Valentine’s Day has come and gone. Hopefully you didn’t miss it. You likely have some coyote calling conundrums in the late season and conflicts with significant-others won’t help. Regardless of your relationship status, February is when the majority of coyotes across the country pair up to start their puppy daycare center. It truly is puppy-love time during Valentine’s month.

For those coyotes that now rival the late Stephen Hawking for mastermind designation, a simple strategy could land you one more pelt before other spring diversions take over. After wearing out the selection button on your electronic caller turn your attention back to one simple sound: the lone howl.

Mossy Oak pro staff member Steven Reinhold understands the importance of simplicity when it relates to predator hunting success. Reinhold claims Ohio as home, but calls predators across the nation whenever possible. Coyotes rank as his number one predator to call and he accepts the challenge they can bring, particularly those that have been educated via hunting pressure. The 30-year-plus veteran hunter knows that talking back to coyotes can have its rewards and howling to coyotes, especially lonely ones looking for love, can pay off.

Reinhold incorporates both a mouth and a digital caller into most hunts for results, but instead of just blasting out any message he strives to understand coyote language and make it work to his advantage.

“I use a lone howl and oftentimes I don’t get a response. I’m not expecting it,” says Reinhold. “Even so, I know the message I’ve sent is telling other coyotes that I’m a lonely male, possibly looking for love, but definitely focused on bringing attention to myself.”

Reinhold uses this call year-round, but especially in the months when furs have value. He understands the territorial instinctiveness of coyotes and proclaiming yourself in another coyote’s territory spurs many into showing up, even unannounced.

February holds some of the best advantages for advertising yourself as a lone coyote.  Not only can it bring in coyotes rejected by Tinder, but it can also attract pairs defending a newly established territory.

If you decide to take it a step further consider female invitation vocalizations that many electronic callers include. Most of these sounds are characterized by a higher pitch and the female invitation howl can start your love serenade.

From there, depending on your electronic caller, you can test the waters with several sounds of female coyote desire. Referred to as female whimpers or estrus whines, these high-pitched yips and whines advertise willingness to males that a female may be ready for breeding. A coyote pair may banter back and forth using this vocabulary or a female may simply broadcast the sounds trying to lure in a mate.

Even if you missed the big V day, don’t miss out on the advantages of coyote love this February.