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Coyote Tricks Of A Spot And Stalk Guy |
A few times I’ve been asked by others what I suspected to be the best of a coyote’s senses. They’re all excellent, but the one that never fails it is its sense of smell. I’ve had coyotes see or hear me many times, look, run a short ways, stop and look, then run again. And I’ve helplessly watched coyotes crossing downwind of me catch my scent and head out on a run, usually not even taking the time to look back. Never have I watched a coyote, while retracing my steps to my vehicle, come to my snowy tracks and ignore them. Generally it is quickly out of there. I’m sure it is a visual thing as well but the scent tells it I’m in the area and sticking around is not safe.
If you are questioning my thoughts on what its best sense is, consider this. If you are behind a boulder in open country, not moving and completely concealed, and there is no breeze, you will not be detected. But let the wind be blowing in the coyote’s direction and it knows you’re there. You who call from a stand know what I’m talking about. A coyote can be coming into the call (auditory sense) and glimpse you or movement (visual sense) and it will more than 50 percent of the time eventually continue on in. But let it smell you (olfactory sense) and your chances are very rare that you’d even get a shot at that critter.
I have found over the years that by becoming very familiar with coyote country, country that I’ve been in many, many times, that occasionally I’ll fool a coyote that I’ve blown a sneak on. Many times I’ve had this happen… watch a coyote run out of sight, then “beat feet” off at a tangent to get set up on a promontory and be ready for that sneaky critter that’s heading back on the other side of the ridge to safety. The “hey” or a sharp whistle works here for me.
Many years ago a close-in sneak was very important to me. That was a time when I thought 200 yards was a really long shot! So early on I learned how to sneak within a couple of hundred yards of an unsuspecting coyote. Some of the stuff is just common sense. I’ve always seemed to be aware of the breeze without even thinking about it. When a coyote is spotted I always stay downwind even if I have to go quite a ways out of my way. When I have to be in view of Wile E., I don’t take my eyes off him, other than to glance down occasionally to see the quietest route at my feet. When it’s moving I move, when it stops I freeze, when it’s facing the other way I might move a few steps. When it’s focused on a mouse and ready to pounce, I move slowly, and immediately after the pounce I can get in another couple of steps. If a slight bit of my movement is noticed, usually the jig is up! Then I’m down and ready to shoot. Likely it’ll run 50 yards or so and stop obligingly for a broadside shot. Bang! When I have no cover and am sneaking in from a long ways out, all of the above are extremely important. And one other thing … I try to walk as directly a straight line toward it as possible. I believe if I were zigzagging some that I would be crossing in front of a bush, a tall weed, or a small tree, blotting out significant objects, thus possibly catching the critter’s attention.
I’ve also found that crawling out in the open to a slight rise for a setup above the tall grass is productive. I’ve been seen crawling, but often get away with it. I’m not showing a vertically linear profile and the coyote is often curious and sticks around … even coming in my direction and sometimes bounding on its hind legs to get a better view of just what’s over there in the grass.
Sneaking when the snow’s on can be difficult, especially if there’s a noisy crust. I’ve used tire tracks to walk in with the hopes they’re going somewhat in the direction of the coyote. I go out of my way to stay on patches of open ground. And I’ve also learned to seek out snow-covered clumps of dried grass and weeds. Often these plants hold heat and the crust that would form over the clumps will be nonexistent. I’ve also walked on the outside edges of my boots and on my toes to reduce the sound of the crunch.
Throughout the winter I see coyotes sleeping, or watch many lie down. This happens quite often. I see them on bare ground and on the snow as they lie there. The same thing applies with a sleeping coyote, or coyotes, as applies during a sneak. Don’t take your eyes off it (or them) while sneaking into position. A coyote that’s been down and out for ten minutes is usually in deep sleep, but don’t count on it. Watch for the head or heads to come up and be ready to freeze. Don’t move until the head goes down.
If I have a single sleeping coyote and I’m ready to shoot, I will “hey” it. Usually its head will come up and it will be looking right in my direction. If I give it a couple of more “heys” it usually will stand up, giving me the shot I want. When the coyote is curled and sleeping the anatomy is unclear and the target is small. And there is a greater chance of destroying the pelt, thus the reason for awakening it and possibly getting it to stand. Nearly always a coyote will go from head up to standing before running off. The run is usually a short distance before stopping again, so there are a number opportunities to pull the trigger! Incidentally, a little trick I devised out of necessity many years ago is, for lack of a better name, “the dying boot trick.” This little trick will almost invariably get a lying down coyote to stand up. First I’ll talk to it (“hey, hey you”) or whistle. If that doesn’t work, and surprisingly it often doesn’t work, I’ll administer the dying boot trick. While on my belly and ready to shoot, I’ll bend one knee, raising my boot above my head and quiver it or swing it from side to side. Almost always the coyote will stand up to get a better look, always a fatal mistake! Actually my ragg wool mitt quivered a little above my head as I lie there works well also.
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