It seems that most videos are oriented around western/plains hunting for the coyote. I have one of the Randy Anderson videos and another (name escapes me). I think that I do a decent imitation of a dying critter but am frustrated by the utter lack of cooperation that the Coyote clan is giving me. I'm not sure if it's technique, setup, experience or what.

I'm looking for good practical advice on hunting in woods/fields mix. The fields can vary in size from a few acres to 40-50 acres.

Any good tips?

lc

A buddy of mine was bow hunting the edge of a field last fall, and he spotted two yotes on the other side of the field just inside the woods. The field is about 150 yds wide. There was nothing going on with the deer so he started to lip squeek. Both yotes looked in his direction, but only one was interested enough to investigate. That yote would not leave the woods cover though. He walked in the woods all the way to the end of the field, used the brush and woods that was at the west end, then walked back east again to get to the noise. He went almost four times the distance to investigate, but would not cross the open field.

I spend a couple of months "patterning" any yotes I can find in this area. Most of them will not go out in the open, but use cover to travel from area to area. If you get snow, that is the easiest way to find them and where they are hangin' out.

Look for hills in brush or woods that afford you some shooting lanes and call from there.

Hunting woods and brush is tough and often depressing. Putting yourself as near as possible to them is the best you can do.

Some sets I just lip squeek also. Sometimes less is better.

You need to be absolutely silent getting into your set also. I do a lot of walking and often still hunt into the set before I call.

Good luck.

Jim

Good Advise......where I hunt in maine they tend to lay up in cedar and spruce bogs during the day and move right at daylight and dark. Baiting with dead deer and calves at field edges can be effective if you have a blind or shack they are used to for a shooting spot. Calling right at daybreak from vantage points overlooking bogs is another trick. After the first of Jan we can night hunt for several months and night calling in rock or tree breaks out in snow covered fields in the moonlight can be quite effective. They are less wary at night it seems. Hard to stay warm though and it takes a very bright and resolute scope.

Dave

Thanks fella's,
It looks like I need to change my approach a bit.
I have called one in. The very first time I ever called. Trouble was, I was out spring turkey scouting and had my 2 daughters a long. Wasn't prepared. I called for less than a minute and it appeared.

Since then it's been Nada. I may build some blinds in some of the areas that I plan to hunt then let them get used to that. I may have to go shotgun/buckshot and stay in the thickets from what you're saying.

Do you find that a carcass will last a few days when baiting?

I may have been blasting them with my mouth calls to.

quote:

Originally posted by littlecanoe:
Do you find that a carcass will last a few days when baiting?

I shot many coyotes over bait before the DNR "clarified" their baiting rules years ago. We can't use meat any longer and that has pretty much put an end to it. Plus, dealing with the wolf population that can be in the same area is challenging.

Shooting yotes that come to bait is another type of hunting that can become infectious. Watching a coyote come trotting across a snow covered field in the moonlight is an experience of a life time.

If you are going to use domestic stock that is down, make sure it has not been injected with anything. None of the coyotes wanted anything to do with any stock that was injected and I eventually just hauled it away.

I got in contact with butcher shops in the area and they let me fill up 5 gallon buckets of scraps and such so I was refreshing the bait every week or so.

Jim

Always used stillborn calves or roadkill deer. Explains why we never had problems with the coyotes refusing the bait. It helps to stake it down or they will pull it out of sight if possible.

Dave

wish i had an answer for you, around here (SE minn) the damn things are staying in the bush all day and coming out strictly at night. gone quiet too, very seldom hear them howling anymore. calls aren't working well, they'll sometimes answer or howl at a woodpecker call, but don't want to come in to them.

I know that the ones in my area will strip a deer or cow carcass. They don't seem to be fully nocturnal but more cagey and to like cover a lot.

I'll have to check the rules on baiting. A nice stinky pile of meat scraps that is refreshed regularly would really help them get into a pattern.

I remember what one pretty successful coyote shooter used to swear by. He would get beaver carcasses from a local trapper and stick them head first down in a small hole in the ice on an open deadwater. They would freeze in so the coyotes couldn't move em' and were out in the open where he could see even in very low light if he had some moonlight. Cheap and easy to find up here, just need a shack or blind cause its getting below zero now at night and that can take it out of ya fast.

Focus

quote:

Originally posted by 12FVSS260:
I remember what one pretty successful coyote shooter used to swear by. He would get beaver carcasses from a local trapper and stick them head first down in a small hole in the ice on an open deadwater. They would freeze in so the coyotes couldn't move em' and were out in the open where he could see even in very low light if he had some moonlight. Cheap and easy to find up here, just need a shack or blind cause its getting below zero now at night and that can take it out of ya fast.

Focus

Around here most of the yotes are running the waterways already. They are the freeways of the bush.

Anywhere the ice fisherman are, you will soon find the coyotes, coming out at night and checking the ice for minnows, trash fish and any scraps of food the fisherman leave.

How about an ice shack with a window that opens?? Ice fish and coyote hunt at the same time.

Jim

quote:

How about an ice shack with a window that opens?? Ice fish and coyote hunt at the same time.

Guess that would work pretty good for sure. Just don't get excited and shoot a big laker when it swims by

Dave