Decoy Dogs

by
posted on September 10, 2012
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
201294131419-decoy_dogs_f.jpg

Cory Lundberg is young, tough and knows how to kill predators. He outfits in several western states including Utah, Wyoming and Oregon, among others, offering predator hunts, varmint shooting and combinations of the two, and his success is about as good as it gets.

On a summer hunt with Cory in eastern Oregon he showed off what has become one of coyote hunting’s hottest trends—the use of decoy dogs. This is not to be confused with using a decoy. Here you use a real dog that has been trained in the discipline and adds some real excitement to any western coyote hunt.

On this trip we did some combination hunting—calling coyotes at dawn and dusk, and shooting ground squirrels during the heat of midday. Talk about fun. This is a very productive use of your time, since the coyotes generally nap away the hot hours during the middle of the day.

How It Works

Lundberg guides in areas where he knows where the coyotes den and live. In June, as pups are being born, alpha male coyotes are extremely territorial, meaning the best way to get some action is by primarily using challenge howls, barks and yips, or mimicking the sound of a family of pups and females with an electronic caller.

“We may also use dying rabbit sounds, but the challenge howls really work well this time of year,” Lundberg said. He uses both an “e” caller and custom mouth calls to sound off, and it works.

Accompanying Cory on our hunt was Duke, a young dog trained to sit close and howl when Cory howled, then when a coyote is spotted coming in, Duke ranges at the coyote, then turns and comes back to Cory, bringing the coyote into shooting range. The dog also acts as a decoy when stationary near the callers.

One morning Brian Pearce, Scott Rupp and I accompanied Cory and Duke out on a morning that ended up having record-setting hot temperatures—not good for coyote calling! Nevertheless Cory and Duke got two coyotes to make an appearance, but unfortunately for us no shots were fired. Later, Scott was fortunate enough to have a big coyote run as fast as it could right at the calls and Duke before his Mossberg MMR in .223 earned it a ride in the truck.

Using decoy dogs is something I have done a bit of in the past, and I can tell you it is really fun and very effective. Cory will take a novice out and show you how you how to hunt predators, including how to set up, work with a partner, how to call, which calls you need and when each type works best, what signs to look for and more. When you add in some red-hot midday varmint shooting, it makes for a fun and exciting trip.

More information is available at CodaHunts.com, or by calling 801-310-5673. I can’t wait to go back.

Latest

Oklahoma Department Of Wildlife Conservation Logo
Oklahoma Department Of Wildlife Conservation Logo

Oklahoma Wildlife Commission Passes Rules for Nonresident Hunters, Public Hunting Lands

New emergency rules and resolutions for public hunting lands were approved last month by the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission.

First Look: Premium and Premium Deluxe Die Sets From Redding Reloading Equipment

Redding Reloading Equipment has expanded its Premium Die Set and Premium Deluxe Die Set product lines, including over seventy of the most popular cartridges in the industry today.

Junior Hunter Gear: Get Your Kids Into the Field

Looking for ways to get your fields out from behind the screens and into the great outdoors this summer? Check out these great pieces of outdoor kit to help spur the process.

Stealth Cam Adds On-Demand Livestream

Shortly after teasing the launch of its new trail camera functionality at the 2025 SHOT Show, Stealth Cam has announced that On Demand Live Stream is available via the Command Pro app.

#SundayGunday: Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 A.I.

On this week's #SundayGunday, Digital Associate Editor David Herman talks with Benelli Vice President Tim Joseph about Benelli's new Super Black Eagle 3 with A.I. barrel technology.

NRA Foundation Awards $13,500 in College Scholarships

The National Rifle Association is proud to announce the Grand Scholarship winners from the 2024 Youth Education Summit (Y.E.S.)—a group of exceptional students selected for their leadership, initiative, and dedication to advancing NRA programs within their communities.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.