How would you hunt this property?

[JWR]

New to coyote hunting. They have been increasing in numbers and have attacked some of my deer along with a noticeable decrease in turkey populations. There are really no open fields. This is all planted pines with mowed roads that are about 30' wide with deep ditches along each side that does hold water most of the year. To the North is a small river, to the south a highway, to the east is my camp and another road, to the west is another tract of property that I also lease, but I have seen coyotes on camera most frequently on this property. I currently have an 8' elevated box blind at the intersection of the most western road that runs to the NNW from the main E to W road. I have a feeder at the end of the East to West road at the far western end. This is the location of the game cam that captured them stalking raccoons at the feeder at dusk.

How would you suggest I set up on this property with different winds? Ideally, I would like to hunt from the elevated blind to be able to see long distance. I just don't know how I would set up an electronic caller and or decoy. We have to primarily hunt the roads as the planted pines have a thick understory as they are young.

I've read through many posts and I just couldn't come up with a similar scenario through search.

Me, the deer and the turkey thank you for your help!

 

[YBPS]

It dosnt look very big so every coyote will pry hear your call after a the first stand or maybe two. I’d pry go to the box blind and just sit and shoot what you can without calling it at first, assuming you can get to it undetected.

Also might be a good spot for a bait pile with a cell camera.

Or you can go in call blasting and guns blazing…. Then just put out a bunch of traps.

Small properties can be tough. I like to keep my presence unknown as just keep going back. I have a small farm by my house that I have killed 20 coyotes on over the last two winters without calling once.

 

[Infidel 762]

From what I can tell just from aerial scouting, here’s how I’d approach it:

I’d park where the green box is, then walk in along the yellow dashed line and set up around the red arrow. With a north wind, I’d place the call in the area of the purple circle.

I’d expect them to come to the edge of the brush line and stop to look out into the open toward the sound. At the same time, I’d keep the call far enough off the wood line so if they come out running, I can bark to stop them before they hit the call.

I also like to keep a little buffer from the roads when setting up — they can be pretty wary about crossing them in daylight.

If I was night hunting, I’d probably just set up a little ways out into the field and not be as concerned about getting them to cross the road. I’d park in the same place or even a little farther back so I’m not shining my lights into the field while pulling in.

If you have a shotgun, I would look at the area circled in white. It looks like lower elevation that possibly holds drainage drowning out some of the trees. Look for an area on the edge to give you slight elevation for visibility just inside the cover with your scent blowing back over the road. Set you call out in the purple circle with enough area to get them shot before they get close enough to the call you pepper it with pellets. If there is water there scratch that idea.

These are just a few spots I’d start with when looking to set up and build a stand. I’d definitely want to see it in person before committing to anything, though.

That area looks tough, with a lot of ways for them to slip downwind. You don’t get many chances — once they catch your wind, it’s over, and after that you’re just out there spinning your wheels.

I wouldn’t call from the box blind expecting to pull them out onto the road. For one, they’d likely be right on top of the call before you ever saw them — or they might come in and you’d never see them at all. And two, you’d have to either drive through or walk through the very area you’re trying to call, leaving a scent trail behind. Those look like dead-end roads anyway… unless you’re getting dropped off by helicopter, lol.

 

[JWR]

From what I can tell just from aerial scouting, here’s how I’d approach it:

I’d park where the green box is, then walk in along the yellow dashed line and set up around the red arrow. With a north wind, I’d place the call in the area of the purple circle.

I’d expect them to come to the edge of the brush line and stop to look out into the open toward the sound. At the same time, I’d keep the call far enough off the wood line so if they come out running, I can bark to stop them before they hit the call.

I also like to keep a little buffer from the roads when setting up — they can be pretty wary about crossing them in daylight.

If I was night hunting, I’d probably just set up a little ways out into the field and not be as concerned about getting them to cross the road. I’d park in the same place or even a little farther back so I’m not shining my lights into the field while pulling in.

View attachment 26953

If you have a shotgun, I would look at the area circled in white. It looks like lower elevation that possibly holds drainage drowning out some of the trees. Look for an area on the edge to give you slight elevation for visibility just inside the cover with your scent blowing back over the road. Set you call out in the purple circle with enough area to get them shot before they get close enough to the call you pepper it with pellets. If there is water there scratch that idea.

View attachment 26954
These are just a few spots I’d start with when looking to set up and build a stand. I’d definitely want to see it in person before committing to anything, though.

That area looks tough, with a lot of ways for them to slip downwind. You don’t get many chances — once they catch your wind, it’s over, and after that you’re just out there spinning your wheels.

I wouldn’t call from the box blind expecting to pull them out onto the road. For one, they’d likely be right on top of the call before you ever saw them — or they might come in and you’d never see them at all. And two, you’d have to either drive through or walk through the very area you’re trying to call, leaving a scent trail behind. Those look like dead-end roads anyway… unless you’re getting dropped off by helicopter, lol.

You are correct that these are all dead end roads. Unfortunately, the area that looks open to the NW of the green box is no longer open. It's been planted again after a couple years of the underbrush growing, so it's awful thick now with no way to really set up in there. This screenshot is approximately 250 acres. I have the contiguous 750 acres also to the West leased as well. I will post screenshots of those tracts as well, but those roads are mostly dead ends as well. Sounds like my access will be challenging.

Your map evaluation skills are on point though! The white area is definitely a low point and does hold water most of the year. Currently we are in a drought and it's mostly dry.

There's a bridge crossing over the creek a few yards East of the green box. About another 150 yards East is where my camp is.
Maybe of note, where you drew the green box is a pretty decent creek that dumps into the river. Maybe setting up near there or within the hardwood bottomland would be viable?

Will coyotes cross creeks? The three tracts I lease have creeks that separate the tracts and there aren't roads that connect the properties. There's plenty of coyote sign on the other properties as well, so they definitely somehow access the entire area.

Maybe I need to lean more towards trapping?

 

[JWR]

These are screenshots of the entire property. There's approximately 1,000 acres among the three tracts with roads that don't connect the properties due to creeks separating them. My access points are from the highway to the South on the second two pics.

Again, google maps pic is a few years old and the areas that look open are now heavy underbrush with young pines.

Maybe the property with the loop road would give me the best access without being winded?

 

[Infidel 762]

Will coyotes cross creeks? The three tracts I lease have creeks that separate the tracts and there aren't roads that connect the properties. There's plenty of coyote sign on the other properties as well, so they definitely somehow access the entire area.

Yes, they’ll cross creeks — but they’ll also hang up on them for a lot of reasons.

I’ve set up near creeks and rivers and called in coyotes that were soaking wet. I’ve also had them light up and howl from the other side and never commit. It can go either way.

One thing I notice more at night is that, like most animals, territorial coyotes have core areas and then the outer ranges where they travel and hunt. If I’m set up inside their core area and they’re across a road out roaming, they’re usually more willing to cross back over into their home ground. But trying to pull them out of that core area — especially across a road — can be tougher.

I look at creeks the same way. They’re not a hard barrier, but they can be a mental one. And if it’s cold, I think they’re less likely to want to get wet than they would be in warmer weather. A lot of it just depends on how hard you hit that trigger and how committed they are to the call.

 

[Infidel 762]

Again, google maps pic is a few years old and the areas that look open are now heavy underbrush with young pines.

Find a good source for updated imagery. I prefer images captured in the winter when the leaves are off the trees — it makes it much easier to read terrain, cover, and edges.

EagleView is the best in my opinion, and most of their imagery is flown leaf-off, but it does require a subscription. My next choices would be HuntStand or OnX — both are solid options and usually easier to access.