I have been going over the past 6 months of hunting coyotes.
When I first started hunting I couldnt't call one into save my hide.Then seemed like if I did call one in I got busted before I got a shot off.
I have hunted with a few different folks each one set up a little different,but I picked the spots,and everyone saying these are good spots.
So in the last 2 months and 3 hunts I have had coyotes come to the call or have seen them shortly after we were done calling a little ways from where we set up at.
So are coyotes easier to hunt this time of the year or am I starting to learn this.
Bill
Sounds like your starting to learn this game to me. :wink:
It's fuzzy Bill. Send me the locations of your spots and the sounds your using and I'll test them for ya. :biggrin:
Sounds like your getting in the right places and doing it right to me.
Awh come on up bring the little guy with ya and I will take you to my spots and let you listen to my calling and we shall have another post like Bob's
Bill
AWH
i HOPE you dont have a post like mine,,i HOPE you have a pic to put on your post!!!
a question i have also had so maybe some of you seasoned hunters can answer this,,from what i UNDERSTAND,which is really not much when it comes to coyotes is that the FEMALES are in the den with the pups right now and the MALES go out and get the food for the female,is this true and if so does that mean that the coyote me and Bill seen last saturday was a male?
AND if this is true why in the hell would the SO CALLED experts/purists over on ANOTHER FORUM :innocentwhistle: call everyone names and question your manhood for hunting coyotes at this time of year? and by the way thats why i tell them all to kiss my ass,,i tried to type something else over there that my Grandpa use to say but all that comes up is a
[beep] with 6 other words,,it IS a hell of a good saying that i dont think anyone has ever heard BUT it GETS its meaning across
Bill
sorry to hi jack your thread but i was wondering about the males getting the food for the females
Thank you very much
Bob
bnccont,
For the next couple of months the hunting pressure for the coyotes is going to be high. What I mean is that the adults are going to be having to supply the pups with food, so they're going to be easier to call.
No matter, it's all good! I'll shoot 'em all and sort 'em out later. Calling experience is calling experience and it all counts.
Good hunting, Bowhunter57
They can be a little easer to call this time of year it seems sometimes. Location is the key right now. Get inside the core area and use coyote vocals and pup distress, along with some wines and cries.
Brent
KeeKee
when you say use vocals what are you talking about howls? i mean i seen where you just put use puppy whines and cry's but is there anything else to try? im kind of trying to write these "tips" in a special folder for a "go to" list since i dont know to much about it right now BUT i am learning
thank you
Bob
Bob-- While turkey hunting last week I got to listen to a group of coyote puppies. I don't know if they were playing or were hungry but the sounds that I was hearing were no different than what your litter of pups would make. Little whines & wimpers along with high pitched barks. I think it would have been cool to have been within sight of them to watch them.
I would think some recording equipment in a dog house with a litter of hungry puppies would make a great sound. So you better get on that Brent!! And I'll need a copy for my FX3!! :eyebrow: :laf:
Hamer
that makes sense, now i have a few more questions since over "HERE" i actually get real answers and not SMART ASS remarks like over at "some other" website :innocentwhistle:
1) when are pups born? begining of April?
2) have they ventured outside the den yet?
3) do the mothers leave the den while the pups are "new born" like the first 3 weeks of their lives?
4)i seen a coyote cross the road today,are the chances "HIGH" it was a male?
oh yeh and if ya want to throw in some smart ass comments go ahead,i am use to it :hahaha:
Thank you very much
Bob
Bill & Bob....I wouldn't worry about us making a trip for a while yet. The wife is bound and determined to go to the @#$% beach again this year. So the fundage is gone. And oh lil-man AKA hawk eye hasn't missed anything he's pulled the trigger on in the last few months. He scares me. He is too young to have a shot to kill ratio yet.
Good news is that he got another gun last night. Bad news is it's a pellet rifle. God help the birds and rabbits for the next few weeks. :shrug:
Bob, I'm far from being able to answer your questions 100% correctly, but I'll see if I'm close to being right.
1)Through the month of April. Some still may be dropping them.
