Calling Coyotes is an art and many coyote hunters have developed their own style. Many different styles work well. The fun thing about calling coyotes is developing your own style and methods. I believe that there are many ways to call in a coyote and the sound you make isn’t as important as how you use your sound.
I like to start off with a soft sound so I don’t scare off a coyote that could potentially be bedded at a very close distance. Since we use an e-caller at low volume this has become our first calling sequence. We will typically let the e-call do it work for several minutes before we chime in with a mouth call. We have witnessed coyotes sitting off at long distances that haven’t responded to the e-call at maximum volume. Once we blast a mouth call the coyotes have responded. This let us know the coyote couldn’t hear the e-call.
We usually increase the volume of our mouth call every sequence. Out West we sometimes have the advantage of seeing a coyote coming in from a distance. We usually stop using the mouth call once the coyote has been spotted and is coming to the call. If the coyote hangs up we typically use a close range low volume mouth call or squeaker to get the coyote moving again.
We typically don’t want the coyote looking at us when they get at close range and that is why we use the e-call at low volume with a decoy so we have the opportunity to make slight adjustments or swing our gun in the coyote’s direction. When all goes well the coyote is focused on the sound of the low volume e-call and the decoy.
Calling Coyotes With a Mouth Call
More How To Coyote Hunt Articles
Lance Benson, Pro Staff
Bucking The Odds
them are some good tips my question is, what do you do when the dogs are howling at you bunt they will not brake cover or come in. I live in utah and the dogs are called alot. I have tried calling low call areas and the same thing happens. Not all the time. P.S. been calling for the years have fox pro FX5
My best advice is to try something different. Use something that the others aren’t as likely to be using such as a bird in distress.
im from southern wi and i was wondering what call to use at this time of the year here and if a decoy is nessary or what im new to coyote hunting
What are your favorite or best sounds that you use on your foxpro?
K9 Puppies, Lightning Jack, and Juvenile fox distress.
well ive been having problems lately ive started to hunt these dogs for awhile and the past few months nothing. i hunt is northern wisconsin the are this year. ive been using a electric caller and squeek and no luck any one have any ideas
Keep after it. It takes a while to get the hang of it, but it is wort it. Some people think the Pro’s call in a predator on every stand. Uriah and I have made 15-16 stands in a day without seeing a coyote. Some days they just aren’t as responsive. Other days you can call in a lot more.
What is the best sounding dying rabbit mouth call?
Most of them will get the job done. Some people have different preferences based on how easy it is for that particular person to work the call.
If you dont see any coyotes how long should you stay at a stand before moving to the next one?
If you don’t have much ground to hunt, you might stay 30-45 minutes. If you have a lot of hunting ground I like to call for 20 minutes and move. It is always good to take a good look around with your binoculars before standing up and getting busted.
When Calling coyotes if you dont see any how long should wait to go to another stand?
see my reply above.
I call and call. I have the technique down pretty good but nothing comes in. I use mouth calls. Any ideas on what I am doing wrong?
I think getting to your stand undetected is the hardest thing about coyote hunting. You also might be surprised how many coyotes come to the call you never see. I have left a stand only to spot fresh tracks running over my tracks from when I approached my stand.
You might also look at some of our articles in the How to Coyote Hunt Page or the Hunting Tips Page. None of us will ever quit learning about coyote hunting. That is why it is so challenging and so addictive.
I’ve seen lots of different techniques with mouth calls. Do I want long sustained calling for several minutes or short bursts with pauses in between?
so when you say you play your ecall on low do let it play continusly and just call over it with your mouth call.if so how often do you mouth call . i am always afraid of calling to much.or do you think yhere is such a thing as calling to much.i have been told to just let it play all the time by some and others say not to. the guys that say not to call all the time say that when you haved spotted one comeing that the coyote already has a fix on my location and i may only have to use some coaxing to get the yote to commit. i just got a mojo critter but havent had a chance to use it yet. i wasnt impressed with the plastic housing that the stake screws into though. how are you supposed to get that thing in frozen ground. i made a tripod with an adjustable rod to solve this problem. do you think it will be any benefit to be able to raise it up higher or was it a waste of time to make it adjustable.
