand for 45 minutes and finally decided to get up and leave and thats when I heard the pair of coyotes howling. I snuck up to where they were and crawled in for a shot. They were now laying down so I had to lip squeak to get them to get up so I could take a shot. This one walked into 80 yards and I took a solid chest shot. From where the dog was lying dead it was only 130 yards from where I was originally calling. They were coming into my call but not as soon as I wanted them to. Sometimes to kill more predators patience pays off. |
The secret to hunting predators is patience and persistance! Too many people are getting spoiled with the idea of how easy it is to call predators. They watch video's, hear stories or get lucky on a hunt. The videos that teach about predator hunting make it look easy because they only show the hunts that were successful. They don't tell you how many stands it took to call a predator in, or whether or not they called anything in that day. The fact is calling predators is not easy and takes learning, knowledge and experience.
Predator hunting is becoming an extremly popular sport. You may be new to the sport and are having a hard time calling something in. Its very likely that some other hunter has called there before and predators are learning. Since more hunters are out calling, more predators are getting harder and smarter to call in. If a coyote has been called in before, it does not mean they will not come to the call again. Its hard to say just how many times these predators have heard a call. They may have come in and been shot at. They may have come in a second time and held up out there 200 or so yards and got shot at yet again. After 2 or 3 times of being called in they may be reacting like the story of "the boy who cried wolf". When the boy cried wolf the 3rd time when there really was a wolf, no one believed him because it was a false alarm the first two times. In the coyotes point of view, their is no dying rabbit because its seen false alarms before. So what do you do with all the coyotes that have been called in before. How do you fool them once again.
What you have to do is beat the coyote in their own game. If they are tougher to call in, be smarter at calling. If you're doing what every other predator hunter has done before you, then you won't fool the coyote that has already been called. To this mystery there is no one answer. My solution from experience is to:
1st) never give up, keep at it and stay Persistant.
2nd) Be Patient on stand. If you've ever been on stand and been calling for 15 minutes or so and nothing has come in, it doesn't mean there are not coyotes in the area. Stay on your stand longer. Coyotes are a very curious animal and it will drive them crazy when you stay on stand longer. Also a coyote could be coming from far away and taking its time to come in.
I've been on stand and heard them howling not far away and wondered why they're not coming in to the call when I know they can hear my sounds. It could be a number of reasons why they are not coming in. Stay on stand longer and let time get the best of them. It also wouldn't hurt to switch up the call and see if its something else they are interested in.
The problem may be that you're not being patient and persistent enough. You may be thinking that you're not calling right either with your electronic caller or hand call. For those that are feeling this way I have good news, don't be discouraged just stay on stand longer and keep making more stands.
Go completely silent.
From the Predator Extreme magazine Tom Austin writes a great article on how to bring the educated coyote in for a shot. He was after a coyote that he missed a few times and therefore educated it. His strategy to bring in this coyote was to create a story with the calls. Once he has made a story that the coyote couldn't resist, he ends it.
In his words he says, "Like every story, there should be an introduction, a climax and an ending. The ending is simple. End it. Go completely silent. Shut up and let curiosity get the best of the coyote. He's wondering what just happened to the story he was listening to. Now he's got to come see for himself. This step is one of the most important steps to the story. Sit there quietly for as long as you can. I always sit eyes peeled for at least five minutes waiting, sometimes longer.
On this particular coyote he waited 11 minutes in silence. I would have to agree with Tom's advice. I've had many occasions when I quit calling as if to end the stand and just sat there and a coyote came in after 5 minutes of not calling, just sitting silent. I have also left a stand and on the way out heard them howling, went back to the area where I was calling to find the nearby coyotes and ended up shooting one only 130 yards away from where I was calling. If I had sat longer and waited on stand in silence, I wouldn't have had to sneak in for a shot. They would've come to me.
Movement
My biggest pet pieve is when I take someone out hunting and it's as if they are being attacked by ants with all the movement they make. Coyotes have great eye sight. They are sight driven. When they are coming in to your calls, their first instinct is to find what's making the noise. Sometimes before coyotes come in they will hold up out there and watch. If they see any movement, they will spook. You have to stay still on stand. When I start calling if I have to make any movement I'll do it slowly. I try to avoid moving anything but my head. I turn my head from left to right slowly, so nothing sees me and I am able to scan for anything approaching.If you see a coyote and are not in position for a shot move when the coyote moves or goes behind a bush. If its starring at you, you may be able to get away with slowly turning for a shot but no quick movements.
I like to keep by gun up and ready to shoot it. If a coyote or anything else approachings the only thing I would have to do is turn left or right for the shot. I keep my gun up especially for the first 15 minutes and if I stay for a long period of time I'll let it sit and rest so I am comfortable.
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