Coyote hunting in the woods

velvalco

velvalco

New member
I watch the videos and all the stands I have seen are over open fields. Is it possible to do a stand in a wooded area? What's a good set up?
 
I love thick cover set ups with the shotty, had much more luck that way.. Day and night. It can just make it a lot harder by Possibly spooking something or getting busted with wind, etc.. Takes me longer times on stand (upwards of 2 +hrs max)

I just try different things and experiment in my ways, mix things up.
Dare to be different, and Remember that patience is a Virtue. Best of luck to you.




This guy really surprised me in the woods after 2 hrs of callin and ready to call it.. caught him trying to backdoor me from 7 yds w / 20ga 870 3 times. Intense stuff those woods can be!






" I hunt the heavy woods,Field edges,Pastures,Cut hay fields....You name it all kinds of terrain and situations.Make Yourself versital so You can use them all to Your advantage.I've Hunted off the ground and in ladder stands,box blinds and around old farm equipment...behind hay bales and behind fallen trees! " Amen ! You got that right , this cat was from a 60ac pasture After 2 hrs of callin.
 
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Very possible.
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This coyote came into my left with the call sitting 40yds down the ridge from me with a parallel wind. The sun was to my back and I was against a big oak that broke my outline. He was first shot with his nose near the call and ran to where you see him in the distance for my finishing shot. This was a spring hunt and I was using fawn distress. I missed another on a similar setup the following week. Both times they approached with a parallel wind and came in from below since I took the high ground. This is a mile long strip of hardwoods that divides fields on both sides. I managed to call another coyote the stand before I killed this one, but he popped over the ridge at 20' and caught me sitting on my butt pointing the wrong way and unprepared
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Yes, it is possible, though it can be difficult. A coyote can circle down wind easier in the woods without you seeing it, wind you and be gone.
I have often wondered just how many coyotes I may have called that I never knew were there. I'll never know, but I suspect some. I know
of two coyotes I called in the woods that did wind me, ones that I saw, but both go away. One was black.

Here is one I got in the woods. It almost winded me and actually tried to, but it didn't go up the hillside far enough to catch my scent.
He decided all was well, so turned and came my way. I dropped him at about 40 yards. The only way I saw this coyote early on was due
to the snow on the opposite hillside to the right in the photo. If not for the snow, I may not have even known he was there.







As you can see by the photo, when the coyote was on the snowy hillside, there was little
chance of me getting a good shot due to all the timber. Luckily he came over to my side
and was in the open enough for a shot.


 
All of my stands are in the woods, some much thicker than others, but all in the woods. I sit many stands that I can't see more than 40 yards.
The key is to carefully chose your set ups based on the winds of that day, set up with your wind blowing somewhere the coyote can't or won't go. That could be a lake , river , highway, rural buildings or a very steep incline.
Make it as hard as possible for them to get downwind of you unseen or if they can and do they die. Lots of stands I set I want the coyote to try and get down wind of me , if they try they will end up right in my wheelhouse.
An electronic caller with decoy increases your odds of killing timber coyotes dramatically. You can be on the down wind or cross wind side much easier. This type of forced movement setup also allows you to place yourself in the most optimum location to get the shot.
It doesn't always work out that easily but there are ways you can deffinetly increase your chances for success .
Once you get it figured out you can kill a lot of coyotes in the woods. Lastly approach is very key , move with the wind in your face and move stealthily , if you make a racket moving through the woods you'll likely never see a coyote.
 
Love the woods. I called this yote in less than a minute using my Icotec gc-300 E-caller. This was taken less than 20 yards away. Its looking right at the caller. I took this one photo and then got out my 22 mag revolver. It ran right to the caller and stood there without a clue of what was going on. It didn't look at me until it heard me pull the hammer back. I missed at less than 15 yards. I should of kept taking pictures. I could have sold the photos to Icotec. It was standing right next to the caller.

Of course you never know whats going to show up. I called in a black bear one time. Twice I called in a bull elk. I was a little shaky on these photos.


This one snuck up right behind me. You can barely see him.


Just watch your back. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.
 
I've never tried calling in the woods due to all the ravines and valleys in the areas I hunt. I think it's pretty much a guarantee that the coyotes would end up downwind of me without me seeing them.

I'd like to try to make that work to our advantage by having a friend sit on the downwind side valley though. I think it would work really well, we just haven't had time to try it out.
 
I have been doggin in the woods here in New England and agree with all above. Most important, ABOSOLUTELY MOST IMPORTANT is that down wind side! I have enjoyed excellent success in bringing dogs in this season however, I have not been setting up properly with the wind and cover....it has cost me. Just in the last three weeks, in 12 or 14 sets, I have brought in 9 dogs which snuck by and winded us leaving promptly. OK, Now I can learn pretty quick (only a dozen or so sets with same failure so I know its true that I am trainable) last night, I set up as usual, but consciously just faced down wind looking at an open field ( I know they will never be in the open;)). Long stand, over two hours. Had them howling and challenging about 200 yards out but no visual. Finally after shivering in the now dark woods, I see what I think is a large fox jog down the treeline and up to the mojo and sniff away at it. It walks to my tree stand, turns broadside and jogs back to the mojo...I think..wow that's a good looking fox and I let it walk as the dogs are howling and yipping even closer now.....

Well, long story short, I carefully check the track...it was a young coyote...I think I am just running the mistake checklist. Sure hope I finish it up soon!

Timber is good here and the snow really helps. If I could cut down on my rookie errors I would be closing the deal more often. Still enjoying the winter woods and it's great to get out, oh, and though FAILURE is not my middle name, I do not fear it!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Most of my hunting is in pretty thick woods.I find having some sort of barrier down wind of my location is critical.A lake river or swamp is ideal.
 
Two years and running with hunting coyotes in the woods, and I haven't gotten anything but bobcats. I'm starting to believe my setups are all wrong.
 
My son has caught several on his game cam in the last couple of weeks. It is deep in the woods. Should be interesting to give them a try. Have a new to me 219 Donaldson Wasp I have been wanting to try out.

Safe shooting
Doug
 
Cool little cartridge there Doug. Good luck. One thing is for sure, after coyote hunting in the eastern woods, it makes those whitetails look about as elusive as a farm goat. I just wish I had KYHILLBILLY's problem with cats. I can't seem to get them in the scope.
 
I hunt the heavy woods,Field edges,Pastures,Cut hay fields....You name it all kinds of terrain and situations.Make Yourself versital so You can use them all to Your advantage.I've Hunted off the ground and in ladder stands,box blinds and around old farm equipment...behind hay bales and behind fallen trees!
 

I do most of my coyote trapping in the woods around here. Any fallen trees work great for a backrest. I find hunting them, the wind is definitely #1, then where you setup is #2. I've hunted the same area a couple times but not the same spot.
 


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