# I'm terrible and give up.



## otteb

Okay, I tried this winter to bag me a yote and have failed miserably. I have a foxpro5 and mojo critter decoy. Either my sounds are wrong or I just smell too bad. I haven't even been able to see one. They have answered some of calls and I know they are out there but "discouraged" doesn't even describe it. I set up mostly in high CRP grass and can't get them out in the open. I ready to burn the grass and at least chase them with my 4 wheeler. Sometimes in the summer I'll be running the tractor and they'll come run along side me for a couple rounds. Now I can't even see one. UGH. I quit.


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## ReidRH

My Question is, Do you have someone to mentor you or are you hunting alone and trying to learn? If Possible try to team up with someone who is already proficient at calling and learn what you can from them. If not there is Ton of information here on the internet.


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## otteb

I'm hunting mostly alone. I like it that way mostly. I understand the basics of wind, setup, etc.... I go mostly in the evenings since that's the only time I can get away but everyone says the winter is the best time and winter has been LONG this year in Kansas. I have talked to some local people and they have given tips and even places that are a "guarantee" for them when they go out. I just want to SEE one come to the call or the decoy. My spirits are low and my feet are cold from sitting in the snow.


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## wilded

Try something different, get out of the grass and hit some brush, creeks or draws. Don't keep doing the same thing. Don't worry so much about the wind, sun, direction etc. Just go hunting and it will come. Go in the mornings or the middle of the day. If it is legal go at night. If something is not working don't keep repeating it, change up until you find something that works. If you are on public land use different sounds as public land predators have been pressured and can usually tell you what brand of rabbit call you are using.


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## dogstuffer

just wondering if u have tried calling from the tractor or hideing close to it . maybe bushhog a little stop wait 20 then call from that area.sounds like they link the tractor to dinner.at this point anything mite work


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## Tommy

otteb, I hunt quite a bit in Central Kansas, what town are you close to. Mostly I hunt around Concordia when I go that way. You are more than welcome to come out with us any time you want. I will send you a message with my phone number, I am actually planning a trip back that way in a couple weeks...probably the first weekend in March to try it and am gonna need a shooter. I run the camera when I go most of the time. Let me know.

Tommy


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## MGTEXAS

otteb, sounds like Tommy is going to set you up! I bet the dogs that you are calling have been called a lot already or at least a young one would have come for dinner by now. i try to stay out of the CRP grass. it is just too tall. set up on fencelines where you can see or on a slight rise. my stands are generally set up to see a hundred or more yards of pretty clear area into the wind or cross wind. it has worked that way for me for 30 years. dont give up. MG


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## [email protected]

Don't give up!!!! Noone likes a quiter. You have tried "your way", with no success, now try a diff way. There has been advise given to you by guys in your country, and even an offer to hunt. I have killed yotes (and all other critters) all over the country. Hunt the ground you have available. CRP IS JUNK!!! Hunt the edges, and creek bottoms, you can't kill anything you can't see!
You are callin yotes, you just can't see them. Keep your head up, and change your tactics.


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## El Gato Loco

Bad attitude, man! You need to stay positive! I spent 50 hours in the field before dropping my first deer. She was a yearling and produced only 29 pounds of meat. Worth the time? Some might argue...

I enjoyed every minute of it. It sure as heck beat work!


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## knapper

You don't know what I had to do this winter and still have yet to see one to shoot, saw two fox, one ran in front of the truck on the way to where we hunt and that is a 3 hr. drive one way. The last time we think we heard a Lynx and that is the best so far this season. The animals move around and the thing that keeps going is we know that sometime we will win a chance to take a shot. There are two of us and we do a lot of after action or lack of action talk. It is just like fishing you know they are there, some where. Just think of a dog named FIADO. ANY body know him?


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## wilded

Maybe you need to take a trip somewhere to where there are coyotes running out their ears and go hunting a while. Success will eventually come. If not now later in the year when the pups are running around.


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## coyotejon

Wilded-I was going to suggest the same thing. Go hunt somewhere else. It gives you a renewed sense of hope to have some brand new land in front of you. Give your normal spots a rest for a while, drive 30 miles away, knock on some doors and hunt some brand new land. I know to me there is nothing more exciting than knowing I have a brand new area to hunt.


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## otteb

alright. I guess I'll keep at it. Try some different areas. Tommy and I might be able to hookup for some mentoring time.


