Coyote locating tip

[Possumal]

I want to share a tip with fellow hunters that should be of some help to you when trying to locate coyotes for future hunts. It involves using a flash attachment.

Several years ago, I killed a big female coyote with a solid white tip on her tail. She was perhaps the biggest female coyote I had ever killed. I had called her in right by a bend in a long farm road. It got dark real fast, so I hung her up from a fencepost nearby, and got ready to take a few pictures. The field my camera was facing across the farm road was a total of about 150 acres. When I took the first picture, and the flash occurred, coyotes starting howling all over that big field. I waited a few minutes, and flashed several more times in other directions, similar to variable lightning. Each flash stirred up more howls, and I gathered up my stuff and slipped back to my truck. I killed a lot of coyotes that winter in that area.

On future scouting trips, I used a flash attachment pack and it worked even better. Hope this helps you out.

[SWAMPBUCK10PT]

Thanks for the TIP Al

[DAA]

That's a new one for me Al. I'll give it a try - thanks!

- DAA

[Possumal]

Dave, don't forget that I discovered this by accident. It will be interesting to me to see if the coyotes out in that beautiful country where you hunt respond the same.

[porcupine]

Thanks for sharing your observation. Will be interesting to see if it works in my area.

[Possumal]

I agree with you porcupine. It has occurred to me that you may have to create similar circumstances that I first discovered this in, before you can make a conclusion one way or the other. Let us hear from you.

[Possumal]

Just wanted to make a report to you guys as far as I have been able to run some tests. It has been so hot, and I don't hunt at night, and this has slowed the whole process down.

Using the first night when I discovered this as a model, I have been out 8 evenings since that first night. Three nights, we just slipped into a secluded area, and flashed the camera several times, with no results. Three other nights, a few coyotes barked and howled when I flashed the camera, but just a few individuals. Two other nights, I tried to simulate the exact events that happened on the very first night, including a good deal of calling, firing the 243, and then flashing the camera. One of those nights resulted in a pretty good number of coyotes raising cain in about 5 areas of the field.

So, I really haven't proven anything one way or the other, but it definitely works given the right combination of elements. I intend on doing some more testing as the opportunity presents itself.

[Possumal]

Three more trips to the field since my last post. In each instance, I tried to copy the circumstances that existed on the night I first made this discovery. I called about 30 minutes going into complete darkness, with a light breeze going from the calling area into the area I was scouting, fired the 243, and then started flashing the camera about 10 minutes later. These three trips to were to areas where I have never tried this before. On one of the trips, a pretty good number of coyotes raised heck, barking and howling. The other two trips no response.

This is beginning to look like a nearly impossible thing to prove or disprove. Obviously it can and does work at time, but that is not conclusive evidence to my way of thinking, other than no kind of scouting works every time out. If any of you guys have given this a try, make a post giving your thoughts.

[Possumal]

I made two more trips to the field, with similar results to the others. I did my best to make my setup identical to the first night, calling for about the last 30 minutes, firing the 243, and then using the camera flash several times about ten minutes after the shot. First trip resulted in no response. Second and last trip, several groups sounded off in the area I was scouting.

Obviously, I can't prove or disprove this technique. So, I'll just leave it with my conclusion that it is surely worth trying, which I intend to do in certain spots when I hunt late afternoon going into dark. If I learn more, I'll share it with you. Otherwise, I consider this thread closed.

[Preydeception]

Thank you possumal for this thread and the info therein.