Tried varmint hunting this weekend

[Gdbyrd]

This weekend we had crappy weather for 2 legged folk here in Tx. I'm warm blooded, living close as I can to the equator, so when it was 50's out and sprinkling I was pretty damn miserable. But the opportunity doesn't come up much during season to goof around.

I setup over a dry lake bed, covers rougly 10 acres of scrub type brush with some heavy mesquite trees here and there. I was settled in behind a tree, using it as a steady for my rifle. I ended up picking up a starter pack from Primos, came with a 3 hr video. After about 2 hours of that I felt like an EXPERT!

Long story short, about an hour of calling and I saw no signs of anything. I know there are coyote in this area, everytime at dusk/dawn you can hear the damn things calling...plus there's skat laying everywhere.

I'd do a short call at first, wait a couple minutes, then do a slightly longer one, mix it up a bit as the video suggested. The sounds seem ridiculous from the calls, it's as close as I can get them to the video. I've been hunting for years and I can honestly say I've very rarely ever heard a rabbit make that sort of noise. Both are rabbit in distress calls, in case I haven't cleared that up.

Without being there it's going to be hard to say..but did I do something wrong? Is there anything else I should be doing or were the fish just not biting today? I've tried to do a ton of research online about this, and it all seems so easy.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

Yote hunting can be one of 2 things, fun or frustrating. You can feel that you are in the most heavily populated yote area on the planet, be spot on with your calls, have the perfect wind, and have 360* field of view from an elevated spot and STILL not see a yote. Then again you could be in what you feel is a "Hail Mary" spot and not believe you will see a thing and suddenly have a pack of 5 nearly run you over. Been there, done that. There is no proven method really. We all have our own little tricks that seem to match up to our own form of killing the song dog. Just stick with it, keep practicing the calls and you will eventually get a chance to connect. They are very smart little buggers but they aren't geniuses. Eventually you will fall into a method that works for you.

Good luck and hunt safe!

 

[Gdbyrd]

Do you use decoys? I have a buddy who's done it once before. He said that the decoys seemed to really help a lot.

He's talking about the small tail flipping around ones, not the actual coyote look alikes.

Also. What do you seem to have more success with the coyote calls or the distress calls? Or can you mix and match? Just try a little of everything?

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

I've always had pretty good results from the rabbit in distress calls. Sometimes I use a mouth call, other times I use a remote electronic call and set up 50 yards from it. I do use the "tail flipper" decoy quite a bit as well. It gives them something visual to focus their stalk on. Any time you use one, make sure you are set up well out of sight of it. I also tend to carry 2 firearms with me. My .220swift for the regular shots, and my 12ga pump loaded with heavy shot #4 for them close in "surprise I'm right on top of your stupid butt" shots that they will tend to do on occasion.

 

[husker]

Knowing the wind & getting into your spot with out make enough racket to wake the dead is #1 in my book of how to kill dogs. If they see you or bust you as you are calling/Forget using that handcall in that spot for awhile. You have educated them to that sound. They wont come to it.
Dont put a lot of pressure on one spot either.
Pay close attention to your down wind. Dogs will try & wind what ever prey they hear.
Most times your shot will come in the first 5 minutes. I rarely call longer than 15 -20 minutes in one spot.
Buy your self a howler & learn to use it. You will up your odds. Yotes arent always hungry but are always territorial. A good challenge howl can get you run over by an aggressive male. If you see a dog coming in & it stops & keeps looking behind its self. You can be sure you have more than 1 dog coming in.
When they get to 25 to 50 yards & you are ready to shoot let out a couple WOOOOOOOOOOOP WOOOOOOPS dog will freeze for a few seconds. BANG DEAD DOG!

 

[husker]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwQYXqDiQq8

 

[Flintknapper]

Husker pretty much nailed it.

One clarification for you, that "WOOOOOOOOOOOP WOOOOOOPS" he is speaking of is done by mouth. It is intended to get the coyote to stop/pause for a moment (and I do mean a MOMENT), in order for you to get a shot at a stationary animal.

We call it "barking them down" here. The sound should mimic the sharp "alarm bark" they make when they have seen something they don't like. Heavily pressured Yotes might bolt from it immediately, but most will pull up for just a second or two.

Another thing to watch for...if a Yodel Dog comes in and turns up sideways to you, he isn't going to be there much longer, shoot (or pass the shot), but time is ticking.

Good luck to you. Get clean...pay attention to the wind and be quiet entering the area.

Flint.