Originally Posted By: KizmoIMHO, eastern coyotes are a lot harder. One reason is we don't have the population density they do out west. Heartworms keep the population down around here. Secondly, eastern coyotes tend to be pack animals to a much greater extent than their western counterparts. This makes them harder to call, as you more frequently have to convince multiple minds to come your way. They tend to prey on larger animals (ie deer) to a greater extent than western yotes, and they are larger themselves. They are also not nearly as vocal as western coyotes. Around here, you very rarely hear them during daylight hours. I don't think vocals work nearly as well in the east.
Gerry Parker's book "Eastern Coyote: The Story of Its Success" is a treasure trove of information on the eastern coyote.
Well said Kiz. I have hunted both and I can say that it was very refreshing to have called in New Mexico and Arizona where the coyotes just seemed to keep on coming and from such great distances. It just doesn't happen that way in the east. My tactics here in the east basically are no different than out west. But finding a calling spot here in the mountains is not easy.
I will also add that so much of the terrain in the east is thick, heavily forested and steep. That makes for some very tough hunting just to get into. Finding a good setup location is sometimes almost impossible due to the terrain and the wind, whereas out west a guy can generally get the wind in his favor. That's hard to do when your proper wind location is down a hollow where the coyotes will most likely come up out of of when called. It's tough.
One other point is this - out west a guy generally has large expanses of land to hunt. He can drive a short distance and setup again, whereas in the east, at least where I live, I can spend most of my time driving and maybe only be able to make one or two stands an evening. I have to walk into tough places once I get there too. Most of the land here is owned in small partials, so getting permission is one thing and then finding the right area to call is yet another.
I have permission on several pieces of land that for all practical purposes, just isn't huntable.
I have often wondered just how many coyotes I may have called that I never saw, due to the deepness of hollows, of the thickness of woods, thickets etc.