Yes we play the e-caller down low non stop and get louder with our mouth calls if nothing comes in the first few minutes. It can be an advantage to get the Mojo Critter up high if you hunt around tall grass.
I just bought critter also…….and have the frozen tundra weather here in KC. Had read here in another post that they used a tripod. Works…..I had a small sized tripod for my spotting scope and the bolt thread sticking up on the tripod matched perfect with the threaded end of the critter…….
i live in Lee MA and during our coyote season the ground is most of the time it is frozen me and my body make stuff when we can we made a stand for the decoy stake we used a peiace of plywood with a peiace of 2×6 ans a peaice of pipe email me and i will send u a pitchure it is preety cheap to do and it works great
I live out here in southern utah. gotta question for callin dogs in january through march. should I stick to howls and yips or stay with the distressed calls?
I’m pretty new to all this …First actual season of calling.
Do most of you have or build a calling sequence? how long do you spend calling in each part of the sequence , and how long in total . I can figure out all of you do things different but just looking for generals…I have been scanning the internet try’n to do my research but,your comments would help.I live in Aurora , Co and hope to hook up with someone local with experience .I have been hunting with a friend in Pueblo,Co who mostly is a spot and stalk hunter . he howls mostly ,and not much of that. He very seldom uses a distress or bird calls , and never uses a electronic call or decoy.We see dogs and have shot a few in our trips but ,looking to improve.
Thanks
Ray
It varies on terrain the feel of the stand but on the average I call for about a minute wait a 2-3 minutes and repeat.
What is your favorite mouth call to use? I have several primos calls as well as the Randy Anderson diaphragm howler that sounds great…
Just a good open reed call that I am used to, but use closed reed calls from time to time.
i notice in your videos u always have a shotgun.i myelf never carry one in because i dont want the added weight.i think i may need to change my ways.a friend and i entered a local contest and called in three yotes on three different stands.they all came in from our downwind side something we were not exspecting.we checked in empty handed due to the fact the closest was 5 yards next was 7 yards and the third was 30 yards.should of had the thirty yarder but i missed i hurried my shot because i had never hunted with this friend and his dad and brother told me if i was smart i would shoot first.the others we probably set up wrong never thought they would come in behind and from downwind.and when they left we didnt have any good shooting.if we would of had a shotgun we would of had 2 dead yotes.i c on here the most common load would be #4 buck through a dead coyote choke tube.would #4 buck through a regular full choke do the job or not.i am a new comer to your site and enjoy it as well as your videos.i already have some new things to try on my next time out.
i hunt with a parnter he carrys a rifle and i carry a shot gun so both angles are covered it works good thanks tim
I’m real new actually never called but been out and got a few in years past just lookin for more insight to achieve better hunts
im from indy should u call over bait?i have seen more dogs jst being quiet. i hve killed 3 by jst sitting over chum pile.
How far should you put your e-call from your stand site? Can you be to close to your e-call when you call over with a mouth call?
It depends on the terrain and wind, but I would say we average 30-40 yards.
what is the best call to use when calling in coyotes? should you start with a distress call at low volume and for how long?
I like my first series to be lower in volume for a short 15-30 second duration in case a coyote is close. After that I will increase in volume. I will usually call for 1-2 minutes every few minutes. After about twenty minutes I glass hard for approaching coyotes. If I don’t spot any then I am off to my next stand location.
I’m kind of new to coyote hunting myself and i was wondering when the best time to use a howler is and for how long?
I like using howlers early in the morning and during breeding season.