2) If they were born at the first of April they should be coming out now.
3) Have no clue. Guessing yes as a female dog will leave her pups for short periods of time to just get a break.
4) ? 50/50 chance
Bill. I forgot....Some of your buddies up there are thinking about coming down this year to hunt here. Make sure you tell them that your coming. If not they'll have to sleep outside...LOL
Quote from: awh on May 04, 2007, 07:26:27 AM
Bill. I forgot....Some of your buddies up there are thinking about coming down this year to hunt here. Make sure you tell them that your coming. If not they'll have to sleep outside...LOL
I can't believe they wouldn't tell me something like that some buddies they are :laf: :laf:
Bill
1) when are pups born? beginning of April?
2) have they ventured outside the den yet?
3) do the mothers leave the den while the pups are "new born" like the first 3 weeks of their lives?
4)i seen a coyote cross the road today,are the chances "HIGH" it was a male?
oh yeah and if ya want to throw in some smart ass comments go ahead,i am use to it
Thank you very much
On the howls, just stick with the lone howls for right now. Example of a typical set would be............
Start off with two single high pitched lone howls. I would wait a bit and repeat the two lone howls. Then set a bit, then I would do one lone howl and go strait to the puppy wines and cries and run it right into pup distress. The I would set for a few min and one more lone howl, and break right into adult distress on the howler.
Or....
I would do two puppy howls, then a adult answer. I would wait a few min and break into the pup distress for several min and wait. After 5 min or so I would give another adult lone howl and adult distress.
All this changes if I get a vocal responce. I typically run my howling stands for at least 25 min.
1) The pups drop here in April, but it depends on were your at as to when the drop.
2) I have not seen any outside the den yet but I would think they would be out around the front of the den by now.
3) She will stay right close to the pups when they are new born. But will gradually start leaving them as they get older.
4) Hard to say if it was male or not?
No smart ass comments here....lol
Brent
Brent
thank you for the advice and quick responce,,i will put that in my folder :eyebrow: :wo:
Bob
I wouldn't go so far as to say that coyotes are easier to call this time of year, but ifyou want to locate dens and call the Alpha pair, now is a good time to begin. A good howler that will make decent lonesome howls and puppy squeals will call em for ya. Now you gotta shoot em. :eyebrownod:
and shooting them seem to be the tough part right now
Be careful howling this time of year. Last spring I had a family group of yotes right in my back yard so to speak. I didn't know it until I went out howling for the fun of it one morning at 3:00 AM. The adult pair sounded off not 100yds from the truck! Then the pups chimed in. Now, these pups were big enough to travel as it was early June. There I was, screwing around and had a super response from some very callable yotes. I know this because after one female challenge from me, thet came to within 25yds of the truck! I heard a pup yip then all was quiet. Mom and Dad made me out and hurried the young ones along for a great lesson in man kind. My point is, I guess, don't howl this time of year unless you are able to close the deal. After that, I had a very hard time getting that pack to howl regardless of the time of day or situation. I love going out and having conversations with them, but you can get burned playing with them. Live and learn I guess.
I would have to say due to the need to feed the family, this is the best time of year for responses to a call. There are a lot of turkey hunters killing or at least seeing them here every year. I think I will give it a try after turkey season.
Dogwood Creek ,
You give some very good advise in your above post. It maybe should be required reading for anyone who is serious about howling up coyotes. "Don't howl until you are ready to kill any coyote that comes in". I have been trying to tell people that for years, but it usually is not taken seriously.
I think it depends on what vocalizations you use, more than anything. I howl to locate groups here all summer and spring. I also spend a ton of time out howling with the pups when they start to get vocal. I dont think I have every been busted when locating during the spring or summer. And it sure helps me find new areas to call every year as well.
Brent
"I think it depends on what vocalizations you use, more than anything. I howl to locate groups here all summer and spring. I also spend a ton of time out howling with the pups when they start to get vocal. I dont think I have every been busted when locating during the spring or summer. And it sure helps me find new areas to call every year as well."
