Written By - Skinny Moose Media - 05/24/2007
Link to Original Article here

From the moment I first witnessed a bull moose completely and utterly forfeit his senses to my guide's mournful bawling of a love sick cow moose I was captivated with the notion of calling animals. To compel a customarily shy and elusive creature abandon it's guard and draw it to within spitting distance gives a hunter a great sense of achievement. And so it should. It's not an easy task.

Since that occasion I've called moose, deer, caribou, and even a few wild turkey south of the boarder. Without a doubt though, for me, the most stimulating and challenging calling is a summons directed at coyotes. The sinister sound of a howling pack can make the hair rise on the back of my neck. A more unsettling resonance emitting from a poorly lit woodland I may well never have been witness to.

The principal call will more often than not, imitate a diminutive animal in distress. While bleats and squeaks from deer size animals to mice can and will entice coyotes in for an easy meal I'd be willing to wager the call most commonly used by coyote hunters is the wail of a wounded rabbit.

Speculation is the rabbit in distress calls work so favourably is twofold:

1) Rabbits are very vocal when injured.

2) Rabbits are so numerous they constitute a large percentage of a coyote's diet.

My initial attempts at calling were not very productive. A small number of ‘yotes came to the call but infrequently. Most sightings were no more than fleeting glimpses at far-off dogs that failed to commit to the temptation of a free and easy meal. And so it went for a few years.

And then by a chance meeting I met a man named Joe Bradshaw who manufactures and sells the Scream'n Demon line of calls    http://www.arkyyoter.net/ . Joe and his son are also passionate predator callers. It's been said that Joe could call a starving coyote off a meat truck !

 In a good year Joe may kill as many as 40 song-dogs with his calls. A wise coyote hunter will heed his words. His calls are reasonably priced, attractive, and most importantly they work well (www.arkyyoter.com) .

When I purchased one of Joe's calls I picked his brain for as much info as I could get. I told him my experience was near zip - a mere rookie. I asked him for some basic calling 101 tips and techniques . The following is a quote from one of Joe's emails .

"RogerÂ…Â… Maybe someday I can come up and hunt with yaÂ…if I ever get rich Until thenÂ….I will throw a few things at yaÂ…As a new hunter, I think it easiest and best to always call/face downwindÂ….90% will circle and come in with the wind in their faceÂ….later you can use that by hunting a little differently, but for now I would say face downwindÂ….If you have a decoy, put it out 30-35 yards quartering away from you, the idea is when he comes in to not be looking directly at youÂ….

I start out with a quiet distress soundÂ…..blow about 20-30 seconds and hush for 2 -3 minutes. Always watching for movementÂ….then call slightly louder, and a little more aggressively for 30 seconds or soÂ…..then quiet againÂ…..continue doing this Roger, with each calling sequence a little louder and more aggressive than the last. I continue this for about 20 minutes, 30 if I can stand itÂ…

Then move, at least 400-500 yards, and do it again.

Think your way through before you ever walk/drive into a placeÂ…..watch your approach, very quietly, no talking, watch scentÂ…Â…be sure to close truck doors softly etcÂ…..take your time going in and look aboutÂ…Â…don't walk through what you are going to callÂ….depending on the wind you may have to walk all the way around an area to call it, in order to not walk through itÂ….remember, you don't hunt exactly where you think they are, you CALL where you think they areÂ….stay on the edges as best you can, they can hear these calls a LONG wayÂ…I have watched them respond to a lip squeak at 150 yards or betterÂ…..

This time of year is hard here, the distress sounds aren't working well right now, doing better with female invitation howls and pup distressÂ….

If ya think of more specific questions, feel free to askÂ…I will do the best I canÂ…

I'll leave the tips up to Joe. He's the pro. But I'll give an account of just how stimulating calling yotes can be

As I was creeping up and old logging road on my way to check a couple bear sites one morning in September I saw a coyote scoot across the road nearly 200 yards off in the distance .

Being alone at the time and in no particular hurry I stopped the truck, uncased my bow and grabbed the "sceam'n demon" call out of the glove box and jogged up the road. After a hundred yard dash I ducked into the woods, found a nice tree with a comfy base to prop my back against and let loose with the most excruciating painful sounding call I could muster. At first I thought maybe I was too loud and called for too long. Not for long though. Within seconds I heard the steady rhythmic gait of an animal heading my way. I gripped the bow a bit tighter. Feeling vulnerable on the ground I contemplated getting up but I didn't have time as the first grey ghost came into sight at a steady trot literally seconds later.

It was then that I realised more than one dog was hunting the crippled rabbit (me) . More coyotes were heard approaching my way . In all 4 coyotes ghosted past me. A bit un-nerving really. Especially when sitting on the ground - eye to eye so to speak.

The coyotes, in point of fact, came from behind and passed close by me halting 20 yards in front of me. One ‘yote was visibly bigger than the other three.

I rolled to my knees, nocked an arrow, drew the bow , took meticulous aim and let fly. The cedar arrow flickered through the sun mottled forest and thwacked home with authority. The big coyote flipped but regained his feet and was off in a split second.

The coyote sprinted for an easy hundred yards. Farther than a deer or bear would have made it in my estimation. I was elated to have taken a big male coyote.

Cursed and loathed by many hunters and farmers, the coyote receives little hunting pressure. I view them as more of another chance to get out hunting. As far as a worthy adversary ; they are very cunning and difficult to tag. I expect in the coming years more hunters will take part in this exciting form of hunting.

Calling coyotes (or any animal for that matter) is truly a heart pounding situation. Watching a full grown coyote bare down on your precise location while your butt is planted on the cold damp ground is something that must be experienced to fully appreciate .

Grab a call and give it a whirlÂ….I think you'll be glad you did when that first song-dog hit the dirt in front of you.