Yes, i like the advice on the howlers, i have been hunting the foot hills of California,been having great time,
but i don’t think i could call in a yote even if i had him on speed dial.. the area i hunt is heavy sage a lot of hills
and oak trees creeks, and green grass now.. i see plenty of evidence of the dog’s being in the area, just not when i am there ..i’m sure i need to be there earlier , or stay latter. last time i was out i made several stands
moving about 50 to 70 yards apart or over the next hill. I’M using Loreen reese calls gradually getting louder each time.. then i get board , and practice my howle’s most stands the sage is to heavy for the mojo,
but i can see a long way. It look’s like a coyote is going to come bouncing over the ridge, or through the draw any time but never does.. do you think i should hunt the morning, or dusk, just before dark… ?
And i just got the mojo critter so would any distress call work when using it?
We have luck with most distress calls. Use what you have and have fun!
my question is i live in PA and i havent had no luck this month at all and none of my calls seem to work i got the fox pro spit fire and even rabbit in distress does not work… what is your tip for that.. what call should i use and what should i do different
PA sounds like it can be a challenge. I suggest sticking with it. It’s not as easy as the videos look. We make a lot of stands to get one on film… Hope this helps.
well it is hard up here in a matter of 2 years ive called in like 20 dogs but none in March at all and idk what calls to use… do u no what calls would be good right now.. there paird together right now and the females are carrying there pups
Just my 2 cents here! I use hand calls almost exclusively. I feel like the time between calls sequences are much more important when the sound is coming from your location. With an e-caller, the advantage, other then the prerecorded “perfect” sounds at the touch of a button, is generating the sound from a spot away from your location. The coyote will zero in on the sounds location & try to get a visual confirmation of the dying critter. This will draw attention to you making movement to get into shooting position difficult. If you are using hand calls with a decoy this can pose another problem if the coyote is sitting at the edge of cover surveying the situation! If he sees the decoy but hears the sound coming from that bush over there, alerts go off! So I feel like the time in between calls is much more important to allow them to find the decoy before you sound off with another call sequence. On the other hand, with an E-caller, I have seen a coyote come in hard to a constant sound! Expecially if a MOJO critter is doing work next to it! This is just something I have been working on myself! Patience can get the best of me most of the time!
Oops! This reply was suppose to be on Richard Miller’s comment! Sorry! If it can be moved please do! Thanks!
last 3 times out had coyotes yelling back. my guess is 500 to 1000yds out multiple packs.area is mostly woods with corn fields.calling from field edges.also hunting pa any ideas
Coyotes are tough critters to figure out. Some will come in all the way. Some will hang up. It depends on the time of year but you might try the Ki-Yi followed by a distress call. Once the pups have hit the ground you can also try puppy wines.
thanks for the info. i will certainly give the ki-yi a try also going to try keeping the electric caller on low steady
Okay, I get the part about staring off softly. How long do I do this? When do I increase the volume? How long should I call before pausing? How long should I pause before starting up again? At what point do I give up and move on?
I am having one heck of a time trying to search for answers for these questions. Can you help??
I usually only do the first low volume sequence for 20-30 seconds. Then I wait 2-3 minutes before getting louder. We only make about twenty minute stands, but if you don’t have a lot of ground you might want to stay longer if there isn’t anywhere else to go.
is the Mojo critter remote controlled or automatic?
You just switch it on when you place it in position. It doesn’t make noise so it wont get you busted.
i use a .22 lr for coyote hunting should i use a bigger caliber
I would step up to at least a 223.
Lance –where did you have your Benelli stock camo-dipped??
allo i am new on coyotes hunting like to know what you think about a 243 for the hunt
Ilive in Sherbrooke quebec canada
Thank you in advance
Jean,
The .243 is a very good caliber. I have shot it for the past 20+ years. It is great for anything from P-Dogs to Deer. I would suggest use a smaller grain bullet for coyotes such as the Coyote Grenade By Barnes or the V-Max series.