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Kee,
The problem is that coyotes don't always respond by howling. They often come in silence, and they will often approach almost any kind of howl. Shucks, they have even been known to approach the sound of a stupid siren. I admit that howling at night during spring and summer is a good method of locating dens, so that you know where to be come daylight.
True Rich I will agree with that. But the location of were you locate from, and the vocalization used has allot to do with it as well. And how you go about locating as well. I often move very fast threw a area locating coyotes before I hole up some were to see what gets vocal back. There are several good ways to locate coyotes for referance with out getting right on top of them. A good map goes along way as well.
I gain allot more by finding area that hold coyote here and making sure I am hunting productive areas in the fall than I do by getting busted by one out of 10 groups. And even if I do get busted, does not mean I cant call them coyotes 4 months later. I would rather take the chance of getting busted by a group and locate 6 more groups, than spend all day calling area that does not hold good numbers of coyotes.
I very seldom howl or locate in a area the morning before I hunt it. All my locating goes on in the spring and summer. Then I return in the fall to do my killing.
Brent
Quote from: keekee on May 19, 2007, 08:06:21 PMAll my locating goes on in the spring and summer. Then I return in the fall to do my killing.
IMHO, aside from damage control, that statement is the best and strongest reason for calling this time of year. It's called pre-season (fur season) scouting. ;yes;
I love to hunt coyotes all year long :eyebrownod: I am not a fur guy :nono:
What I am,Is obsessed with hunting predators, there is no waiting to fall just to kill a dog with a good coat :nofgr:
If your hunting adult in eastern PA I don't find them any easer in the spring and summer then they are in the fall and winter. I would hunt them 24/7 if i could.
It's all about the hunt for me..
After reading many of these post I can see I differ in many ways in my set ups and calling style. :confused:
But I would have to say No I don't think adult coyote at any easer this time of year.
Tomorrow just may not come, So enjoy and go bust a primer :biggrin:
Another thing about coyote behavior. One or more young females often stay with the alpha pair through at least two winters. They act as a sort of nursemaids and teacher to the young. This nurse maid works with the male to help feed the female and litter while she is at the den during th early weeks. At this stage in th pups life all adults are working almost constantly to feed them, the pups are about 8 weeks old now.
In a few more weeks you will start seeing pups in the fields near the den and if you are lucky you can see one of the adults showing them how to catch grasshoppers.
By late august the pups are hunting some on their own in the fields near the dens.
Den locations will change during the summer occasionally. Some think this is their way of getting rid of some of the flea infestation that occurs in the den. I think it is to find new hunting grounds for the pups to learn , just my opinion.
If you are seeing coyotes out at this time odds are 50 /50 as to sex of the animals.
I use howls to locate. Never been a big fan of howling as a hunting technique myself. Too many other sounds to use to get the territorial response from them. I will use them to start a setup on occasion, but other sounds are used for the most part.
Bccont, your learning the game. Now think about those setups that were succesful. How did that coyote aproach? What could you have done diferently that would have kept the animals from scenting you or your partners ?What did you do to get spotted? Picture the area in your mind and think about diferent ways you could have setup there. You will learn a lot more from your mistakes than if you had made a kill. If it helps , draw the area out on a sheet of paper and look at all possibiliilties as to wind direction, aproach to the setup and cover available to you at the diferent locations. If you can get it figured out , you can go back and take those animals this fall. Jimmmie
Jimmie
I REALLY enjoy reading your post's because you have a certain way of explaining things that I MYSELF can understand
Plus YOU have killed quite a few Coyotes in your day,,unlike some other people on a certain board that just REPEAT
what they read on that board and pass it on as Gospel !
Now would this mean that I will be MORE LIKELY to see Coyotes in an open field teaching their pups to "mouse" and then later in the fall it will be less likely to see them in an open field ?
I know Coyotes DONT like to cross open fields unless they HAVE TO,,well I have been told that anyway, but are my chances of seeing a Coyote in a field better now than in the fall to late fall ?
