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This sport of calling coyotes is not as simple as many make it out to be. If you are lucky you have a friend or relative that is willing to share some information, or maybe even take you out and show you the cold nosed experience. For the rest of us it is a long period of trial and error. First, you practice getting the sounds down. Then you can count on many hours in the truck and in the field scouting and calling. Without guidance, as it was in my case, you end up discouraged and perhaps even quit. You manage to get the basics in place and you have had magpies, crows, hawks, and eagles respond to your calls. Now it is time to start making more mistakes that until now you had not had the opportunity to make. You are going through the motions one day and all of a sudden a coyote steps out from behind the bush next to you. Now what? Shoot him right? I hope you remembered to load your gun, turn your scope down to a reasonable power, and have your rifle or camera pointing in the right general direction. That is if you get over the initial shock in time to do anything at all. Sooner or later you will stand up to see a coyote running away. It is going to happen, and there is nothing you can do about it. These things will happen and it is aggravating as hell. The time you spend at a particular stand is a topic with a wide range of opinions. Because what a hunter knows, is what he or she has experienced. And will vary from area to area. Again make mistakes and learn from them. Now you have a coyote standing out at 200 yards. Do you take him? You have printed tight groups at that range and know that your equipment is capable of making a clean kill. Will that coyote come closer? Or has he seen something that is making him hesitant to come closer? The decision of when to shoot, at longer range, is one that I’m still struggling with. I have taken shots at 100+ yards and wished I would have given the dog a chance to come in closer. (He got away.) I have tried to coax them in closer and wished I had taken the shot. (Again he got away.) I have also had conflicting experiences. I need more experience observing the body language the coyote displays when hanging up. I anxiously await my next opportunity to screw up. ~ B. J. W Update 4-3-04. Do you struggle deciding when to shoot or not to? I recently got a copy of Jay Nistetter's DVD Coyote Behavior. I wish I had access to this years ago. There are things that are difficult to describe especially when one party has never experienced the body language being discussed. This left a gap in the learning curve that until now was filled for the most part strictly from experience. Experience is a difficult gap to bridge, and Jay did an excellent job narrowing that gap with his video Coyote Behavior. You can get your copy by visiting Jay's website. Coyote Behavior Jay has also teamed up with Al Lux and written a book "Predator Calls the First 50 Years" that is very informative about the tools of the trade and the history of the sport. He offers some collectable calls for sale, as well as articles for your viewing.
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