Calling coyotes in the high Rockies

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Predatorspath

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Hey guys! I’ve been hunting coyotes in the high Rockies for 4 years now and I’m running into the same problem and I’m stuck again. I only kill one or two coyotes up here. I go out to the desert county and I have no issues calling coyotes and killing coyotes. Has anyone had experience hunting 6600ft plus? I use both hand calls and electronic calls and typically sit 15-20mins and I’m very aware of my wind. In the desert I usually get dogs under 10 minutes. What am I missing yall?
 
No coyotes?
There is a LOT of competition with less food.
Down lower, there is way more food. AG land is perfect for food for coyotes, and don't forget, grasshoppers are an easy food source for coyote pups.
Find medows, or where they cut for feed, there will be a lot of mice.
7000 feet is not the problem; food is the issue. Don't forget, Wolf will not allow coyotes in their range.
 
Widow maker 223 said:
How much food is in the higher areas? This will dictate where they are and how many you call in.
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A lot around where I hunt actually! Turkeys, rabbits, deer. I also hunt in areas with sheep and cow ranches. It’s not uncommon at all to throw out a locate call and find 3-4 plus spread across the landscape. When the snow comes on and gets a crust we will see 6-8 above 10,000 feet in January. It’s just strange because I can’t tell if it’s the way I hunt and I need to sit much longer than I do normally?
 
Badbrass said:
No coyotes?
There is a LOT of competition with less food.
Down lower, there is way more food. AG land is perfect for food for coyotes, and don't forget, grasshoppers are an easy food source for coyote pups.
Find medows, or where they cut for feed, there will be a lot of mice.
7000 feet is not the problem; food is the issue. Don't forget, Wolf will not allow coyotes in their range.
Click to expand...
No we have a ton of coyotes! And we do have a few wolfs but it’s Colorado so I sure you have heard about that mess. But they don’t drive the coyotes as bad yet as like Wyoming.
 
From my experience which is not extensive. In the Cascades the snow would get so deep the deer and elk move down to lower levels ground squirrels and mice were buried too deep for coyotes to reach. The coyotes move out of the high country also. When I cross country skied the high country almost never saw a coyote track. Also the deep snow makes travel difficult for them also.
 
Some very good information has already been written .

Food is key in the High Country, and snow depth plays a large part as well.

Deep snow makes it tough for a coyote to walk in, and tougher to find a meal. If the snow crusts over, it's easier to walk on, but harder to dive into to grab a mouse.

In general, you'll have better luck in North, Middle and South Parks, than you will over Hoosier Pass, for example.

I like hunting the High Country because the pelts are usually very nice, and I like the lower elevations because I can increase the body count.

Give it more time on stand, say at least 20 minutes. Give them time to get to you.

Are you seeing a decent amount of coyote tracks?

Generally, I'll find them along river or creek bottoms and sage flats vs. deep in the forest at higher elevations.
 
K22-hornet said:
Some very good information has already been written .

Food is key in the High Country, and snow depth plays a large part as well.

Deep snow makes it tough for a coyote to walk in, and tougher to find a meal. If the snow crusts over, it's easier to walk on, but harder to dive into to grab a mouse.

In general, you'll have better luck in North, Middle and South Parks, than you will over Hoosier Pass, for example.

I like hunting the High Country because the pelts are usually very nice, and I like the lower elevations because I can increase the body count.

Give it more time on stand, say at least 20 minutes. Give them time to get to you.

Are you seeing a decent amount of coyote tracks?

Generally, I'll find them along river or creek bottoms and sage flats vs. deep in the forest at higher elevations.
Click to expand...
Ok that seems to be what everyone is saying is to stay longer on stand in the high country. I find a ton of coyote tracks I do hunt the creek bottoms a lot! I’m in the Carbondale area so I’m hunting the foothills of the flattops and when we snowmobile the flattops we see way more coyotes in 5ft of snow when it crusts up! So I will start staying longer maybe that’s where I’m going wrong by not sitting long enough!
 
Here in Arizona I call from 3500 to 7000 ft. Snow is usually not an issue here. But the higher I go the less successful my stands. I suspect that in the low country they are more densely populated and can get to the call faster. Calling longer may be a good idea for higher, rougher country. If they have to cross difficult terrain to get to you they are probably less likely to come in, or may take longer to get there. Most coyotes I call show up within 10-15 minutes. However I have had them show up at the 30-35 minute mark when I've sat longer than usual. This usually occurred in areas with fairly rough terrain.
 
Huachuca Caller said:
Here in Arizona I call from 3500 to 7000 ft. Snow is usually not an issue here. But the higher I go the less successful my stands. I suspect that in the low country they are more densely populated and can get to the call faster. Calling longer may be a good idea for higher, rougher country. If they have to cross difficult terrain to get to you they are probably less likely to come in, or may take longer to get there. Most coyotes I call show up within 10-15 minutes. However I have had them show up at the 30-35 minute mark when I've sat longer than usual. This usually occurred in areas with fairly rough terrain.
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I really appreciate yall for the info! I’ll put all this into my stands and hopefully I’ll start seeing better results!!
 
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