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Author
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Topic: This years numbers and why??
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stevecriner
UNKNOWN-before he was famous?
Member # 892
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posted January 13, 2011 06:11 AM
Ok this aint a " Ikilled 5000 coyotes " thread but it is a numbers thread. In the light of discussion RShaw, Geordie and I have been talking alot lately about how it seems every coyote that has been called in this year has something to do with a vocal of some sort...
This year has been the worst year Ive seen in a while as far as the head scratching factor. Alot of sign and fresh but no coyotes..Along with that Rshaw is having coyotes in MO answer in the middle of the day. That itself is almost unheard of. Now luckily we will adapt to them and do what ever we need to to kill but it gets to be a pain.
Now my question to you all..
Are you noticing some sort of change across the board completely as far as responses?
Do you think they have changed due to presure?( I do)
Where are you noticing this?
Ive hunted from Colorado to southern MO this year so far and every coyote has acted the same it seems. Ive hunted in the mountains in Colorado on private ranches and hunted OK,KS, and MO and have called very few with a simple rabbit or other distress. It seems it always takes some sort of subtle vocalization or distress even on the un hunted ones..
Im interested in you alls answers really because I want to know or develope an opinion on this based on the whole pot of callers not just me with a bad case of Minnesota coyotes following me around. I guess I could assemble a "crew"!!
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"I love coyotes and put up with dogs....My neighbor has a slew of them."
Posts: 321 | From: missouri | Registered: Jul 2006
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ursus21
2nd place, John Denver lookalike Contest
Member # 3556
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posted January 13, 2011 06:19 AM
Steve, my experience this year has been very similar to yours. I've all but completely given up on rabbit or bird distress sounds. The majority of my hard-core coyote hunting friends in a number of states and provinces are experiencing the same thing. I don't know anyone personally that is having a banner year, so to speak.
Posts: 780 | From: Montana | Registered: Jan 2010
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the bearhunter
HM PROSTAFF & MIDWEST REGIONAL GURU VOTED MOST HANDSOME MINNESOTAN
Member # 3552
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posted January 13, 2011 06:48 AM
i have'nt noticed anything different. been having good luck with a couple of off the wall disress sounds and jackrabbit. i open up most stands with 2 lone howls unless i know i'm real close to coyotes. this has been by far my best year with 125 so far. best year was 39 3 years ago. i try to find areas that hav'nt had any calling pressure but thats getting harder to do.
Posts: 1049 | From: minnifornia | Registered: Jan 2010
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DAA
Utah/Promoted WESTERN REGIONAL Hunt Director
Member # 11
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posted January 13, 2011 07:23 AM
Been a good year in my area of operations. Or at least it was, up until the snow got too deep to move around in. Most of them have been coming in to the same old jack rabbit distress as always. I have been using a lot more coyote sounds this year, just for the sake of trying them, mostly. But they haven't been producing for me nearly as well as plain old jack rabbit has.
Really, nothing unusal at all this year. Numbers appear to be up compared to the last few years, but other than that, everything else is the same as it has always been.
- DAA
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"Oh yeah, they're gonna talk to you, and talk to you, and talk to you about individual freedom, but they see a free individual, it's gonna scare 'em." -- George Hanson, Easy Rider, 1969.
Rocky Mountain Varmint Hunter
Posts: 2676 | From: Salt Lake City, UT | Registered: Jan 2003
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Lone Howl
Free Trial Platinum Member & part-time language police
Member # 29
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posted January 13, 2011 08:09 AM
Here,( Cali)seemed like numbers were down a bit but rabbit distress still works, and a lot of pup distress worked really well this year. But what Ive been doing is changing up calls in the middle of a stand and/or creating scenerios on each stand by mixing it up with a small howler in with my distress calls.( I know some guys dont belive in that though, I do)
Something that is killin em right now is grey fox fight on the e-caller.
EDIT: Yes I think pressure is changing the game in a lot of places.
Basicly just playing and really mixing it up.
Mark
[ January 13, 2011, 09:25 AM: Message edited by: Lone Howl ]
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When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty.
Posts: 2083 | From: Texas | Registered: Jan 2003
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TOM64
Knows what it's all about
Member # 561
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posted January 13, 2011 08:19 AM
I started this year using howls and have been surprised at the response I've gotten. I have only gotten to prey distress a couple of times, most of the time the howls were all it took.
I have called a few cat stands without vocals and had coyotes show up on one and a cat on another.
But remember I don't get out that often.
