A visual cue

M

medic joe

Well-known member
A visual cue to you young hunters. It doesn't matter if it is flatland, hilly or has timber or other ground cover. Coyotes 99.9% of the time. When bedded down. Will have their backside towards the prevailing wind. The higher the wind speed, the more in alignment. Their muzzle will be facing directly to "their down wind". Their behavior vs wind. Is worth noting. Because you can adjust which direction. You decide to walk in. To make a stand or sneak up on a bedded coyote.

Using a clock dial for example; The bedded coyote or the ground cover you plan to call. Is the center of that clock dial. Wind blowing from 12:00 to 6:00. The best walk in angle imo. Is from the 10:00 or 2:00 angle. Why? Because that puts you out of the coyotes line of sight. It also puts you cross wind of that coyote. The only factor you then need to overcome is. Remaining quiet enough on the walk in. That you are not heard.

Below is a coyote almost 1/2 mile away. The wind is blowing directly into my camera. So that coyote has it's backside against the wind. Coyotes are extremely light sleepers & have exceptional hearing. Same as Red Fox. Most coyotes also do not dismiss any ambient noise. As a spot/stalker of hundreds of coyotes & red fox. I slink in very quiet like a cat stalking a bird. Looking down as I walk slowly. Listening to any foot noise I might make. A few hunters that hunted with me. Walked in like a cow wearing a neck bell. Not good, not good at all.


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Having observed a few thousands+ coyotes in my time. Coyotes spend the vast majority of their time on the down wind side/slope on hilly terrain. Often bedding down right below the ridgeline of those hills. To roughly 1/2 way down on a hill side. Most coyotes when bedded down. Will be found at least a 1/4 mile from any active roadway. However, I have seen a handful bedded down less than a 1/4 mile from an active roadway. When they travel. They most often travel on the down wind side of a hill. Utilizing the up wind side "mainly" as a transitional area. To get from one down wind area to the next.

When an alpha pair travel. Most often it is the female who is the lead coyote. Sometimes the male may take over as the lead. But typically not for very far. Before the female resumes the lead again & the male becomes the lag coyote. Wherever she decides to go, he follows.
 
This pair of coyotes are 1/4 mile off of the road way. They are on the down wind side. On a grassy terrace on a large foot hill. They both have their backside angled towards the prevailing wind. Right when I pulled over on the highway shoulder for a pic. One of them raised it's head & stared at me. Even with all of the highway noise nearby. One of those coyotes detected me. When I pulled over & stopped.

 
medic joe said:
This pair of coyotes are 1/4 mile off of the road way. They are on the down wind side. Of a grassy terrace on a large foot hill side. They both have their backside angled towards the prevailing wind. Right when I pulled over on the highway shoulder for a pic. One of them raised it's head & stared at me. Even with all of the highway noise nearby. One of those coyotes detected me. When I pulled over & stopped.

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In a perfect World. My ideal angle closing the gap on a sleeper coyote is. Either the 10:00 or 2:00 angle(Slightly up & cross wind from a bedded coyote). If a hunter is extremely quiet(stalking cat quiet). That hunter can get close enough to hit them with a brick. Closest I've stalked in on a sleeper was around 50' away. My 2nd option would be closing the gap on their cross wind angle.

Down side about sneaking in cross wind on a bedded down coyote is. A bedded coyote will often raise it's head. Panning to it's cross wind & down wind areas. However, in a high wind around 20mph or so. That coyote's muzzle will be aimed "directly" to it's down wind. As they do not like a stout wind in their face when bedded. Especially a very cold wind. Over my hunt years. I've spent thousands of hrs. Just observing their behaviors from a distance. Which made me a much better stalker.
 
Here is a prime example stalking close to a sleeper coyote. I know this young hunter & he has been taught well by his father. He nailed that coyote solid. A few seconds after I took this pic. Coyote never had a clue he was so close. He stalked in up & cross wind from this coyote.

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I had a strong wind develop while out for coyotes, blowing from the N to S.

I was walking to an area I wanted to call, and at the very top of the hill upwind from me, just as Medic Joe describes, a coyote stands up, looks at me, then trots over the top and is gone.

So, I continue walking at the base of the hill, in waist high grass, when I spot a coyote about 30yds in front of me. This coyote was laying down and in full yawn, nose pointing to the sky.

I quickly crouched down into the tall grass, and shouldering my rifle while I go down. Looking though the scope, I slowly raise up, intending to shoot as soon as I could. I see the coyote in the scope at the same time he sees me, and the look on his face was one of "OOOOH S###", and he was gone before I could pull the trigger. I'm sure I was slow on the trigger pull because my mind was laughing at the look on his face.

Very good advice from Medic Joe.
 
Whether a hunter is a caller or a spot/stalker on coyotes. One of the hardest things to over come. Is noise underfoot. Crunching snow, leaves, harvested crop stubble/dried grasses, twigs, ect. The day you hunt. If you are a spot/stalker. You had best pay attention to any & all noises you make. Coyotes have remarkable hearing, even at long range. Coyotes can also remember. Which direction a noise came from. They can triangulate that noise very well & be quite accurate. As to how far away that noise was from them. Through my own experiences. I have found the best days for stalking, are windy days. Especially high wind days are best. Because walking in cross wind. That high wind assists in carrying SOME of your noise to your down wind. Laterally/or adjacent from where that coyote is.
 
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My own experiences closing the gap on bedded red Fox & coyotes;

Obviously they hear best to to their up wind. To a lesser degree to their down wind. But also hearing well to their down wind. To a much lesser degree to their cross wind. Which is the angle to me. Is ideal in getting close to one that is bedded down. I mostly hunt open rolling crop hills interlaced in a grid pattern with barbed fences. I have hunted timber tracks & strips/rail lines & also flat land. But I prefer open rolling hills. When I see a bedded coyote or fox from long range. I use hills, structures & other ground features. To triangulate it's exact bearing the best I can. So provided I have permission on all of the ground surrounding that bedded canine. I then make my stalk plan. Per wind direction, hills & other ground features. To hide me from it's view as I close the gap. Red Fox vs coyote hearing. Some fox tend to dismiss some noise within earshot. However, most all coyotes do not. Any unusual sound will draw their attention & put them into alert mode. And that coyote will stare in that direction for a long time, ie; 15 min or more. Red Fox for the most part. Pay closer attention to higher pitched sounds underfoot.
 
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