what did I do wrong?

[4Falls]

So I'm javelina hunting last night. And I glass up a coyote a couple hundred yards out trying to dig a rabbit out of a pile of brush. This is the 3rd time I've been in this canyon and seen this particular coyote. After watching him for a bit I decide I might as well try and see if I can call him into bow range. Wind is perfect and I'm well hidden. As soon as I hit the call he 180's and runs faster than any coyote I've ever seen. He didn't even glance in my direction he just blasted away. Is this just a super educated dog? Or am I that uneducated?

[willhunt4coues]

There could have been a lot that went wrong. He may have seen you walking in before you even saw him. Or like you said very educated. Coyote vocals is the best calls to use at this time of the year.

[AverageJoe]

What kind o call did you use?

[4Falls]

Its possible he could have seen me walking in thats true. He seemed pretty involved with his rabbit chasing and I had been there about an hour when I glassed him up.

 

I was using a distressed cottontail call by primos.

[lancetkenyon]

Smart yote that has been called with that sound and shot at. Or if you were only a couple hundred yards out, and called too loud, you might have scared him away.

 

was thinking, "That is a big butt rabbit over there, and whatever got him must be a monster!"

[4Falls]

You know that was my first thought. I probably should have started out very softly. Next time.

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

Try biting the call and changing the sound some. I think the stock calls sound really bad.

[AverageJoe]

If it was the normal closed reed cottontail call those have been used to death in all parts of the state and dont work as well. Get your self and open reed call or a coyote howl and try that next time. And definitely dont blow too hard on your first call.

[mmtx10]

My guess is you blew a little bit too loud and scared him. I watched a cat trot across the road in front of me when leaving the trap line. I pulled over, grabbed my 17 and a Primos cat nip that stays in the truck and started off in the direction I saw him. I crest over a little hill and see him walking in a wash. I hop in the was behind him, take aim and blow the call to get a shot at something other than his butt. He took off like a rocket! I was 30 yards from him and blew the call like I was trying to call him in from 400 yards. I went over every reason why he would have took off like he did and the only thing I can come up with is that I blew the call too loud.

We live and we learn I guess. Next time I say we just shoot the critters and leave the calls out of it in our particular situations.

[JLW]

if you have a visual just start off with a lip squeak to see if he acknowledges it then go from there.

use his body language.. sometimes they just go back to mousing... then you have to figure out from there try to get his attention without blowin him outta there. I like squeaks and bird sounds. they have exceptional hearing and doesn't take muck to be heard, just gotta give that can't resist sound ,

if you can't squeak with your lips keep a mouse squeaker with you.

I just use the back of my hand.... works about 8 out of 10 times when I have a visual.

 

James

[4Falls]

Thanks for all the advice. Definatly will be a big help next time.

[BeardownAZ]

I agree with the too loud theory. You can always start low and go up. But once you spook them, you can't go back. Live and learn

[AZbowhntr]

They have very good eye sight. Very possible that it saw you first. I was calling a few weeks ago and at one stand I get up into position and have my decoy set up running. Everything about the stand was wrong but I thought since I was there I might as well try it. At the 11 minute mark I see movement below me at less than 25 yds. Of course my AR is resting across my lap since I didn't think anything would come in. He was locked onto my decoy about 25 yds away from me so I think no sweat. Just slowly swing my rifle up and dead dog. Wrong, as soon as I started to move he had me pegged and was heading in the other direction on a dead run. So it doesn't take much to screw it up.