Thank you i took a note about that.There must be someting i do rong fresh tracks long prairie good place to hide wind in my faver and nothing come to my calls
What do you think about Western river apace call is it worth the price
Allo
.I bought a Fox Pro SKYOTE and pratice a lot with it Now my question is how long do i make te calls and the time betwen the calls
Thank you in advance Jean…..
well with hand calls i usally try to call for 2-3 minutes or till tired, them catch my breath for 1 or 2 minutes, the start agian , for up to 20 minutes a stand, while looking for movement , never know what will come in.
If your hunting in a spot and call one in and shoot it. Can you stay in that spot and call in another. I’ve heard you can and that you can’t?
I hunt in NE Fl. Have not had any luck. They’ll talk to me, but won’t come in… Any suggestions ?
Hey Al! In my opinion I think you should just try a diferent sound or sequence. Change something up a bit. I assume they are just howling and challenge howling at you and not warning barking! If they are warning bark you have been busted somehow! Otherwise, if they have been talking back when I howl I may skip the howls next time and go straight to pup distress. Or maybe a high pitched bird or rodent distress to start things off. OR, if you have been using distress sounds I might try a high pitched howl. They should be geting ready for pups this time of year so the territorial tempers are high! I would aslso try to call from a diferent spot. Sometimes a coyote may not know a human is present but just know something is wrong. A change of location may be enough to make it forget! Good luck!
I just bought a new e-call the foxpro fury and need to setup a few hunt sequences. Do you recommend any of the foxpro library sounds good for hunting dogs and the sequence you would put them in. Im hunting eastern washington state.
I hunt in Southeast Nebraska. The coyote presence is outstanding this year. I was wondering when the breading season starts around here, and if I should be using other sounds besides distress calls at this time? I have both electronic and mouth calls. We have also had an unusually warm winter thus far so wondering if I should be doing anything special for this as well? Any input is helpfull. Thanks.
i just started hunting coyotes this year and i live in mid- state Wisconsin. and i havent got a coyote yet i hear them but not really sure how to call them in for a shot. whats the best call/easiest call for a rookie. and what would b some good set up spots for a more wooded area with a few fields. i tried calling but to me it sounds nothing like a coyote.
Hey Cody. As for a good call for a rookie, I would start with a closed reed. It is easy to use and sounds great. I would also stick to distress sounds until you really get the hang of any coyote vocals. I would also sugest you watch all of the BTO videos. It will give you an idea of how to set up, what the calls should sound like & what it looks like to call one in. In fact, I watch every bit of video I can of coyotes. I think it helps you to determine what they are thinking based on their body language. The biggest thing is practice. Get you a call and try to sound like the videos. Put emotion in the call. See the rabbit dying and try to make the sounds it would make. Good luck brother!
Hey trapeur51. It sounds like you are doing a lot of things right! Add in a bit of patience and you should be fine. One thing that I did and still do sometimes that I think hurts me is rush to my stand location. I think I was either geting spotted or heard and spooking them before I started calling. “Mr Predator”, Byron South said it best when he said “you should approach each stand like the coyote has an AR-15 and will shoot you if it detects you”! I adjusted my approach a bit and noticed an improvement in my success! Stay at it brother!
hey guys, i live in westen pennsylvania and ive hunted coyotes for days on days now and still only got to take two shots in a 10 second time period. but i did not call them into me. i only find hunting half successfull at night and i find starting with an interogation howl will find them the best for the first call. then move to the serenade howls. but one question, what could i throw into my hunt to get them to actually come into my calls for a shot rather than have them stay hidden in the woods?
Hey sterling!
I am by no means a pro, but I can always offer my opinion!
From everything I have read and heard, you guys don’t have a very large population of coyotes. Yes they are there but not as thick as in the West or South.
If it were me, I would start with fox sounds. Your area is highly populated with fox.
A coyote that hears a fox call will come in to find the fox. A fox that hears a coyote call or howl will likely evacuate the area. So you will be increasing your chances for success and NOT scaring off any targets.