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## JAKEAZ

Its tough to ever go it alone. like someone already posted i would try and get with someone who has hunted befor and can show you a thing or two. I for one didnt know a thing about any kind of hunting let alon yote, I joined up with a local predator club here in AZ and they are a wealth of knowlege. And clubs provide not only helpfull ideas but also can set you up with partners to go on hunts with. Stick with it and im sure one will show.


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## Teamroper

I was on a month and a half dry spell this past winter. I mean I didn't see a single dog. I must have went to 7 different farms. I know that they were there because I could hear them at night. Anyway, I just recently started seeing them again and it was worth the wait. I pulled off my first double with a friend (he got one and I got the other) with the wind blowing 30 mph and it snowing sideways but it was worth every minute. I have seen 8 in the last three hunts but haven't got a shot in. To me it doesn't matter. It is just that I am seeing them and learning every time that makes it all worthwhile. 
Years down the road it won't be the number of coyotes that you have taken, it will be the hunt itself that will stick in your mind. By the way, I used to live in Prescott, Az. Killed my first coyote there. It is a lot harder hunting them back here in Tn. Keep your chin up and get to calling.


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## headhunter25

I keep hunting because if I didn't I would have to sit at home with the wife. No matter how bad it gets..... I think I would rather go hunting. Really just try and change some stuff up and come up with a pattern that will work. That's the fun of it. It's a challenge for sure.

Chris C.


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## Teamroper

I was on a month and a half dry spell this past winter. I mean I didn't see a single dog. I must have went to 7 different farms. I know that they were there because I could here them at night. Anyway, I just recently started seeing them again and it was worth the wait. I pulled off my first double with a friend with the wind blowing 30 mph and it snowing sideways but it was worth every minute. I have seen 8 in the last three hunts but haven't got a shot in. To me it doesn't matter. It is just that I am seeing them and learning every time that makes it all worthwhile. 
Years down the road it won't be the number of coyotes that you have taken, it will be the hunt itself that will stick in your mind. By the way, I used to live in Prescott, Az. Killed my first coyote there. Keep your chin up and get to calling.


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## SaskCan

It has been an unusually slow year here for calling, nobody seems to know why. Last year I called in lots and got around 25, my brother does alot more calling than me and got close to 60 last year. This year nothing will come in to distress calls. I have gotten 6 and my brother about 15. The guys that are getting more said they are only having luck by howling and barking. Mix it up a bit with calls and see if you find one that works for your area. I actually was talking to a local yesterday and he said the call that has been working best for him lately immitates a bunch of magpies on a kill.


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## Girdham

I'm glad to hear that you decided not to give up. I have been hunting coyotes for three years now with a buddy and neither of us have shot one yet. I haven't seen one yet to shoot either. I have a few places to hunt but I don't know if there are any coyotes at a couple places. The main place we hunt, we can get a response to howling. The other places, we haven't had a response at all. Even though we haven't had a response at those places, my buddy had seen a coyote one morning while goose hunting a field. This field is less than an eighth of a mile from where we have permission. Anyway, my point is that even though I am somewhat disappointed that I haven't seen anything in the 3 years; I am still excited to get out there and try. Knowing that there is a possibility that I could call one in. If and when I do, I plan on being ready for it/ them.


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## otteb

3 years? That's hard on morale. I'm not even at 3 months and I'm ready to hang it up...man, you must be suicidal. That's impressive ..... I guess.


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## coyotekidd

otteb, why don't you sit on top of the tractor and use it as your stand? If their familiar w/it the smell should cover your scent. I think you said you had a foxpro so try one of the calls thats not familiar too the area and maybe you'll stir up some curiosity. If that doesn't work try something else and again and again etc... Good luck.


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## otteb

I plan on having my rifle with me this spring when the field work starts again. Hopefully asap. The winter has been long, cold and wet here in Kansas and there's not much agriculture activity in the fields till it dries up some. I just find it ironic that they will come out into the open and run with a large, moving, loud diesel tractor and won't come to my quiet setup with a high priced electronic call. Maybe there is some hunting for them behind the tillage as it tears up mouse nests etc...
Maybe I should record our JD diesel tractor and run it thru my foxpro. Hmmmmm....
If i can talk my buddy into it this evening....gonna go sit in the cold and try again...


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## bjp

never been on a predator hunt but the guy that lets me deer hunt his place and i have been finding sign and planning to try and eradicate the problem. depending on how many there are it could make for a rough go but the time in the feild is worth it to me.


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## Groovy Mike

anything worth doing is worth sticking with! have you tried a decoy?


