Filming and Calling Coyotes (with howls)

Well, I found some time to get out and do one stand on the morning of November, 23 in an area about a mile from my home-base. The Coyotes where I live have a fair amount of calling pressure on them, so they can be difficult to call in with distress calls. If you have the same problem, in your area, try a sound they may not be used to, or that they don't hear lot of.

On this morning, I thought to try some howling. I have not heard a lot of other callers doing any howling out here, so I thought I'd give it a try. It was clear and cold, just getting light enough to see at 7:30 AM. I had my last cup of coffee, truck was warmed up, gun and camera loaded and ready to go. I hadn't gone a half mile when a coyote ran across the road in front of me at about 300 yards. It was running for a corn field on the west side, by the time I stopped, I just got to watch the corn engulf him as he disappeared. So off we go to my stand location, which was not too far, and in the right direction for this coyote to travel. I parked about 300 yards from my stand and walked in. the wind was blowing in my face as I moved in as quietly as I could. My set up was in a small patch of sage brush at the top of a wash, about 75 yard wide and 30 feet deep, with a gentle slope to the bottom. There was sage in front of me on the other side of the wash, to my right. A small grove of cotton wood trees were growing in the bottom of the wash but it was open enough to see OK. On my left it was wide open grass for a half mile and then a butte rises nearly straight up for 600 feet. I got my camera set up and gun positioned. I glassed the area and then gave three howls... long lonely howls... Almost immeditly, I had three magpies fly in, sit and chatter at me for a few minutes, then fly off. I let about 6 to 8 minutes go by before I gave two more long howls. In about three minutes, I could hear magpies chattering and they were getting louder. I could now see at least twelve to fifteen magpies landing in the trees, flying up, circling and landing in the next tree, coming in my direction. At about the fifteen minute mark, I spotted movement in the brush. I swung my camera over in that direction and zoomed in. I got my gun positioned and I was ready. The coyote stepped out from behind the brush, looked up the wash, looked in my direction and sat down about fifty yards away. I leaned over and put the cross hairs in the middle of his chest and slowly pulled the trigger. The 29 gr. 17 REM did its job, the coyote just fell right over. When I skinned him out, all that the 29 gr. bullet did to the hide was put a 1/4 inch hole in the skin, no sowing on that one.

I don't do a lot of howling for coyotes, but when I do, I will not "howl" many times in a row, only a few long lonely howls, every six to eight minutes and will sit a stand for up to 30 minutes if I feel it is a good area. I like to use the long lonely howl and do a lot of glassing. I prefer to use distress cries, but in areas of high pressure, I'll often try something different, something out of the ordinary. You just never know what coyotes will responded to they will often surprise you if you give them the opportunity.
T.Martin