Calling all Coyotes

I used to be a predator call snob. I bad-mouthed all the electronic callers and took to the fields with only a few of my favorite manual calls attached to a lanyard around my neck. I could get the attention of coyotes and fox by blowing through the reeds of a quality call then bring them in close with the sound I made by squeaking through my lips. I whacked a lot of varmints doing this.

It took some time but I fell under the spell of the electronic callers of today just because they are so efficient and sound so good. You can mix different calls and I love that. Add a decoy to the program and you can now kill a lot of animals compared to those good-old-days.

I recently acquired a FoxPro Shockwave and the ability to put the dog into the perfect shooting situation is what I find so advantageous. Here’s how.

When I was manually calling I was bringing the varmints to me. There were many times I had animals sneak up on me from behind and did not know they were there until I heard something and twisted around to check out the sound. 

Now I bring the animal to the call and the decoy. This will be positioned in a spot where I have the best chance at a perfect shot. With remote control allowing modification of the sounds, as well as the volume, call options seem endless.

If there is one negative aspect to an electronic call setup it might have you making fewer sets. You’ll feel compelled to vary calls and volume and use up time where there may not be any hungry or curious animals nearby. The electronic calls are efficient and will bring in nearby coyote and fox quickly, so decide how long you are going to make a set and stick to that.

May through June are great months to be predator hunting in the north where I live. The landscape is changing and the animals are on the move. The young males will be curious when they hear the sound of an intruder in their zone and all of the coyotes and fox will be feeding after the long winter and cold-wet spring.

Even with all the call options at your disposal the game plan should be minimal. The calling should be limited to high percentage sounds. Limit your howling to nighttime hunts. Use your squeak only when you have spotted a predator coming to the call. If you get a howl back put some time between the calls to pressure the animal into a closer inspection.

I still use manual calls. With them I can add to the electronic call by barking back at it or adding another crazy squeal or two. It all adds to the fascination factor and gets coyotes and fox to commit to the spot where you have made a set. 

I’ll be honest; I’ve gotten to the point where I might believe those electronic predator calls actually sound better than I do. Well, almost.