Coyote success rate

[Coyotefool69]

I've always been curious of other guys success rate on calling in coyotes from this time of the year to mid to late January. This seems to be the "coyote lull" for myself. It is the lowest success rate I have throughout the year. So what's everyones typical success rate? Kill a dog one and every 3, 4, 5, 6 stands? I'm probably close to 1 to every 8-10 stands this time of year. Ive also thrown the book at them with every call possible and can't seen to get anything dialed in until breeding season starts. I've also been making stands longer as the year goes on, but haven't seen any improvement in success rate. Any knowledge is appreciated.

 

[SupressYourself]

I don't get to go enough / live close enough to prime coyote habitat to know the difference, but my brother lives near Pierre and shoots between 50 and 75 every year. I've heard similar comments from him over the years about this time of year. I would think that this recent cold snap would get them moving though.

 

[Kickemup]

I’ve kept track over the last couple years. Some days it’s 1 out of 3 or 4 other days it’s 1 out of 8 to 10. Overall average for me seams to be about 1 out of 6 stands. Keep I’m mind that I pick and choose my days I go and I try and only go on days I think will be good. I went last Saturday and we got 1 dog out of 3 sets and got another off the road.

 

[USMCDI]

I'd say about one per 6-10 sets during the day, but at night I'm pretty close to one dog every 2 sets with lots of multiple dogs coming in. Mouth calls all the way as well.

 

[jr2280]

I seem to call a dog in one out of about 7 stands over the years. Now that could be a single/double/triple and so on. Sometimes you can do no wrong, others you can go on a hell of a drought. That's my experience anyway. Calling pressure makes a big difference as well.

 

[SDMF]

Keep in mind, this being Dec 26th, we're just now 10 days past ML season. There has been a wounded deer/gutpile smorgasbord for the last 5-6 weeks. Gutpiles are obvious, but there were also deer that were unrecovered, and deer wounded less seriously that may now succumb to the extra stress of the cold snap. Also, some of the older deer and run-down bucks will be weak now as well.

Of course that 5-6 weeks of deer hunting pressure sure does a good job of getting coyotes to keep out of sight and moving mostly in the dark as well.

Certainly not the only factors, but IMO, the deer season's extra vittles and extra pressure allows and almost forces coyotes into a routine that keeps them out of sight and extra wary.

 

[USMCDI]

Keep in mind, this being Dec 26th, we're just now 10 days past ML season. There has been a wounded deer/gutpile smorgasbord for the last 5-6 weeks. Gutpiles are obvious, but there were also deer that were unrecovered, and deer wounded less seriously that may now succumb to the extra stress of the cold snap. Also, some of the older deer and run-down bucks will be weak now as well.

Of course that 5-6 weeks of deer hunting pressure sure does a good job of getting coyotes to keep out of sight and moving mostly in the dark as well.

Certainly not the only factors, but IMO, the deer season's extra vittles and extra pressure allows and almost forces coyotes into a routine that keeps them out of sight and extra wary.

Agree very much, whenever someone around me shoots a deer I either get a call or a calf sled with a carcass and hide shows up outside of my shop. I usually put out 7-10 carcasses and have yet to see any activity on those piles. When I do, they are hungry and easier to call or thermal at night. I can't figure out why they hesitate to eat scraps and boned out carcasses but if I haul a dead calf out to a rockpile they hammer it for days and I usually get 5-10 dogs from one calf/critter before it's gone. They'll eat a gutpile in one night but will leave the carcasses alone until they're about to starve, maybe someone else has better luck with deer scraps and carcasses.

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Last week I walked out to a dead cow and shot two, drug them about 200 yards away and walked back to where I shot them from and another one was coming into the dead cow and I shot him too, no possible way to do that during daylight hours. Need a little wind at night as dead calm they are really leery and I swear they can hear you walking from 200 yards away but they can't see worth a shit at night.

 

[Davey Crockett]

You guys that get a lot of coyotes , I always wondered something--- do you get many old beat up ones with a lot of scars ? Every old farm dog we ever had died with a lot of battle scars, even watched a woodchuck take half the nose off one but most grew back. Just seems like an old coyote should be beat up but I've never heard coyotes fight or heard of them fighting and i've never saw one with scars .

 

[SDMF]

You guys that get a lot of coyotes , I always wondered something--- do you get many old beat up ones with a lot of scars ?

I don't get what I consider "lots" of coyotes, but, I do have one old beat up male that I got on a spring bear hunt in MT. It was mid-May but we were hunting 7-10K feet and the hides were still really nice. His ears were torn up and his muzzle full of scars, unfortunately none of the field pics I have of him do it justice.

 

[USMCDI]

You guys that get a lot of coyotes , I always wondered something--- do you get many old beat up ones with a lot of scars ? Every old farm dog we ever had died with a lot of battle scars, even watched a woodchuck take half the nose off one but most grew back. Just seems like an old coyote should be beat up but I've never heard coyotes fight or heard of them fighting and i've never saw one with scars .

Never noticed any scars but have shot a few that their teeth were worn pretty bad and have gotten a few three legged dogs.

 

[allsitka]

I haven't called a coyote in 2 years. There are many other tactics I use but calling isn't one of them. January can be tough but some good night vision can help with that. Like others said hunting season does affect them and getting them at night can really up your success percentage. Bait piles work really well. Especially dead cows. For me though a coyote dog has been the best tool in my repertoire. If you can do a little scouting and find some coyotes then getting them to come in by using a domestic dog usually works really well. Sometimes I just wait until they howl at night. Drive close as I can. Find them with the night vision and get set up. Then turn the dog loose and sit back and watch the show. I used to go for weeks and not kill and coyote after the electronic call craze. But I knocked on a bunch of doors and made even more phone calls. I found some great land and I haven't looked back. I'd say I kill a coyote every 3rd stand all year long, not just the prime months when everyone else is doing it. I almost gave up on coyote hunting, now it's my favorite hunting by far.

 

[Davey Crockett]

Interesting critter that outsmarted my calling and trapping skills when I was in my teens and early 20s and like someone else mentioned I gave up on targeting them. I like the dead cow idea , I've tried baiting with no luck. I have a perfect shooting lane from my house window against a side hill and they are thick up here. I wonder how many would come in or how many a guy could get off one bait area through the winter with a supply of dead cows ? I hate to even start calling them because I let a group that is good at calling hunt here and it seems to keep them leery. Are dead cows free ?

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Bait would be 180 yards and sheltered from wind. Hanging out the window with modern day rifles there is no excuse. The old timers said if you ever miss a coyote you won't see it again.

 

[huffranger]

I hunted between Nov. 30 to Dec 22nd and killed 28. Can't remember how many stands, I would say allot ??

If you get away from the roads and use sounds every Jamoke hasn't played from their pickup you will kill coyotes.