If you want to go with distress sound, try the higher pitched sounds. This is also suppose to appeal to the fox while also sounding appetizing to a coyote.
Good luck and stay at it!
thanks jj i appreciate it! and yeah the population is low but it seems when i first call the alfa male will howl back first then its usually 2 or 3 others that will howl back which seem to sound like females or younger males i would think. but i am wanting to buy 2 more rifles either .222 .223 or .243 and camp them for the summer and winter backgrounds but dont want to use all my money on brand new guns. being im almost 18 years old i find myself pretty good at coyote hunting for my age haha but again i appreciate the opinions and facts very much! (:
RON– I THINK SOMETIME WE CALL WAY TO MUCH, I HAVE HAD GOOD LUCK PLAYING MY CALL ON 3/4 VOLUME AT FIRST FOR ABOUT 3 OR 4 MINUTES. I TURN IT OFF AND SET AND WATCH AND LISTEN. IF THERE IS NO SOUND OR MOVEMENT , I GO TO MY MOUTH CALL AND HIT IT WITH A LOT OF CRYING ,WAIT ABOUT 2MINS,AND TURN THE CALL BACK ON AND WATCH. I ALWAYS USE A DECOY, I HAVE MADE SEVERAL MOST MOVE . I HAVE HAD FOXES RUN RIGHT UP TO THE DECOY ALSO COYOTES AND A BOBCAT THAT SAT AT 10 YDS. AND WATCHED THE DECOY SPIN. I WISH THERE WAS ACTION ON EVERY STAND,BUT I USE THE NOTHING TIMES TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW AND WATCH THE OTHER ANIMALS AND BIRDS. HAVE FUN AND BE PATIENT,IT WILL HAPPEN ! RON…
thanks for the advice ron! much appreciated!
Ive been coyote hunting for about a year now. I still havent got one on the ground but thats mostly because im not a very good shot. But i was wondering what calls would work best in the spring say around april or may? Since i live in arizona, the weather is a little different than most parts of the country. Will this make a difference? Any help would be great.
Hey Luke! I think the temps will play a part in where the coyotes are as far as the pups are concerned. Up North they may be geting ready to drop where you guys may already have pups on the ground. I think right now the pup distress will get their attention. Also, any prey distress should still appeal to their stomach. As for the shooting side of things, get a piece of cardboard and draw a semi-realistic size coyote and set it up at different ranges to practice on. This way you will be a bit more confident in your shot when you do call one in. And you WILL call one in if you stick with it! Just have some patience and some fun!
Good luck!
thanks a ton!
Hi I’ve been tryin to get into coyote hunting for 2 years I bought a cass creek e caller my first year and I’ve had no luck with it I’ve also bought an open reed locator and a raspy cotton tail call and I’m still having no luck I hunt in central wi mainly in marathon county I’m from a little town called stratford and were starting to have a real problem with these dogs the land I hunt is mainly woods with an old railroad trail running through it and the few fields I can hunt on and a stream running through the woods I’ve located several trails and dens and I just can’t seem to have any luck do u have any tips or advise for me cuz my grandpa and I r sick of loosing calves and goats to these dogs
Hey Josh. It sounds like you have a god population of coyotes! Since you have located their trails you my set up for an ambush. Just like deer hunting. Set up to where the wind is not blowing your scent toward the trail & at a distance where you are comfortable shooting. Get out there and settled in about 15 minutes or so before first light and sit and wait. A decoy and a call can get them in as well. Im not that familar with the cal you mentioned, but set it up with some type of decoy out in front of you and upwind a bit. Make sure you can see the downwind side and let out a death cry! Good luck with the calf killers. You should also browse the forum, there is a lot of good information there as well!
I was wondering, when you want to locate a coyote at night so you know where to start the next morning, when is the best time to try to get one to howl? after dark or right before dark? And how many times should you howl before moving down the road to try another spot?