Does locating at night educate coyotes?

[Nodak72]

Lately, Ive been driving around at dark howling by different location"s where I know there are coyote's, And they usually howl back! I started doing this just to practice howling(some where other than the house,where the wife wont club me, for practicing in the living room! LOL), then the kids came with and thought it was real cool when the coyotes answer back, now its became A every weekend activity! My question is, am I involuntarily Educating the coyotes in the area I am planning on calling later this late fall and winter? If so, should I quite doing this Now, so I don't hurt my chances later?

[Coyotehunter]

Most of the studies done out there on vocalizations use this method to record the frequency of responses to different stimulus. I think you would be fine. I would try to always keep finding new areas to locate so you are not constatly on the same coyotes but there is know reason to think that I coyote will become habituated to its own voice.

[RandyRoede]

NoDak, nothing to worry about. You may refrain from to much interaction but enjoy the time with the kids. Mine enjoyed it also and would even make up names for those that responded with a different sounding howl etc. Scratchy, and Bob Barker come to mind.

[jaybic]

Good question,

I been meaning to ask this same thing for a while now also. I try to do the same thing starting about this time of year to kinda get a grip on what the coyotes are doing and where they are at. I kinda held off for a while because I got a buddy that seems to think that we have no luck here in southeastern MN with howling in Dec/Jan/Feb because I have educated them all way back in Aug/Sep by doing this. I think he is full of schmitt and it sounds like a few of the much more experienced voices here agree with me.

Thanks for shedding some light on that one guys,


Jaybic

[Nodak72]

Thanks, for answering my question Coyotehunter and Randy! I went out this weekend, it was kind of wet and cloudy, they didn't respond real well to the howl! Maybe it's the weather or maybe the pup's are dispersing from the pac and that's got some thing to do with it ????????????

I think he is full of schmitt

(LOL,LOL,Only someone from the great state of Minnesota would come up with that line! the old Schmitt big mouth bottles were good,of course I only had 1 when I snuck one from my dad's fridge when I was 12, by the time I turned 21 they quite making them!)

[bucksnbears]

got me a super cold schmidt light in front of me now

[Prairie Ghost]

I agree i would try to keep from howling to the same group of coyotes every weekend but as long as you don't keep it up right until the night before you go into to call them you should be alright.

[jaybic]

Thanks PG,

Thats what I was saying. I might howl them up once or twice in August or September and then I start hunting in Dec and he thinks the reason they wont come to a howl(or at all) is because I "educated" them back in early fall. I dont believe it. I have been calling here in SE MN for about 10 years now and they have never been very responsive to howling no matter whether I located in early fall or not so I dont think me doing this is having any negative affect at all. I just dont believe that a coyote hears my howls in Dec/Jan/Feb and says "Yep, thats that same guy that was howling back in August. Dont go over there, hes a fake and he'll shoot ya!

Later fellas,

Jaybic

[Coyotehunter]

I would say to early for dispersal, any time is a good time to locate. Looking at tracks is the norm for me, if they don't howl they can still be tracked.