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Predator Hunting

Nontypcl1

Nontypcl1

Member
I believe that predator control can be just as an important aspect of whitetail management as any other. So I thought I would start this thread. Hopefully others out there will chime in with their take. As soon as late muzzleloader ends you'll find me out there trying to coax in the old willy coyote.

I'm pretty much a rookie when it comes to calling coyotes but I hit it hard last year and was able to down 5 yotes, all called in. I've been out 5 times this year without any luck but will continue to give it a shot till I'm too busy taking care of food plots.

Any vetern predator hunters out there want to share some tips on calling or chasin down yotes or just have an opinion on the importance of predator control? Just thought it might be a fun topic.
 
Haven't tried it myself but sure got the itch. I agree that controlling the yote population is a major factor in whitetail management. Especially after hearing a horror story of a guy in upstate PA. that put a trail camera on a den site this past spring, he had pictures of 17 fawns being taken to the den in a months time! They have a contest every year in the late season that runs state wide, all you have to do is register & pay an entry fee at any participating establishmnet. Top prise last year was $8,000.00, supposed to be over 10 grand this year? Maybe that's something they should start in Iowa?
 
I'm a rookie at it also! Just bought an electronic caller and some other calls been out a few times with no luck! Looks like a blast on the TV shows! Any tips or tricks would be greatly appreciated LUNG POPPER
 
I totally agree with you, hunting predators is as important deer management as any other deer management. Well this year I shot a buck left it over night coyotes got to it before I could /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/mad.gif and a week later shot a doe left her over night coyotes got to her before I could. So I am desperately trying to get as many predators as I can possibly get. Its my first year trying for pedators, I've been out a couple of times no such luck yet, so yah any tips would be great thanks /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif
 
Calling coyotes is like a chess match. They have very keen vision and will try to get down wind of you just like a big-buck. Set up is the key. I know I have picked bad spots to set up and had yotes come in from the wrong direction smelling me before I even knew they were there. I like a good vantage point with a cross wind coming out of brushy fence rows or CRP. A good loud call is a must and I like to mix it up with different sounds. One of my favorites is wood-pecker in distress in between some fighting coon squalls. Makes the yote think two coon are fighting over a meal he can easily take away. A cold crisp morning after a fresh snow is my favorite time to go after them. Its tons of fun and everyone knows we have to keep predator numbers in check. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif
 
Coyote hunting is a blast!! First and foremost you gotta beat the wind as stated above, If you can't do that, don't try to hunt them, because they aren't stupid and they learn fast.

The next one is, you gotta beat their eyes. Alot of times they will come just to the edge of the timber, grass etc and just stand there for bit observing. I would love to know how many times I have either been busted buy being seen or winded. I would bet it is more times than I have had success.

My favorite time to turn on the call is just as the sun slinks down below the horizon. Or in the middle of the nigh under a full moon.

I like to set up on fence lines, tree stands,frozen rivers, anywhere I can observe from a long ways away. I like to see them coming so I am not looking around like an idiot. My favorite calls are woodpecker calls, and some other wild ones fox pro has.

The one thing that has greatly increased my success is having a caller with a remote control. What I do is have the wind blowing in my face, then I set the call 75 - 100 yards or so ahead of me, then I just stand next to a big tree or bush. I don't even try to hide much. The old lohman calls with the speaker cord were tough and you really had to hide then. Anyways, the coyotes will circle downwind every time and they will be about 50 yards behind the caller or 25 - 50 yards in front of you, and they are never paying attention. It works great, real great!!

The next full moon we have if anyone in NE Iowa wants to go, I am game!! /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Like Mike said, you have to make sure you play the wind just like you would with a big buck. Just be sure you are set up a 100 or so yards downwind of your calling site if you can so you can catch them circling around. I have killed a few by myself but it helps to have a caller set up upwind of you and have a good vantage point to catch them coming around downwind. I wish we could wipe them out and maybe we would have some decent pheasant and rabbit hunting again like back in the late 60's early 70's before they came into Iowa. I'd like to see them go the way of the DoDo Bird. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif It's also about time for a little pigeon shooting too.
 
SOme of my best hunting memories are of all the days during January I spent spotting and stalking Fox in northern Iowa. Back in the late 80's the coyotes started to get a foothold and then we began to shoot more coyotes than fox, and now there isn't hardly a fox to be found. A lot of factors were involved, the beginning of the CRP program in '86 and a outbreak of mange in about 1989 were huge factors.

