Coyote calls to open with???

[Jim_Ole_Timer]

I have been thinking about my past hunting, and all the posts I've written about calling. I think I've come to a decision that I've been doing it all wrong! No doubt of that, as I'm still waiting for my first one.   
 
So what I've concluded is it may be best to start with a coyote howl of some kind, but I don't know which one?
 
A greeting call? A challange bark? Or what?
 
I do have some hand calls but doing the actual coyote imitation calls is something I have not mastered yet. So will be using an electronic caller of my own making. (an MP# player and a boom box)
 
So what works best for you? I will be calling in dense but small woodlots bordered on all sides by open farm land (with no crops in it)

[cjclemens]

Im no expert, but I've done OK with calling so far.  I have heard two schools of thought on starting a call sequence.  First is to open with a greeting call - Kind of like saying "hey, im here!"  Then moving into distress calls as if maybe a coyote just caught something.  Any other locals might want to see whats up.
 
My personal favorite is to start somewhat on the quiet side.  I perfer to go with a rodent squeaker.  The thought behind that is that there might be some coyotes close by that wont be startled by a loud howl right off the bat.
 
The overall key to calling is making sure coyotes are in the neighborhood.  Coyotes tend to wander around a lot, so it takes a little scouting to find them.  Easiest way to do it is to listen for howls and chatter the night before a hunt, and make a stand based on where you hear them.  You can also use a siren or a loud greeting howl to initiate some chatter.
 
If you havent had any luck it could also be that there arent any 'yotes around.  If you call for 15 to 20 minutes and no one comes, pack up and move.  call for another 20 minutes.  The longse i've ever stayed at an unproductive stand is 30 minutes.  most importantly, dont give up!  It takes practice.  When you start shootin em, it'll be well worth it.  Good luck and happy hunting!

[Ladobe]

Mastering your calls is your first step, as in mastering them so using all of them becomes second nature.    Hunts commonly fail due to poor calling techniques.
 
It takes years of experience to know exactly which calls/sequence to use and when for each situation you might come across, time of year, habitat, etc, etc, etc.  Would take volumes to cover them all.   You might try buying a few calling videos done by folks who have that long experience.   A lot can be learned from some of them in short order.  And some of them are entertaining enough to be worth watching when "life" prevents you from getting out there and gaining your own experience.   
 
FWIW, I was a successful ADC predator hunter for over 50 years, and made my own calls.   Yet I was still learning new tricks now and then when the health issues stopped my hunting a few years ago.   Just when you think you know it all, Ole Wiley can still humble you.   
 
 

[Jim_Ole_Timer]

Mastering your calls is your first step, as in mastering them so using all of them becomes second nature.    Hunts commonly fail due to poor calling techniques.
 
It takes years of experience to know exactly which calls/sequence to use and when for each situation you might come across, time of year, habitat, etc, etc, etc.  Would take volumes to cover them all.   You might try buying a few calling videos done by folks who have that long experience.   A lot can be learned from some of them in short order.  And some of them are entertaining enough to be worth watching when "life" prevents you from getting out there and gaining your own experience.   
 
FWIW, I was a successful ADC predator hunter for over 50 years, and made my own calls.   Yet I was still learning new tricks now and then when the health issues stopped my hunting a few years ago.   Just when you think you know it all, Ole Wiley can still humble you.   

Thanks for your tips, much appreciated. I've only got a few years left of hunting myself, but I'll go out fisghting.   

[Bugflipper]

I think using a coyote call has a lot to do with how many are in the area. With my experience if I hunt a place that is known for it's rabbit population, such as the swamps, I can get away with a challenge call. The 10 or 12 places I can get away with this have scent posts, and heavy trafficked coyote trails. I am under the impression that it is a pack mentality. There are more of us than you and we are going to whoop your butt. If I am somewhere where there are a lot of blackberries and sage grass, there usually are a few rabbits around, so a few coyotes most of the time. I use a greeting to start it off. If in the woods where few rabbits would be I don't use a coyote call at all.


As for distress the best producer for me is a woodpecker.

[Glanceblamm]

Mastering your calls is your first step, as in mastering them so using all of them becomes second nature.    Hunts commonly fail due to poor calling techniques.

Ditto, and thanks Ladobe, I sure have learned a lot from you in my years here.
 
My howling experience started with the Bill Austin howler calls. They are of very cheap manufacturing design but have a good Reed and Bill's inclosed cassette is what was really the icing on the cake. Bills Howlers and his language break down were IMO still a pretty good secret as late as 1986 and my sucess rate went up right away but I had done much practicing along with listening to that tape over and over. While Bill is now gone, His calls and package may still be avalible although I have not checked for a while on the allpredatorcalls.com
 
Part of my "practice" after getting my sounds close to what I was hearing on the tape was to drive some selected rural routes at night with the call only. I would stop here and there and give Bills greeting's a try. Long to short, the response that I was getting was enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up!
 
I am not saying that you have to get the Bill Austin calls. I also own a Primo's outfit that you can pick up from the likes of a Walmart. I listened to the CD that came with this call and found that it was in the ballpark to what I was doing. This is the Randy Anderson Primo's hot dog package but I have never taken that particular howler out as I prefer the portability of My Bill Austin calls.
 
My terrain here sounds a lot like yours with the dense lots surrounded by open field. Some of these lots have cattail swamps in them and if I get there real early of a Morning, I will start with a cottontail squaller with the intent being to get a Red or Gray Fox to come in quickly...Those Coyotes will always be out there.

[Jim_Ole_Timer]

I can't thank you guys enough for your ie. I'm still working on getting the first one, but I'm not giving up either. I'll keep my eyes open for one of those calling tapes. I already have a couple varmint videos, guess it wouldn't hurt to listen to them again. Thanks