First time coyote hunting

[engineer40]

Went out with my dad Sunday. It was both of our first time coyote hunting. All of last week I spent reading tips on coyote hunting. We didn't see any yotes, but we did see some tracks.

All of my questions are around hunting eastern coyotes in wooded areas and on the borders of fields.

How far do you typically hunt away from cars and traffic? West Michigan has lots of large chunks of state or federal land with seasonal two tracks or snowmobile trails going through them. It seems like we have to drive through or close to where we actually want to be hunting. Or... we walk 2-3 miles between sets. I keep my vehicle out of view of our hunting location. But maybe that's not enough? I'm willing to walk more if need be.

If we go out at night and use a call to get coyotes to howl back at us, are those yotes usually in the same area during the day also?

Do coyotes stay hunkered down if it's windy like deer often do?

I put my call upwind and facing upwind, usually 20-30 yards away. Is that far enough?

If we were hunting a clearing, I put the call and decoy at the edge of the clearing to try to draw the coyote out of the woods some. You guys do the same?

Will coyotes live/travel in areas that are mostly wetland? There are deer that live in the wetlands, but I'm assuming maybe not an abundance of other food for them like rabbits, etc. But I could be wrong. Or should we focus on only the hardwood areas?

I'm not expecting one person to answer all of these. Thanks!

 

[BoomFlop]

How far to park from your calling spot would depend on the amount of traffic on the road. A back country road with very little traffic is different than a country road with a lot of traffic. Park far enough away that you think you can call without alarming then too much and keep the vehicle out of sight. No real answer to this question. Trial and error.

Howling at night to get a response is just to let you know coyotes are in that area. You could call them in the morning or they could be 10 miles away, but is good to know they live there. Give it a go.

I have found over 15 miles an hour here in Wisconsin makes calling very hard. We have a lot of woods and hills to through so they can hear the call, wind just makes it tougher. My suggestion would be to use the wind to get closer to where you think they are and thus getting them to hear your call.

I prefer to call cross wind of where I think the coyotes are. I also suggest having as much visibility down wind as possible. The stronger the wind speed, the further they tend to circle down wind. With a rifle, I'd get it out closer to 50-75 yards personally.

Getting them to put into an opening is ideal, but not always possible.

Wetlands/swamps are full of coyotes because the rabbits and pheasant live there. In the Midwest and eastern areas, every patch of woods, fence line or brush can hold coyotes. That is what makes it tougher for us to call as they are not as predictable as the western coyotes. My opinion.

You'll notice there is not "answer". My suggestion is make as many quality stands as you can where you believe coyotes are or have seen them in the past. In my experience 20 minutes (30 at most) is my max stand length. You will have days where you will call a coyote or 2 on every other stand and times where you make 40 stands and don't call a single one in. Keep after them!

Good luck!
Steve

 

[pratt777]

I tend to sneek quiet a ways into to my sets..I like going the distance more than other callers like to go. Google maps is a great tool for finding great spots that are over looked. We have called and killed coyotes backed up within a 1/4 mile of a heavily use snowmobile trail during season. I tend to call near swamps, its my favorite. I'll get in close with the call only 10 yards out in front of me and use my 12ga. Calling confidence will come with time. Keep at it and good luck sounds like you're hooked.

 

[TheDudeAbides]

Is there a good thread / book / youtube series etc. for first timers? I've never been because it just seems complex and (around me at least) not very popular - though there are tons of sightings and I have access to a lot of land.

Thanks in advance.