Posts: 2283 | From: okieland | Registered: Feb 2005
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Patterson
19.6 miles down the Yellow Brick Road from THE EMERALD CITY
Member # 3304
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posted January 13, 2011 08:24 AM
Ive personally been having my best year. Trying a lot of new areas this year and hitting a lot of repeat producers from last year. A few of them I have mixed in coyote vocals but predominently using prey distress. I have had multiple landowners this year on some of my contest stuff say that they have let others call their land. This is the third year Ive hunted some of that land and no issues before with other callers that I knew about. Definately more people calling this year.
Have you considered the weather?? We have not had crap for winter weather up until this last storm last weekend. Last year we had decent snow most the year. Snow cover on the ground most of the winter. Had a streak here were it seemed we went 30 or so days without going above freezing. I would say last years winter was a little worse than average. This years winter has been super mild though. This is the first real snow that has been on the ground for us. Im hopin from here on out they stay hungry and active.
I will say that I hunted CO, NE, KS, and MO this year and MO is the only place that didnt produce. But that was on my parents place in the woods. Kinda hit and miss there anyway.
Posts: 236 | From: Kansas | Registered: Nov 2008
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Kelly Jackson
SECOND PLACE/GARTH BROOKS LOOK-A-LIKE CONTEST
Member # 977
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posted January 13, 2011 09:19 AM
Now my question to you all..
Are you noticing some sort of change across the board completely as far as responses?
Yes to a point. Completely no.
In some areas I have hunted for many years, I have had to go to off the wall prey sounds to get a positive response. Other areas that I have hunted the same amount, the vocals are still working.
On new areas I gathered this season - no change. Seems fresh ears are fresh ears.
Do you think they have changed due to pressure?( I do)
Yes
Where are you noticing this?
In Oklahoma, been too busy for many road trips so far.
My kill numbers are a just a little less than last year, as we had the coldest I can remember for the last 20 years. I think that helped along with some new coyote vocals that worked well in this area.
Posts: 997 | From: Comanche OK | Registered: Oct 2006
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TA17Rem
Hello, I'm the legendary Tim Anderson, Southern Minneesota Know it all
Member # 794
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posted January 13, 2011 10:51 AM
This year out west I still had as good of a season as last year, maybe just a little better.
I did make one change to my calling this year and that was openning a stand with coyote vocals first.. I used to do that but stopped due to not getting many of the YOY to come in... But after reading one of Scott's post on useing howls I thought I would give it another try this year..
Starting with howls did produce really well but I did'nt see any increase in numbers as far as yoy coyotes. Out of 22 coyotes called in only two where YOY and the rest adults..
Reasons could be a bad pup crop this year, or others may have been in same area and killed most of the YOY, or the howls was keeping them from comeing in.. I'll most likely go back to distress sounds at the start of a stand and use vocals later on..
As for coyotes in Mn. I'm haveing better luck starting with howls or other coyote vocals and finishing a stand with distress sounds...
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What if I told you, the left wing and right wing both belong to same bird!
Posts: 5621 | From: S.D. | Registered: Jan 2006
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted January 13, 2011 11:42 AM
I'm wondering what some of these statements are based on? For instance, a dry stand. Played your entire library, or just prey or just coyote vocals? I mean, this is a difficult question to frame, as well as respond.
How long, during the best part of the morning do you stay with one routine? Do you only change your pattern because of desperation, do you sit longer when scrolling through what's available on your machine, or do you begin supplementing with inter-spiced hand calls and howlers. When do you start using every weapon available? Is it after ten o'clock? What conditions did you have? Ideal conditions, or problems, wind rain, etc? Do you ever consider moon phase for the lack of response, do you get vocal responses but never see them? There is a lot of factors to consider before you can come up with an answer that satisfies all the questions. How do you factor in pairs or singles, or something I experienced last year about this time, all females?
I will tell you one thing. Some times it is just a part of a day and other times it is several days in a row, but it seems like a cosmic switch has been thrown, and all those dry stands are now resulting in coyotes in your lap, while doing the same thing in the same general area.
Conclusion: it is very difficult to learn anything from unproductive stands. But, hold on a minute. It is also hard to draw conclusions from productive stands. You "think" it was your great new sound, but maybe 101C would have pulled them in on a string, just as well, maybe better. This is a difficult thing to diagnose. We will always have doubts and uncertainties. And, I haven't even mentioned your approach, how you set up, how long you wait before beginning your stand, how far you walk in, while kicking up rocks and stinking up the area.
As Murray once said: "Sometimes this shit don't work". Deal with it.
Good hunting. LB
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 32368 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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