Vocalizing to coyotes may be the easiest and most confidence-building calling tactic in your coyote hunting arsenal. Howling to coyotes is like you and I shouting at each other from across a backyard fence. The message could be “I’m home so come on over for a beer” or “the burgers are almost done on the grill.”
Howling sends similar messages in a cross-country fashion between singles or coyote groups. It’s an invite or an irritant depending on who hears the message.
Unlike many animals, coyotes tend to be a very vocal bunch. If you don’t hear them singing loudly during shooting light it’s a good bet they’re howling after the lights go out. If the complications of using one of the hundreds of sounds on your electronic caller confuse you then simply use a howl to invite a coyote to your party that ends with a bang.
Keep it Simple
The lone howl has merit if you feel coyotes have been pressured extensively, plus it is inviting to young and old coyotes alike. It’s found in the library of every electronic caller and a volley of lone howls may bring in coyotes without adding in any other sounds.
Learn to Mouth-Call
If you don’t own an e-caller, manufacturers produce howlers for a mouth-blown route. The Rocky Mountain Calls Dirty Dog Caller gives you exact lip positioning due to its design. I’ve used elk diaphragm calls combined with a megaphone for decades to imitate howls. Today I routinely combine my e-caller and mouth calls to sound like a pair bantering to each other.
Don't Go Crazy
Don’t get carried away with calling too much. A little bit of howling goes a long way. Mimic what you hear in the wild. Your howls will likely carry a mile or more depending on the surrounding environment, and weather. That equals a message that could irk or perk another coyote in an adjoining territory.
Be Patient
Wait a long time. Howls usually don’t spark the same excitement as a prey animal in distress, Coyotes may run to the howl, but typically they walk or trot in for a look.
How long should you wait? This may take up to an hour. Stay alert and occasionally scan into the distance with a binocular to spot peering eyes.
Talk to Them
If you want to take it up a notch you can add additional coyote vocalizations into your setup midway through the sit. The sounds of bickering or fighting coyotes make it sound as if a group is hassling over the last drumstick in the Colonel’s bucket.
A short burst of challenge howls may cause a dominant coyote to show itself sooner. These bolder sounds could also cause adolescent coyotes to shy from confrontation, but more often than not I still see the younger crowd showing up to assess the situation. One night I called in a pair of youngsters using a short series of howls and ended the sit with a shot on a young female.
You can’t deny the excitement of a coyote racing in full speed to the sounds of a dying rabbit, but if your setups have grown cold it may be time to reheat them with a string of howls. An inquisitive coyote could just be over the next hill waiting for your call.
