How do you do a "set" using an e caller? Do you let it go continous for 30 minutes or do you "pause it every 2 minutes and restart after a few minutes? I went out today and did 3 sets this morning. I know there are plenty of predators and didn't call in a thing? Also how far do you typically set away from your caller? Sorry this is new to me?

Good questions that I have an interest in also.

There are a number of pretty good videos on YouTube about predator calling.
I'll be watching this with interest.

I usually set the caller 10-50 yards out, but it depends on the terrain and approach. You can be busted trying to set it too far from you. 1 step too far is worse than stopping a 100 yards back.

I usually let it run continuous or close to that with prey sounds. Coyote sounds are used much more sparingly.

Set up downwind or crosswind from the caller to try catching those that circle to catch the wind coming from where they know the sound is.


Do your best to put the approaching animal at the disadvantage. Sun in their eyes, your outline broken up, wind right, good view downwind, and have a pre-planned spot to set up. Wandering around looking for just the right spot to sit never works out very well.

Good advice from Lonny.

Picking your stand is crucial for success. If you set up with a brushy creek bottom 100yds downwind of your stand, you will never see a coyote.

If there is one thing I can etch into concrete, it's that coyotes will always, always, try to get downwind of the call.

As soon as you let the first sound go, any coyote in hearing range knows exactly where your stand is, probably to the nearest 20-30yds.

I use handcalls, and I call for about 20 seconds, then remain quiet for 3-5 minutes. I'll repeat until I'm done with that stand.

I have hunted with guys that turn on the Ecall and let it run the entire 20 minutes on stand, and we did well.

Good luck!

Thanks guys. I can't wait to get back out there. I know there are plenty of coyotes out there.

Here's another tip;

Go to your local fabric store and get 1/2 yard of fake fur. Try to find some long "hair" that is faintly striped gray & brown, sort of similar to a raccoon.

When you set your caller up, drop the "fur" over it, then pull the center up to make a sort of "teepee" effect.

Ed

there are days when you can be surrounded by coyotes and never call one in. Why? Good question, only the coyote knows why and they ain't tellin'.
Then there are days that you can't beat em off with a stick.

Lonny pretty much nailed it.

Sounds good, any ideas for "waterproofing" the caller a camo bag or something?

I'd silicone a sheet of plastic to the underside of my fake fur...

Ed

Some good advice here. From some good guys.

Try and create a believable scenario when calling. Something that might actually happen. (mixing sounds such as bird distress, rabbit distress, fawn distress, raccoon distress...etc. in the same stand might not be the best plan.)

Use coyote vocalizations sparingly.

And lastly, when you are calling for coyotes, you are making a stand.

When you are trapping coyotes, where and how you place the trap is a set.

Thanks for straightening that out for me! Yes good help was given and I appreciate it. Hopefully will have some photos to put up here in a week or 2?

Having your electric call located away from your position is optimal and is one of the reasons to own one. However, don't get caught up in the situation where you think that if it doesn't work at 100 yards distant, it is useless. I spent most of my life using mouth calls AT MY POSITION. I still use them occasionally in conjunction with e-callers. An e-caller strategically located simply away from your location, a short distance though it may be, is still effective.

I set up the caller about 30 yards from myself and I call continuous, and don't give the predators and time to lose interest. This has worked great for me hunting in the eastern woods and pine thickets. Last setup got this one using this procedure.

I spoke with a rancher that gave me access to 400 yards with a bunch of coyotes, so giving it a try next weekend.

What time is optimal for predator calling. The rancher said 1 hour after dusk the coyotes move a lot?

Optimal is night. Assuming you don't have the time or inclination to hunt at night, the hours right before and after both dusk and dawn are best. A rancher's input is even better. Nobody knows the critters on a rancher's property better than the rancher or his hands themselves.

I guess I need to mount a "light" on the rifle if I'm going at night unless under a full moon with snow on the ground?

Darkness might be optimal, but plenty of coyotes come to the call during day light hours too. If you're new to calling and not familiar with night time tactics or the terrain you'll be calling, I'd highly suggest trying at first and last shooting light, or any time in between to give yourself a better chance of killing something.

Agree with TR, concentrate on honing your skills on daytime calling before trying nights. First hour of the day and just before dark are my favorite times.

I'd formulate a plan for locating calling stands on this new property before you ever step foot on the ground and turn on the caller. Google Earth, drive the perimeter, or better yet, walk it in the off season to locate good calling stands. Good stands produce year after year.

Beforehand, figure out what is the prevailing wind direction, how can you get into position quickly and unseen in relation to where the coyotes are likely to be.

A successful stand comes down to several things: There must be coyotes in the area. Coyotes have to hear your calls. Coyotes must feel comfortable enough to approach the sound which means you must get set up without being busted. When the coyote approaches, it must be in a position that you can kill it.

Picking a good calling stand takes experience and practice. No doubt you will make mistakes. We all do. At every stand, be confident that something is coming and most importantly, be ready to kill it.

Keep us posted on how it goes.

Thanks guys, how loud of volume do you start with? My caller can go up to "20", I know they have good ears so how much sound do I want to give them?

several factors to consider when thinking about level of volume. How far will you be moving between stands? How much wind is there? What is the terrain, because lots of trees will hinder how far sound travels. What's the coyote density? How far do you expect a coyote to travel to get to your calling? How long will you stay on stand? How much ground do you have to hunt? etc. etc.

In other words, an answer from us might not/probably won't be the same. volume from one stand to the next might not even be the same. You just gotta go with your gut until you figure out what works in your area.

I have had more coyotes respond to a loud volume calling than I have had to low volume calling. So, I crank up the volume, they won't come if they can't hear it and loud volume doesn't seem to bother them at all.

Volume and distance are somewhat over-rated in importance.
I called one in (loudly), once and son missed it.
We did another (loud) stand ~ 500 yds away, and son shot what I believe was the same coyote - it came from the direction of the miss.

OK Thanks guys. Think I'm set to go next weekend!

I set my caller 30+ yards up wind, and play it loud for 15 or so minutes and then move. I use rabbit sounds exclusively.
One thing critical is getting to the call locations in detected.
I have best luck from first light till about 10 am and last two hours of light. But I nave called some in at all times of daylight.

Thanks dale06.

When I first started using the FoxPro ecallers, it seemed like I was calling a coyote in every time I went out. I was using rabbit sounds most of the time. If I was targeting a bobcat, then I'd mix the sounds up, using bird calls as well. The past 2 years, the predator hunting here has flat sucked. I blame most of it on there being more hunters, and they're using more ecallers. Coyotes are smart, and they quickly get educated by the sounds from callers....especially so if the hunter doesn't know what he's doing. If someone goes out, and doesn't have an understanding of coyotes and their habits, then just starts playing rabbit in distress sounds, he's likely to educate at least 10 coyotes for the one he might kill. I am trying to call less, and use more sounds. including more coyote sounds. Last year, most of my success came during the coyote mating season, using howls. Watch the wind, set up in places where a coyote feels comfortable coming to a call, and don't overdo it.

Coyotes thrive for a reason and it isn't from being dumb. I have only ever shot 1 coyote in all the years I have deer hunted.

I never seen or heard so many until this year in the area that I am in.

Thanks for your advice.

Feb and March, Coyotes sounds seem to work better than food sounds. The real secret to calling Predators is to get to your calling spot without them knowing you are in their area. If they know you are there then just pack up and go somewhere else, because no amount of calling regardless of the sounds you use will bring them in.