Darke Knights Coyote Callers

Thanks to TVRGC for hosting a well organized event. It’s much appreciated.

The weather conditions were brutal with single digit temps, high winds and deep snow. We called in seven coyotes and threw five on the rack. It was good to see some faces of fellow hunters at check in and catch up with one another. The stories of what happens out there in the middle of the night chasing these things would make for a good reality show. Congratulations to all the winners and a big thank you to the contest hosts. Videos in comments.

Ever heard what sounded like a pack of twenty coyotes yipping and howling?

It's all a lie.

Chances are, it was only two.

And that's the point.

Coyotes survive not by strength, but by deceiving the world.

Biologists call it the Beau Geste effect, and it's one of the most sophisticated deceptions in the animal kingdom. Through rapid pitch-shifting and the strategic use of terrain, just two coyotes make themselves sound like seven or eight, convincing you they are something they're not.

It's all theater and drama.

And it works because coyotes can't afford direct confrontation. At barely thirty pounds, they can't compete directly with larger canines for territory. So, they bluff. They build what scientists call an auditory fence – a sonic lie that sows confusion and tells the world: this territory is already full.

Survival through illusion.

Long before biologists put a name to it, Indigenous cultures understood this about the coyote.
In many Native traditions, among the Navajo (Diné), Hopi, Lakota, Nez Perce, Crow, Salish, and Chinook, the coyote appears again and again as the Trickster, a figure who survives not through nobility or strength, but through cunning, misdirection, and opportunism. Sometimes clever. Sometimes foolish. Always manipulative. Always adaptive.

What modern science now documents in sound waves, Native storytelling understood in narrative form: the coyote lives by deception. It bends perception to stay alive.

So, the next time you hear coyotes erupt into yips and barks and howls, what you're experiencing is one of nature's oldest survival tactics: the power of the lie.

Spring Break 2025 SW Kansas

Were having a blast doing some daytime calling in Kansas. 10 minutes into our first set and we had a fast charging pair come in on rabbit distress. Prarie Dogs are on the hit list this morning.

DKCC hunted in two contest over the weekend. In 3 nights we made 26 stands and called up 23 coyotes. There were some that never gave us an opportunity and we F’d up more than we want to admit, but we managed to throw 10 in the truck somehow. It’s becoming clearer that I need to work on my dragging skills. It’s time for much needed food and sleep.

🚨BREAKING: The Hearing Protection Act has been reintroduced in the Senate by Senator Mike Crapo!

This bill would remove outdated federal barriers to make suppressors more accessible, protecting gun owners' hearing and promoting safer shooting.

“Gun owners around the world are using suppressors to reduce the impact of noise and hearing loss while using their fi****ms. Even in countries with the strictest fi****ms laws, suppressors are often unregulated products that anyone can buy over the counter. However, outdated federal law makes it difficult for Americans to access these useful safety devices,” said NRA-ILA Executive Director John Commerford.

“On behalf of our millions of members, the NRA thanks Senator Mike Crapo for introducing this important legislation to roll back the bureaucratic red tape on suppressor ownership in the United States.”

Besides being out of shape, this guy is ready to get back at it after surgery. 10 degrees and little wind made for good calling. 2nd set and we killed a triple. Thanks for the phone call Tim. Good shootin!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFQlI-pxphx/?igsh=MWl2YWFncWJkZHFnaQ==