Dead End Tracks

[pitw]

 Way cool Ed.  Looking at that first pic makes me think you need to shoo them away before you sit too . 

[Okanagan]

It had been 2 days since the snow. There are a lot of coyotes in there. But they get called to a LOT. I think they've heard every screaming rabbit sound on e-callers and hand calls that there is. Besides me there are 3 or 4 other guys that hunt it and one of those guys would hunt it 2 or 3 times a week for a while. The coyotes got to where they wouldn't respond to anything.
So I tried a different approach. I took my shotgun and hunted tight to thick cover using VERY light calling with only lip squeaks, coaxer calls, and a squeaker bulb. Both of them came in to the squeaker bulb.

Good savvy hunting!  You are smarter than the other hunters... and smarter than the coyotes!   

[weedwalker]

I went over that way again this morning. Another piece of property about a 1 1/2 mile on down the road. I tried the light calling like I did yesterday. On my 3rd stand I was sitting on a bank with a fairly wide open creek bottom just below me, and in front of me a thick, bushy, grown up bench about 50 yds wide with a lot of game tracks thru it. I set up watching the bench ahead and started lip squeaking. After only a couple minutes I heard the ice crak in the creek below me to my left. I look down and a coyote is already slowly walking away from me. So I don't know how close he might have been. He was about 50 yds out, a stretch for the shotgun. I shot him and knocked him down, then he jumped up running dragging his right front leg. I was tracking him in the snow and at 1st he was bleeding pretty good. But after about 300 yds the blood quit. I kept following his tracks thru the thickest crap he could find to go thru. I found 1 spot where he took a break for a minute and the snow coming down was already starting to cover it up. (Pic below)  He then he went over the hill to another property where I can't go. So I had to give up after following him about 3/4 of a mile. 
I haven't called in a coyote on those farms in the last 4 or 5 months using standard techniques. But using very light calling I've called in 3 in 2 days. Maybe there's something to it?

[pitw]

  Ed I'm guessing it's got more to do with magnetization .  Actually I believe your probably right that by changing it up your giving them something new to investigate. 

[HaMeR]

That sucks when you can't find em after a hard hit.    On the other hand you're out & exploring new ideas that seem to be working for you.

I can here the conversation between you & yourself right now.

Ed-- He's too far!! Dang it!!
Ed-- No he's not!! SHOOT!!!!
Ed-- He's too far I said!!!!
Ed-- NO HE'S  BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[weedwalker]

You about nailed my conversation with myself HaMeR. I needed my rifle today instead of the shotgun. I didn't expect anything to come in thru the wide open creek bottom.

[HaMeR]

   It's good to know me & myself aren't the only ones that have those!!    I'll have one of my rifles when I go back there too. 

[coyotehunter_1]

Ed, way to go, you sure make it look easy.   

[possumal]

Big Ed, I have argued over and over with some of the guys that too much volume can be a bad thing, especially when there is no foliage and it is good and cold.  I believe they catch on quick to those 100 lb. critter sounds, especially when the ecaller is turned on and left on.  A lot of guys kill coyotes with that technique, but it never did work for me around Kentucky.  Maybe our coyotes are a bit smarter but I'll vote for realism every time.  Keep after them, big fellow.

[Frogman]

Ed,

WTG!  Good story and pictures! 

Jim