Calling them is effective at times but it's a tough gig. If you have an opportunity to learn how to spot and stalk them you will really get hooked. Depends a lot on the terrain but it is really effective if you know what to look for.
 
I have heard of guys getting under a white sheet with a squirrel call and waiting till the coyotes come right up to the sheet and they jump up and throw it off and let the AK take care of the rest. Sounds intense. Anyone else heard of this method??
 
I went sunday for the first time and our group got 4.

I heard that it works to tie a baby pig by its back legs in a tree under a full moon. It's sqeeling will bring them right in.
 
some guy came to my store looking for a toy last yr called a bumble ball, its a battery operated stuffed toy that wiggles, shakes around and stuff. He took the vibrating ball out of it, bought a plush toy rabbit, cut an opening in it, placed the ball in there and while calling , turns this thing on and it looks like a wounded rabbit while he calls, uses a high pitched rabbit squell, this thing just rolls- bounces around like a wounded rabbit, and he justs plucks them off as they come in to get an easy meal,(down wind) im going to try it.makes sence.
 
Cross wind hunting normally seems to work the best. Just have to watch the downwind very close. During a sit last week, I called 3 in. My dad was sitting downwind of me about 80 yards. All 3 coyotes came 150 yards downwind of him. They do get spooky this time of year. We didn't get any of 'em.
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Still a blast though.
 
I agree setting up with a cross wind is definately the most productive. Most of the coyotes I've called in have been on a cross wind.

How big of a range do you think a coyote or mating pair has?
I've heard that a mating pair will have numerous den sites and switch sites often.

What kind of areas do u look for when calling?

I think the biggest thing affecting my success is being able to locate where a coyote is on a given day. I see many yotes while deer hunting and capture quite a few on trail cam but can't seem to locate them when I want to.

The next time I go out I think the night before or an hour or so before first light I'm going drive aroud some of the properties I hunt and play a locator howl or interrogation howl on the foxpro see if I can locate where they're at. Hopefully that will help bring up my success rate
 
I saw this post, and thought I might tell a story about one I got tonight.

It was a beautiful day here in Western Iowa, with highs near 45 and little wind. I didn't make it out this morning, elected to do some chores here around the house. I have been retired now for about 3 weeks, and I'm starting to like it. Anyhow, long towards sunset I decide to go make a stand at the top of a small farm pond just over the hill from my house. I get there, put the FX3 out about 50 yards, and sit with my back to a medium cedar tree. After about 15 minutes I start with a dying rabbit call, or at least try to as noting happened when I hit the button. I thought maybe, because the call was in a slight depression, I lost line of sight, so I moved the caller. Again nothing. to make a long story short, I learned that you should always check the position of the toggle switch on the remote before getting too excited.

After getting the problem worked out, I call with the dying rabbit for a few minutes, with no results. I switch to a distressed kitten, again with no results. By now it's getting pretty dark, so I decide to play around a little bit, and play a female challenge howl 3 or four times. After about 5 minutes I think I pick up movement up the hill about 200 yards away, but can't pick out anything with the glasses. As I am looking with my bare eyes, I pick up a dog coming at me at about 50 yards. I swing the gun on him, but then could not find him in the scope. I found out later that he had gone down a little depression and was out of sight. As I am looking for him, he suddenly appears at about 35 yards, still coming right at me. I "wolf" at him, he stops and looks, and I nail him right under the chin. He was a big male with a beautiful coat.

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I included that last photo even though it makes me look fat, or at least a little fatter than I really am.

I am relatively new to this sport, my first love is archery deer hunting, with this being a close second. I am learning something every time I go out, for example this time, howling works. Someday I would love to go out west and hunt in the wide open spaces, as opposed to the farmland. I would like to see how different it is. In the meantime I will continue to call to the farm coyotes and see if I can fool them.
 
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I rarely pimp any magazines on this website, but I must say there are several interesting Coyote hunting articles in the February issue of The Iowa Sportsman. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

You will also see a lot of familiar iowawhitetail.com members faces in this magazine “For Iowans by Iowans”. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

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Ron Wyllie
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kam582,
hope you enjoy your retirement, your off to a great start!enjoyed your story, keep knocking those yotes down.sounds like changing things up worked, as in deer hunting , we do the same as you know , we have to do that every now and then, congrats.
 
I too get The Iowa Sportsmen. The articles on coyote hunting are great. Nice yote Kam, bet that was a great hunt.
 
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