Bought a new e-caller a month or so ago and it’s like the odds have been stacked against me of ever christening it. I’ve been reading, listening to podcast, watching YouTube interviews, and even joined some other sites to smarten me up on calling, setups, etc.
Well last night the wind was right for a spot I’d heard coyotes at before. I snuck in fairly tight right at sundown and got the caller set and found a good spot downwind to make my stand. I just knew it would be a slam dunk with my newfound knowledge!
Well, I howled, they answered and my brain went to mush! I tried some fights, angry coyote, pup fights, pup distress, and even though I got them riled up again, they wouldn’t leave the drain they were in. I finally just shut everything down and once my brain reset I remembered something about using a “soft” call you’ve never used. I decided to wait about 10min or so and found baby rabbit and a call called tiny rabbit. I hadn’t used any prey distress and figured I’d keep it on about half volume and just see what happened.
As soon as baby rabbit finished I immediately switched to tiny rabbit. I immediately liked that sound better and as I scanned back to my right I realized the coyotes did as well.
I saw two heads and partial bodies of coyotes slipping in. I decided I’m not greedy and it had been a minute since I’d got to hear the “thwack” of a bullet, so I decided the first one that gave me a clear shot was getting shot. Looking through the thermal sorta threw me off at first because it looked like a coyote, but didn’t look quite right. I shot and it was a good shot, but I don’t shoot a traditional “predator caliber” so the 165gr bullet did a number through and out of him.
The other coyote ran and stopped, but all I had was an iffy shot at best so I held off. I went back to some vocals but after a few minutes decided to go check out the downed coyote. Right away I saw the issue. He was my first “dark” coyote and my first coyote with mange. He wasn’t black, but he wasn’t our traditional colored either. I say more of a charcoal grey maybe.
Anyway here’s the PG pic because the exit wasn’t the prettiest and he only had half a tail and it didn’t have any hair or very little and his back end looked sorta like a partial shave job.

Thermal hunting is as addictive as turkey hunting and trapping. What I can’t catch, I call, lol. Gonna try some daytime coon calling with a shotgun here soon.

I agree. It has gotten to be of the things I look most forward too. I have told several guys about it and they look at you like you’re crazy. Take them out one night and they are hooked. It’s like looking into a world you have never seen before. So many things moving around in the dark that you had no idea. The amount of flying squirrels we see is crazy. We’re calling one night next to a creek and beaver pond. Got to watch an otter going back and forth between the creek and ponds. I work nights, so it really fits my schedule.

Man you ain’t kidding about flying squirrels, lol. I used to think they were endangered or something, all someone has to do is go out at night, those are as plentiful as rats down here.
Went this evening but heard nothing. Deer were bedded up as well. Of course this weekend when I can stay out late late, it’s supposed to rain again!! Actually it’s forecasted for the next two weekends. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday both weeks! We just got 2.75 and they’re calling for another 1.5”!!