Tips & Tricks for Flintlock Coyotes ?

[roundball]

After deer season ends January 1st, I thought it might be interesting to set up an electronic caller with a "rabbit in distress" tape to see if any coyotes are in the area, carry a .45cal flinter.
(In NC, E-caller's are legal for coyotes and there's no closed season).

(I had a fox come within 10 feet of me once...he was so focused and messmerized sneaking up on the blaring speaker just a few feet out in front of my boots that he never saw me).

If anyone has done similar calling to bring in coyotes I'd appreciate any tips that are unique to them.

 

[Rat]

Well I've hunted the Coyote Cong quite a bit, but the only BP rifle I've got one with is one of my .58"s. (rifled muskets) Coyote hunting would be a blast with a flinter...they are so sly and jumpy, wonder if some of them will "jump the flash"???

On calling, I usually just use a small tape recorder, but the trick I've learned with the electronic calling machines is to put your machine/player/speaker at least 50 yards out. I have a four minute delay on mine, so I find a good hide, go out fifty yards and hang it in a tree, then go back and get settled in before it starts.

That way they don't focus their attention near you, it's usually on the location of the noise/machine/player. Still I try to move nothing but my eyeballs. But it's a hoot, sometimes they will come in behind you and walk right by, all intent on the player fifty yards away. You never know what direction they will come in as they will often circle around a bit. But sometimes they will just bee-line in...you never know...don't get all focused on thinking they will appear where you think they will appear. Also don't always expect to see them moving...sometimes they do just "appear", like they have been beamed down by the Enterprise or something...they just "materialize". Yes it sounds like I've been smoking crack but it's the truth.

Something I have not tried, but is supposed to be working well, is to get a small stuffed dog/puppy toy animal, and use a "puppy in distress" call. When they see the stuffed animal, they will be so focused on it that you can get away with quite a bit of movement, which may be an advantage with a flinter, depending on how fast your ignition is.

If you could find a stuffed wabbit-toy that looked halfway realistic, that should work with the wabbit distress call, but I have not heard of people doing that.

Have fun...that's my tip.

Rat

 

[roundball]

I believe you...a few years ago when that fox came right up to me, when I first saw him it was like he had "just appeared" about 25 feet away, yet it was open enough that I should have seen him long before that...seemed like he was "just there"...speaks well about their natural camo and stealth ability.

The unit has a 5' cord and I think the extension I bought was 25 feet, but I can see where another 50' would be of benefit to get it out at 25yds.

I remember an article similar to your reference of a stuffed animal...mentioned having it in a low bush with the speaker, and shake the bush occasionally with a long pull cord, etc.

 

[adkmountainken]

Bill,
i will be trying to take a yote with my 45. this season too. will go get em right after the holidays. i use mouth calls and howlers here. would help if you set up a decoy about 25 yards away from you to take their eyes of ya. after you get one with the e-caller try using mouth calls, theres nothing like it!!!
Ken

 

[KyFlintlock]

Roundball,

I have shot 6-8 yotes with the .50cal over the years, most while I was deer hunting, but one that were called in by sucking on the back of my hand; makes a loud squeaking noise that they really like. I have also called them in during turkey season to under 15 yards...some soft yelping might just work too.

I have had them jump the string on the bow, but never the flash.

Work the wind and where you can see...

Good luck
Wess

 

[Rat]

That's interesting, I've had one come into my Turkey call.

But I did not shoot as I didn't want to spook the Turks. It's funny he just sat there for a while, could just barely see him through the brush about 50 yards away. I was in a pretty good blind and don't think he ever saw me.

Rat

 

On jumping a flintlock - I read some years ago that the old trappers said the only animal that was fast enough to jump the flash was the otter. Supposedly, they can be looking straight at you and will "duck" when they see the flash.

 

Roundball
When I lived in Pa, me and a friend would go call at night as often as we could.
We call doz's of gray fox in with the pup in destress tape from Johnny Walker.
The yote pup in destress works well too .
One night we had 3 grays come in at the same time.
If legal a light with a red lens will show their eyes up at night real well. But then the flash will probably put them in the next county.
At any rate, early dusk or dawn as with most wild creatures seemed to be the best times.
We used the squeelin rabbit but had more sucess with the pup call.
Woody

 

[Rat]

Jumping the flash would depend on how fast or slow the lock time was on the gun. I'm thinking there's a wide variety of lock-time out there, depending on the locks, quality of the lock, and how well the "operator" loads, tunes, and sets up the flint, size of touch hole, type of touch-hole liner, if any, and all the other individual things that a fast ignition depends on.

Rat

 

[pharmvet]

Hey Woodhick, you sure that tape wasnt made by Johnny Stewart. May be gettin your whisky maker confused with your game call maker. LOL,, Maybe Im wrong, just funny to me.

 

[wtilenw]

Here in Idaho, I have found that after the breeding season starts ( mid December) I have better luck howling them in than with a distress call. The dogs seem to be more focused on territory than eating. Get a call and tape and try it, It works! It is also a sound that doesnt seem to make them as wary as a distress call in heavily hunted or called areas.
Idaho PRB