It would make sense to me because in late June last year me and my 2 boys seen a Coyote mousing in a field while we were Groundhog hunting ,,the Coyote was on a little rise in the field so there COULD have been 10 more behind the rise BUT all we could see is 1 Coyote mousing,,it dropped over the little rise a few times and then came back up on the field and started mousing again,,so I think this goes hand in hand on your above post,,so am I right in thinking I will see a Coyote in a field at this time of year more then I will have a chance to see one "mousing" in a field in the late Fall?
This field was well Hidden from the road but it was only 40 yards from the main road but hidden well because of the contour of the land
Thank you VERY MUCH
Bob
In just a few more weeks coyote candy will be more available. The one thing that draws them to the fields more than anything I know of. Grasshoppers are number one on the coyote diet once they become available. That is how young coyotes start their hunting lessons. Grasshoppers are very high in protien and young coyotes grow like weeds on this diet. It's easy for them to obtain and plentiful.
You can see this behavior well into the fall, up until frost. It provides us with an excellent oportunity if we have the time to get out and just observe. An hour spent in an area where you know they are working in th afternoon can be a very good education. I have made a lot of observations when hunting other animals , fishing, or just working in the fields. I once spent four hours watching a red fox chasing hoppers. I've messed with young predators many times when I have caught them bedded down in the woods just so I could observe how they react first hand. OK so I may have educated a few, but what was that info worth to me as a hunter?
When we call them we are alerting them to somethiing else in their territory. Now why would a coyote expose itself when checking out what might be a butt whipping for them? The first thing those youngsters did when I lip squeaked them was to look all around before they even moved in my direction. They knew the sound was close but they wanted to know what caused it just in case. You see there is a diference in behaviors when we call them as oposed to them hunting in hte fields. They want to see what is going on, but they want to be the winner in the fight, or an escape route if nescescary. This is why they rarely expose themselves in the fields when coming to the call. It is survival for them. This is why setup is critical. If we use these habits they have correctly, we can put them in a place where we can be the first to see, or hear them .
If you treat every succesful setup as a learning oportunity you numbers will climb significantly. Ask where they came from and why. What was their behavior at the time. Were they highly alerted or in a hurry or cautious. Step back and look at your setup and ask why did it work or why did it fail. Especially if it fails, leave your rifle and pack where you were sitting and walk all around it to see what the coyote saw. Jimmie
Jimmie I have gone over many of my stands. Here are some of the reasons I have come up with
First off calling cold spots gets you nothing you have to hunt where they are not where they have been.The times that I figured out I got busted most of the time the coyote came in above me on and old high wall and after watching this spot for a few months now I know this is a travel route for them.From that point when the leaves are off I can see my house and I am sure a coyote can see me so that gives him a heads up as soon as I head in his direction I need to aproach this place from the south and sneak up the hill with lots of cover.
OhioBob you know where this spot is we have hunted it and if you think about it you will come up with that also.
The horseshoe field where you want to hunt crows.
When I started this topic I never expected to get so much information.There is alot of Different opinions in here and all will be taken into account.
Thank You everyone for your input.
Bill
Bill, it's not just in how it aproached your setup. What other factors were in the animals favor besides th high ground?
Now you have figured out that this particular area is part of th normal travel lane. Where along this lane can you set up and give them a way to aproach that they will follow? You don't have to be on top of it ,but somewhere within a half mile that would give you advantage of wind and visibility. Think about the time of day these animals came in and from what direction. Follow that line in the terrrain backwards and see if you can figure out where they are coming from and just how close that might be .
We're looking for an oportunity to take not just one animal from this group but several over the season. The more you can learn about where they live, th better your chances of doing just that.