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## cgray01

I do not know what the laws are in your state, but I tell you how I actually built confidence was calling at night. Provided you are legal to do so. I found it was truly the difference between night and day. I started out doing what you are doing and getting nowhere fast. Then I went with a friend at night. That was 17 years ago and I very seldom hunt in the daytime unless strictly Coy hunting. Even so, at night you will see eyes come in, get wind or hear something they don't like and with the eyes turn and go. You will at least see what you are doing wrong or you will get a big cat or fox. This time of year you can pinch the reed of a Primos cat nip and make a weird squealing sound. You should be able to turn a amber or red light up and get ready...


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## mikeydon

Bud don't give up,I've been calling for 40 year's and still hit and miss,shoot i'm still practicing,i'd rather be out practicing than sitting at home watching one life to live or as the world turns,lol.KEEP PRACTICING


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## kallinfool

Try using a different sound not normally heard in ur area. Pretty sure others have used the hell out of the rabbit there. I call here in sage brush country N.M. and have plenty of other callers around! The rabbit and jack distress is over used so I'll use a sound like woodpecker or the squealing pig in flat country! Works!! Change up the sound.


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## buckeyeboy

Otteb I feel for you I am in the same boat as you.I am in northwestern Ohio and yet to call or see anything. I have also tried raccoon calling and nothing shows. But don't give up.


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## rlm

I just found this site today and I must say it is very refreshing to find other hunters honest enough to admit they don't kill a boatload of coyotes every time they make a stand. I have been working at this game for at least three years, hunting alone, and have yet to get one. I started hunting coyotes because it was about the only game in town after deer season closed and I wasn't ready to quit hunting. I have done a bunch of reading on the subject, mostly on sites like this one, but I haven't been sucessful at applying what I've learned. Still, the reason I hunt is I'd rather be in the field than the living room and it gives me chance to actually use those firearms I've bought over the years (looking at them doesn't give me much satisfaction).

I'm looking forward to picking up more ideas from you guys and plan to keep on keeping on whether I shoot anything or not. It's being there that I enjoy.


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## otteb

Well after some encouragement from members on this board I took my hunting partner (16 yr old daughter) and headed out late this afternoon for another attempt. We got to our spot and noticed 4 wheeler tracks coming out of our setup. Dang. So we went to an old big cottonwood and used the foxpro....and pulled a racoon out of it...it scrambled up about 45 feet before the barrage of fire brought it freefalling down. Success!!! Sweet. Now we made tracks to another big cottonwood several miles away since there was no time to get a good coyote setup before dark. Foxpro pulled a raccoon we would just stick his head out the hole but wouldn't commit...I tried to pull that raccoon out for 8 or 9 minutes easy. Tried everything racoon related. Just curious but i think it could see my daughter's position. Then just before darkness we see the silouhettes of 3 raccoons climbing up another limb. WE PULLED A DOUBLE on those raccoons. My daughter nailed on with her .22 as it ran for cover. Shotgun took another one. It was awesome.!!
Then on the way home after dark we stopped at several spots and used calls to locate coyotes. One spot we used the female invitation to pull them closer. Another spot just exploded with vocalizations about 200 yards ahead of us. We now have scouted and know where to setup if we go in the morning. Scouting at night.. ..just like they have said... Thanks to all for the encouragement. I'm at least killing things and talking the yotes. Made some memories with my daughter too. That's the best.


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## El Gato Loco

otteb said:


> Made some memories with my daughter too. That's the best.


On that note, I would call it 100% success!









To put things in perspective, I consider it a good day if I just SEE wildlife. I really love calling in a hawk, or an eagle. I am beginning to think I like the birds of prey more than predators!







I really like taking my wife out with me and flushing 10 or so cardinals out of some CRP all at one time. That makes it well worth the effort. Or like the raccoons you talk about. If you're seeing elusive wildlife, you're probably doing something right, and should be enjoying yourself!

Keep after it, and focus on why you are there - MEMORIES. You don't need to hang a trophy on the wall to remember an experience, and that's really what it's all about.


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## daveinwoodland

I agree with everything others have mentioned about not giving up. I always look at it this way. "The worst day hunting or fishing, is better then the best day working hands down"


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## PurePredator

Otteb....
after reading all of these... I m just going to through a tip out there.... Your obviously hunting real tight cover... Thats tough, flat out.... When your doing your calling.... Soft is best... alot of guys can blow a coyote out of a response and not even know it.... I know alot of the time on videos, you see guys just turn on the E-Caller and wham things just come running... Granted I like ecallers in some instances... But you may have some real "educated coyotes" You obviously know what a injured animal sounds like from the caller... Try a hand call.. there are alot of real good ones out there... Work that call super soft... and spuratic... alittle here... watch listen... you may even blow the sound right down into your jacket... them coyotes may be just right over the hill, around the corner...etc... Just give them 10-30 second teasers... and switch it up... by all means... the dying rabbit is one of the most overplayed sounds... It has worked for me on those tough ones...Just my $.02...

