Coyote "senses" question

pachuckhunter

pachuckhunter

New member
For us newbies, assuming you are fully camo'd up, are as scent free and cover scented as practically possible, and are very quiet and still with just slow, subtle movements to scan the area.

In virtually no wind, would a Coyote tend to see you anyway, smell you first, hear some subtle noise you make on the stand without you realizing it?

In short, what is a Coyotes BEST "sense"?

Karl
 
His ears and nose are top of the line and then the eyes, but the eyes can see quite well and they are looking for the critter making the sound on approach be it distress or coyote vocals, I hide the caller every chance I get to get them in even futher to investigate.

Movement is critical when they are in 200 yrds, at that range they can pinpoint the sound very well, that is where I see camo being an advantage, as it will allow you more movement than just drab clothing that doesn;t blend in my opinion. I also like to be prone as that gives you the lowest siloutte possible, don't sacrafice visability of seeing for prone, but when I can I'm flat on the ground and I can get by with more movement with camo, and shoot the best from that position.

Scent masking I don't really worry about that, I always play the wind and when I call I try and have my coyotes located and setup to my advanatge. I call more in the late spring and summer months on complaints and try to locate the den and then setup within range.
 
Personally I believe that they will always smell you. To them a human in cover scent smells like a human in cover scent.

Hearing would be second but its not like the places they live are silent up until the time we get there, something is always going on.
 
In the East, prone is not always possible. On average, our shots are much shorter than out West. That's why I was wondering the going opinion on "senses".
I am usually set up against a bush or tree I can blend into, looking into woods, but open field as well.


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Karl
 
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What has already been stated /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif.

Also I've had them visually peg me. While being, White from head to ankle[including my rifle or shotgun]. Up to around a 1/4 mile away. This was on a [fluffy/quite]snow white hillside.

No doubt in my mind, they picked out the color difference. Between my "Whites" & the snow color. This has also led me to believe, they could detect my size as well. As I was down low on the snow slinking closer.

On the other hand, in fluff/quite snow. I've stalked close enough to hit'em with a brick /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif. They tend to sleep on the light side.

I don't underestimate [any] of their sense's /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowingsmilie.gif
 
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My above pic is one reason I ordered a "Leafy" 3-D suit! Mossy Oak just is not enough, or enough bright greens for this area. Maybe in the woods, but not among the "greens"

Karl
 
Yeah, I understand. There are'nt many "metal" branches in the wild that co "click" are there? Even though mine is a slider that is fairly quiet, I'll remember that one about the safety.

Karl
 
In tight country on very still mornings I worry about scent and usually use a scent mister to disrupt their sense of smell. Coyotes see movement so I always try to get into shooting position as soon as possible when they are coming in and avoid bold movement. Hearing is tough to tell because if they hear you, you never see them... but I think that is only when you are moving in to set up or staging an ambush. I like to sit a spell before calling and just listen because they make noise too.
 
I dont care what you do camo scent blockers hide the truck you are hunting one of the smarts animals in the woods and you better do everything you can do to try and trick him into cmeing to the gun..............
 
I'd say their best sense is smell followed very closely by hearing. You can fool their eyes and ears, but I don't believe you can ever fool their nose.
 
I believe I read somewhere a coyotes eyesight is similar to ours "if" we are looking through 6x binoculars!! Bottom line, they can see, hear and smell real good!!
 
I've read where some folks. Believe a coyote does not see well. Specifically, a hunter ie;[camo'd], sitting in front or amongst cover.
Perhaps, this is true for certain coyotes in certain area's for various reasons.

One thing [among others] that sticks out in my mind. Is...How then, are they able to see a barbed wire fence. While running flat out, et be able to judge the distance[3D] from the wire.

Thus having an excellent ability to clear or dive[through or under] or over, these fence's while on the fly. Without little to no pause in the flight time.
 
Good points from everyone. I was just trying to figure out if it was more important to be all camo'd up and blending in to the environment, as scent free as possible, or as quiet as possible.
Anyone that has seen the color blind color chart posted here knows color blind people at least can still see some blue. I would assume animals would be the same. In Byron South's Coming To The Call III, "Calling in the Thick Stuff", he does at least one hunt wearing blue jeans and a 3-D camo Top. He shoots two Coyotes I believe.
So.. either the weeds covered his legs, or the coyotes did'nt see or care about the blue jeans.

Karl
 
I think you could wear elecric flourescent vibrant blue, and it probably wouldn't matter at all...as long as you were perfectly still.

What trips most animal's triggers is unatural movement not color. If you move while wearing a color that stands out (to a coyote), you're busted. If you can stay perfectly still, it probably won't matter what you wear (but can you sit perfectly still for very long?).

Wearing camo that blends (from a coyote's perspective) probably allows you a little more movement than you could otherwise get away with. 3D camo that moves with breezes just like the surroundings, probably allows even more.

That's my theory anyway, and it seems to hold up to observations in the field.
 
I have had them spot me laying down, white clothes, face mask, white rifle, at 200-400yds, on white snow. I wear camo most of the time calling in sage brush, but before I wore blue jeans, green-brown shirt, baseball cap, or when real hot and sunny I wore my huge Kodiak, brown wide brimmed hat.
Many times they were looking at me or my spot in the brush when I squeezed it off. This is at 30-200yds. I suppose the hat was like a big rock to them, but it was protecting me from further sunburn.T.20
 
There nose is there best sense karl, Just look at there head there form (IE mouth ) follows the function of the nose. the way I see it there whole body is designed behind that nose.
 
I think that scent is important, not all important. You don't wanna go to a stand fresh out of the shower smelling like old spice. But, everytime you exhale you are putting out like 3 or 4 cubic feet of scent. When the air goes into your lungs it meets with human blood to carry oxygen to your body. So to the keen predator nose this is probably a noteable scent. So unless you can hold your breath for 20 mins @ a time you are going to put off scent no matter how well you prepare before the hunt.
 


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