I have a local group that has given me the slip for years. Sign was very abundant where I thought they should be but no matter where in the area I called nothing. I gave up on them for the time being and just yesterday a local I was visiting with gave me th key I needed. He had observed the male on numerous occassions crossing the road to hunt in that area. His crossing was one I had omited due to it's closeness to a number of houses. It being the only spot along that road where cover is right for them to use, I failed to think of those thickets on the ohter side as a possible bedding area. This particular group is vocal only late at night, after 1 in the morning. I have been missing the right spot by no more than 3/4 of a mile when I called. But due to terrain features and the way that group is using them, I have just plain missed them. Getting to them is going to pose some problems with the winds the way they play through that area, but with a little planning I can wait for the right time and get a few of them. The largest farm in this groups area is one hundred acres or so. Most parcels are twenty to thirty acres and each with a house on it.Where this animals is crossing I can see three houses right now. In the fall with the leaves off I will be able to see five. The crossing point is two fencerows meeting and linking a ridgeline and a hollow .Only sixty feet of open area to cross. Jimmie
Jimmie
There is a hollow that runs to the west off this ridge and this ridge runs pretty much North for about 1 mile with another hollow dropping off of it and that one is growed up fairly well with grapevines ground briars and multiflower roses and then runs down through a pine thicket I do not have permission to hunt this hollow.My guess is that is where the coyotes are hiding out.I do have permission to hunt the open field above this so I have no daytime cover might make good night hunting though.
Bill
Bill
The horseshoe field you are talking about,,is that the field we called the first time I came down there? and are you saying you should enter from the Road that runs up to the top of that high wall ??? I thought of that the first time we called down there,, BUT the reason I thought of that is from my Deer hunting from tree stands and the advantage of being High off of the ground
do you remember where we walked out and tried that last stand AFTER we shot at the coyote,,remember when we looked out over the left side of the high wall and we seen those few houses,,is that where you think they are coming from ??? I thought of that too,,do you think where we seen the tracks where that yote went down the high wall and took off REAL QUICK :laf:,,do you think he hit the bottom and went left ??? because we seen the tracks in the ash that went straight down BUT after that where do you think he went?
Bill
Here is another thought,,when we sat on that last stand,, where the coyote tracks were and over looked that small field,,well do you think if we called where we were on the FIRST stand, and put a shooter where we sat on the LAST stand,so the shooter could cover where a Yote might walk along the bottom of that hill where the tracks were?
I know I shot s deer 1 year with that tactic SINCE I figured out that Deer and ANY SMART animal uses the VERY LAST piece of cover to hide behind,,they would hug the bottom of that hill because if someone is sitting where I shot at that yote NO ONE would see that Coyote walking along the bottom of that hill AND that would Probably Bring him out to where he could see or wind us where we were on the first stand? the more I thought about it the more I thought there is a couple of GOOD paths that Coyote could have followed that would have put him at the BOTTOM of those few hills hiding him from the spots we would sit
and then wouldn't that be along the same area where you said you see them cross your drive way at ???
I'm not sure where all this plays into the wind direction because I'm not familiar with the directions of anything down there,,would you NEED a special wind direction to get at them since you are not allowed to hunt where you say there is a Pine thicket ???
We need to figure this HIGH WALL Warfare out because there is a place out here that me and you are going to go to that has High walls all over the place with a few pine thickets about 4 acres and it sucks because the tree bottoms are only about 1-2 feet off of the ground,,I guess we will just have to figure out where they can ENTER these pine thickets and cut them off BEFORE they get into the pine thickets :wo: damn this Coyote hunting in strip pits are a pain isn't it ?
BUT once we get 1 figured out the rest will come easier,,I HOPE anyway :doh2:
Bob
Yes Bob the old road that goes up to the top of the high wall is what the coyotes are using as a travel lane.the wind usally comes from the west around here.If you are standing looking right at that road the wind hits almost in the back of your head.Once the coyotes come down that road they go left or right and run along the bottom of the highwall no more then 20 yards out so you are right they do stay close to the bottom of the highwall.
Now move yourself closer to my house south east of the Highwall road I am saying if we come up the hill there we can stay in the trees never cross the fence see the top of the highwall and the road going up there that gives plenty of cover and good veiw.
The houses on the left . Go to the top of the ridge behind those houses go to the left follow that about a 1/2 mile and then it drops into that hollow that is so thick.
As for the coyote that you MISSED when it came down off that hill he didn't want anything to do with that feild at all his closest cover was the woods and that woods runs into the railroad cut and that woods and the RR cut can bring him right back to where they cross the driveway not sure if he would have crossed the State Route and into the strip mine on the other side of the road.I heard pups yapping one night close to the RR cut a few weeks back.