MIke 
Pure Predator Calls
www.purepredator.com


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## NevadaGuy

*I agree ~ do not quit. If everybody thought like that we would all still be riding three wheel bikes. * The analogy is a good one and once you ride the two where you will be plumb dangerous.


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## t-man

It took me almost a whole year before i bagged my fist coyote. I hunt in northwest missouri and I can tell you it's not an easy place to hunt. I had nobody to go with me to show me the ropes so I had to do it all my own. It can be very frustrating. i started to get call coyotes in when i did three things. 1. threw away my cheap *[Excuse my language.... I have a limited vocabulary]* remote call and bought some mouth calls. practiced a bit with them before taking them out. 2. went into the woods after those little bastards. 3. made my stands longer. 30 minutes or more. I'm still not the great coyote slayer i want to be, but I am getting better. shot a big male yesterday and I'm pretty proud of myself. that makes three I have hanging in the tree waiting to be skinned this afternoon.


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## nmpat

Don't give up! I've Calling for three months Just called in my first coyote this morning. What a rush!


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## Foxpro

You might be calling too loud. Try calling quietly at first to get any yotes that are close to come in. If you get nothing, then turn it up a bit. But do not call too loud!


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## On a call

You got it now.....now keep it up. Hunt when you can and when you can go hunting. You did great. There are more than just yotes to call in and so...try em all. Be carefull of the bear call though ha ha. raccoons are fun huh.


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## mjllag

Girdham
Maybe the coyotes have patterned you. You said you only have a couple of places to hunt. Try a different approach to those places, call from different areas, or hunt at different times of the day. Good luck.


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## NMOutfitter

I will take you coyote hunting in NM! My contact info is on my wesite.www.redtopoutfitters.com


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## ASM

keep at it bro


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## dpeymus

otteb said:


> Okay, I tried this winter to bag me a yote and have failed miserably. I have a foxpro5 and mojo critter decoy. Either my sounds are wrong or I just smell too bad. I haven't even been able to see one. They have answered some of calls and I know they are out there but "discouraged" doesn't even describe it. I set up mostly in high CRP grass and can't get them out in the open. I ready to burn the grass and at least chase them with my 4 wheeler. Sometimes in the summer I'll be running the tractor and they'll come run along side me for a couple rounds. Now I can't even see one. UGH. I quit.


Hey Otteb,

I feel your pain - the coyote hunting in WI, at least around where I live, absolutely sucks. There's nothing you can do but be persistent, and don't give up. It's especially annoying for me, because I used to live in California, where you can call in 6 dogs any time you go out. I don't know about Kansas, but in Wisconsin you just learn to think of them as trophy animals instead of varmints, and you just keep at it until you bring some in. I had a stretch that went 4 months one year with nothing, and then called a double in - I was so startled I didn't even manage to get a shot off at them, I just sat there wide-eyed and watches as they ran up to my decoy, sniffed around, and then bailed back into the woods!

Seriously, keep at it - predator hunting in the midwest can be extremely tough at times, so you just have to try and keep hitting it. Try mixing your schedule up, if you've hit the same spot at 6:30 PM for the last three months, try moving to mornings instead. Also, use unusual calls - I've been hunting coyotes for years in Wisconsin and have only had one come in to rabbit distress. The rest came in to bird calls, prairie dog distress, and goat and fawn distress calls.

Also, try different volumes on the caller, and try to call for varying durations - if brief calls followed by silence aren't working for you, try just leaving the thing running the whole time at a few sets. Mix up everything as much as you can - schedules, calls, positioning. You'll get something sooner or later if you keep at it.

Cheers!


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## youngdon

Good advice dpeymus, I wonder what otteb has been up to in the last year, if he gave up or finally got one.


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## bar-d

One of the guys I had in mind when I made this post: http://www.predatortalk.com/predator-hunting/2091-finally-broke-drought.html#post23108 I hope he checks back in to see that even old timers have dry spells.


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## fish7x24

Keep at it Otteb. I'm in SE Kansas but have been up around McPherson - Salina when visiting inlaws. In early fall, they were running in on me. Since Christmas is over and the January doe season, I haven't had any success. Seems to be a tough time...oh wait, hunting coyotes is always tough...this is why we like it...the wiley coyote!


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