Running around in the desert this fall hunting elk and deer, I have seen a outrageous number of Coyotes and Foxes. I haven't done much Coyote hunting in the past but it looks like a promising year. There is a guy in town that told me to throw the cyotes on his step and he would pay me $10 apeice.

I know there are mouth calls and electronic calls, but I have no idea what would be better. Any input would be appreciated.

Also any input on caliber's to use would be great, I guess from what I have heard is that some people use a .223 and also a shotgun with #4 buck, don't want much hide damage. I have tried it a few times but never been real sucessful.

I don't have experience at coyotes but there seems to be a wealth of info on the Web. www.varmintal.com is one source you might begin with.
Happy Hunting

Varmint Al does have lots of good information on his site. Also keep up with the posts at
www.varminthunters.com/
Sign up there and feel free to ask any question. You will get more information than you asked for.
But, we have some good conversation in our varmint section too so don't count us out.

You asked about the best calls. Well that runs from Haydels and other quality makers mouth calls of rabbits, rodent squeeks, and coyote howler.
Then on the electronic side the big leader is the new FoxPro FX-3, lightweight handheld with two internal speakers and a long distance remote control, 32 sounds (your pick and its reprogramable) for just under $500.00. A good Christmas present to yourself.
You are right on with your caliber choice. The 223 Rem is great and if your shooting distances will be further than 200 to 250 yds you might want to use a 22-250 Rem. But you will find that the 223 will reach out and touch them with good results. For quiet night time hunting I use a 22 Hornet and I am thinking about making it a "K-Hornet" for a little more case capacity and a touch more noise.

Get out there and knock them down. It seems you know how it's done

From the sources below you can find about any type of call you would want (from mass produced to customs). They are all fine folks to deal with!

All Predator Calls.Com (All types, internet catalog)
www.allpredatorcalls.com

Game Calls .net (All types, internet catalog)
www.gamecalls.net/
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THO Custom Calls (Custom hand calls)
Al Woodard
Manchester, NH
stores.ebay.com/thogamecalls


Kees Custom Calls (Custom hand calls)
Brent Saxton
South Point, Ohio
www.keescalls.com


Mad Moose Predator Calls (Custom hand calls)
Paul Merrill
Bountiful, Utah
Moose57 (at) gmail.com


TT Custom Predator Calls (Custom hand calls)
Tony Tebbe
Cedar Rapids, Ia
www.CustomPredatorCalls.com

Here in the UK we tend to shoot foxes from vehicles and one cheap method is to dampen the windscreen or mirror with a bit of spit and drag a bit of polystyrene packing over it.It is a bit like nails dragging over a chalk board but if you experiment it can be very effective.
The cheapest and easiest,and sometimes the best,is sucking on the palm or back of the hand-it`s hard to lose that call LOL

Thanks for all the input. I think perhaps my best bet would be one of those electronic calls. Not as hard to screw up on in the heat of the moment.

Electronic and hand calls are both popular and effective. Our local club allows only hand helds for competition and we often compete with other clubs that have no restrictions on calls. Our club has won the past five years.

Electronic calls can be had in some amazing arrays of vocalizations and I have used them when not doing club events. Good ones are expensive and add weight and complexity to your gear. And maintenance. If you are calling in remote areas that haven't been called much before, they can bring good results. The main objection I have is that they are boring to listen to the same limited number of calls over and over and over again.

Hand held calls give far more latitude in varying the call for tonal qualities and sequence. They are light and easy to use (listen to your buddy's electronic call and mimic it). Open reed calls take a bit more practice but one basic open reed can give an amazing array of calls. Hand helds, for me, allow more involvement in the calling game. And, they are cheap.

Specific to coyotes, there are numerous coyote sounds (language) that is very helpful to learn and to know when to use which sound. To that can be added a long, long list of sounds that will be enticing depending on time of year and weather/location. Add to that the factor that coyotes are often simply curious as to what noise is being made and by what animal. Calls don't have to replicate exact tonals or sequences because in nature those tonals and sequences vary considerably. Just like no two dying jackrabbits will give the same distress call.

Learn the hand helds and a whole new dimension of calling will open up.