Wind direction around here needs to be from the North or west to hunt most of the ground I have anything South or east I might as well stay home
Bill
Bill
yep I agree with you on all of that,,I REALLY DOUBT that Coyote crossed the main road,,BUT hell I don't know what the hell a Coyote will and wont do,,that is probably why I don't have 1 killed yet :doh2: but I WOULDNT THINK he would cross that road,,of course he can out run those horse and buggies :roflmao: but from everything i have gathered from these Boards,,the 12 million Video's I have and from seeing a few LIVE coyotes operate it seems that if there is a hill they like to walk the bottom of it and hug the bottom tight too,,they are like a BIG Buck in that regard
BUT the thing that baffles me is WHY did that Coyote come across the field where he did,,I KNOW he was STILL walking the bottom of that rise and the ONLY reason I seen him the first time is because i seen him walk past the 1 foot gap where the 2 small hills met at the bottom,,,SO HE WAS FOLLOWING THE BOTTOM of the hill so we COULDNT SEE HIM and if it wasn't for that small gap I would have NEVER seen him,,BUT why do you think he didn't walk the bottom of the hill where we seen his escape tracks ???
just when I think I got 1 of their tricks figured out they make a liar out of me,,BUT they do hug the bottom of hills anytime they can so far from what i have seen,,that 1 I seen mousing last year while me and the kids were Groundhog hunting did the same thing,,used a very little rise in the field to hide and that Coyote did it well,I could have shot but it was in summer AND me and the kids enjoyed watching it jump up and down mousing :biggrin:
so what do ya think Bill,,looks like you are figuring that ground out pretty good now :yoyo:
Bob
Time will tell Bob
Bill
Why did the coyote cross the road? :wo:
To show the possum it could be done. :laf:
I don't know how it is in everyone's home area but around here, like our deer, coyotes will cross roads... sometimes even during daylight hours. There are roads and highways everywhere here. Over the years, I have found several locations that coyotes often use as crossings. Most of the time it's places where they can quickly get across and into cover. I have found they will also use large culverts and bridge under passes to get under roads. Although coyotes are smart, like poor ol' possum, sometimes they just don't quite make it. :doh2:
We have a section of I-40, a major 4 lane interstate, where the only way to gain access to the other side... cross in the open. Despite the fact that they get flattened from time to time, coyotes are seen there on a regular basis. Near my dad's place, one smart old coyote there can be seen patiently sitting by the state road and waiting for traffic to pass before crossing.
Disclaimer: Due to various reasons, coyotes may behave differently in your area. Believing that all coyotes will react exactly the same everywhere is imprudent to me... I've learned better. :wink:
:hahaha: Disclaimer
By the way....is it true the coyotes down there have an accent when they howl?
QuoteBelieving that all coyotes will react exactly the same everywhere is imprudent to me... I've learned better.
No truer words have been spoken. This is why I like to start out my answers with this is what
I have found to be true in my area.
Quoteis it true the coyotes down there have an accent when they howl?
:doh2: :doh2:
They don't howl much here but up the road they are more vocal.
I think it is because Southern coyotes are more of a gentlemen breed. The Yankee coyotes are more vocal but all that loud Howlin usually don't mean nuthin. :laf: there just all howl and no action :roflmao:
CCP so what your saying is all talk and no action :roflmao:
I guess I should have said
That coyote that Bob missed had no reason to cross the road to get out of harms way lots of cover around here
Bill
:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: All howl and no action. :roflmao: :roflmao:
Quote from: bnccont on June 10, 2007, 11:01:22 AM
I guess I should have said
That coyote that Bob missed had no reason to cross the road to get out of harms way lots of cover around here
Bill
Are you saying that because Bill couln'dt hit him, he had nothing to worry about? :roflmao: :roflmao:
Your Right WW all i was carring that day was a 12 ga shot gun
Here is the story of the hunt
http://finsandfur.net/forums/index.php?topic=2100.0
Bill
Quote from: ohiobob on May 02, 2007, 06:36:43 PM
AWH
i HOPE you dont have a post like mine,,i HOPE you have a pic to put on your post!!!
a question i have also had so maybe some of you seasoned hunters can answer this,,from what i UNDERSTAND,which is really not much when it comes to coyotes is that the FEMALES are in the den with the pups right now and the MALES go out and get the food for the female,is this true and if so does that mean that the coyote me and Bill seen last saturday was a male?
