Hopefully you got out and were able to chase a fox as I suggested prior to the weekend or even spent time scouting. I went coyote hunting and almost was outfoxed. It’s that time of year. Right now coyotes are cagier than a reality film crew trying to catch a cheating politician. I found this out on Saturday. I was hunting with good friend Gale Smith and on our third attempt at trying to fool a coyote I decided to throw everything out there, including the kitchen sink.
Geez, some hunter. Lucky I came along to help Kayser out.
Using a combination of my Johnny Stewart PM-4 digital caller and mouth calls I made it sound like a fawn was in trouble and coyotes were squabbling over the choice cuts. About 15 minutes into the setup a coyote ran to the top of the basin we were watching and then sat down on its haunches to scan for the ruckus. After about five minutes the coyote bedded. He was in no hurry and likely the reason he was still alive.
Since Gale and I were not in sight of each other, I decided to softly use a rodent distress call in hopes of luring the coyote in for a shot. I was worried Gale might get antsy and walk over to my side of the hill. The coyote didn’t react immediately, but looked and eventually stood up, stretched and started padding my way. I felt pretty smug.
A few minutes later the coyote started diverting toward Gale. I didn’t worry since I hoped Gale would get a shot anyway, but when the coyote started angling away with an over-the-back look, I knew it was time to seal the deal. After the shot Gale walked over and commented on how he had called in the coyote for me. I looked at him with a puzzled glaze and said I was calling. Here’s the scoop.
Gale never heard my calls once, not even the coyote fight, despite being less than 100 yards away. When the coyote appeared, Gale also waited and then started lip squeaking. He was squeaking while I was squeaking. It worked until the coyote walked to within 200 yards and then something sounded too squeaky and too fake.
Nevertheless, we bagged a great-looking, mature coyote with a prime pelt.
Plus, it was evident that patience pays off. We didn’t see the coyote until 15 minutes into the setup when many are already leaving. I pulled the trigger at nearly the 30-minute mark to make the outing a success.
Mark Kayser
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