AND if this is true why in the hell would the SO CALLED experts/purists over on ANOTHER FORUM :innocentwhistle: call everyone names and question your manhood for hunting coyotes at this time of year? and by the way thats why i tell them all to kiss my ass,,i tried to type something else over there that my Grandpa use to say but all that comes up is a
[beep] with 6 other words,,it IS a hell of a good saying that i dont think anyone has ever heard BUT it GETS its meaning across
Bill
sorry to hi jack your thread but i was wondering about the males getting the food for the females
Thank you very much
Bob
Bob: You are just a mean old rascal and can't get along with those purists over on the other sites. Here is my take on the coyote pups, female, and male as far as the time of year many refer to as "Denning". First, not all of the pups are born at exactly the same time, as their gestation period is the same as a domestic dog, roughly 63 days from the time the breeding takes place, which will be different days for different pairs. So, in summary, the pups will be born sometime between March 1 and April 15. When the pups are first born, the male does all the hunting for both himself and the female, and she feeds the pups milk. At about the end of the 4th week or so, the female starts regurgitating solid foods and gets the pups to start eating meat, continuiing on with some nursing. When the pups are weaned, the female and male start hunting together again, and eventually teach the pups how to hunt and kill their prey, much like a lion pride operates. As far as them being easier to call, I think it is like Brent says. If you get near the core area where the pups were born, the female and male are extra aggressive in protecting both the pups and the territory, a much tighter area than their entire hunting territory. The maternal and paternal instincts make pup distress a good sound at this time of year. This is another reason it is a good time to train decoy dogs. Jerry Hunsley can tell you all about that, and even has a video of when he got Wiley started. It was something to see. As far as which particular coyote vocals to use, you will get a lot of different opinions on that, but I always start with just a plain interrogational howl, as that pair does not want other coyotes in their territory, period. I do not use a lot of prey distress sounds until I have tried the pup distress. If you will look at my last post about "Last coyote hunt of the season", you will see that I started out with an Aggressive Red Fox, their mortal enemy. I then switched to a Fox and Coyote Fight, and then to the Coyote Pup distress. About 20 seconds into the pup distress, here comes a pair to defend their territory.
ohiobob wrote:
Quote... the FEMALES are in the den with the pups right now and the MALES go out and get the food for the female, is this true and if so does that mean that the coyote me and Bill seen last saturday was a male?
It possibly could have been either. For whatever reason, not all coyotes are members of a family group, pair up or bear pups. That's not unusual, this one could have been a rouge (male or female). //
QuoteAND if this is true why in the hell would the SO CALLED experts/purists over on ANOTHER FORUM call everyone names and question your manhood for hunting coyotes at this time of year?
Only 'cause they can...I guess? :laf:
Sorry Bill for jacking your thread :doh2:
No problem Chet
All comments are welcome here
Bill
Here in western Iowa, the coyotes breed pretty much all the way thru february, which would put pups on the ground about May 1st. Some of the first pups may hit the ground a week or so before that. The Momma coyote may well stay in the den with her pups for a week or so, which is just a guess of course. I do know that she is out gathering food for herself and the pups before the pups are completely weaned. I know this because I have trapped and called several wet bitches while I was working a lamb killing complaint.
I have run into females that were still suckling pups around the first of May like Rich has in Iowa, but very seldom. I have killed a bunch of them in April and early May that had obviously suckled pups and had weaned them. I have seen the pups with their parents in late May and June, learning to catch mice and voles and probably anything else that can be passed on to them. I would venture a guess that the severity of the winter has something to do with that too.